New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-02
CHATTANOOGA RAILROAD
FROM NEW ORLEANS TO MOBILE

| the arrival of the first train on the Chatta-
| nooga Railroad from Mobile to New Or-
| leans, the road between the two cities being
| now completed. And now we record the
| departure, on Sunday last of the first train
on the Chattanooga Railroad from New
| Orleans to Mobile.
Through all the route the road is in splen-
did order, except at the marsh commencing
| about twelve and continuing to twenty-five
miles distance from New Orleans, where.
| in consequence of the nature Of the ground.
| and the difficulties encountered IN con-
structng the enbankment, the track is not
vet thoroughly settled. The managers OF
the road, however, are keeping a large num-
| Der of hands at work. and in time this por-
| ton of the road will become as solid as any
other part. 1t may, perhaps, be necessary
TO say that the portion here mentioned as
unsettled is, however rs safe as any other
| part of the road, the only difference being
| that the travel on it is somewhat slower.
The first trip from New Orleans to Mobile.
| being matter of immense interest to every
| business man in our city, it is not surpris-
ing that large party of prominent citizens,
| in response to an invitation from Major j. j.
| Williamson collected at the foot of Canal
| street, about nine o'clock Sunday morning,
| to Join in an excursion over part of the
route. Among the party, comprising about
| two hundred persons, we noticed Mr.. VIII
| liam NJ. Burwcll editor of De BOic's Reriear !;
Messr. r. b. Lee, Williamson Smith, j. L,
Mcdaniel, of the Associated Press Major
ID. H. Feger, general Southern agent Of the
Louisville route; Colonel j. w. Madden,
Messrs. Charles Rhodes, +. o. Minor, Cap
tain +. Z. Myers, William z. Deacon, James
Carmichael, j. f. Smith, w. 7. Sigley,
George Dycke, X. Charles, Jr., Auguste
Lewis, +. J. Lewis, Messrs. Lane and Dun
can of the Bee. Messrs. Morcau. John
Hawkins, F.. NJ. Higgins. J. Franklin, Col
onel Frank H. Wilson. j. Henry Behan,
| William Bedcll. =. X. Middlemiss.
| At a quarter past ten o'clock the cXcur-
! sion started from the foot of Canal street.
! There was no pretenson whatever about thi,
| affair, every part Of the arrangement par
taking Of an entirely Republican simplicity.
| A locomotive to which were attached IA
| number OF platform cars with eXtempOrized
| chairs and benches formed the outfit, but
withal were not forgotten ample means OF
| physical sustentation packed up i'll baskets.
| as well as protuse materials for mental eX-
hilaration enveloped in variouslv shaped bot
ties. for all OF which we were indie bted TO our
enpressario. Major j. j. Williamson. No-
was food for the mind lacking. for our ell
terprsing literary friend c. G. Haley was OF
the company, and he, acting after his kind,
had brought papers from various parts oE
! the Union. Some two hundred copies OF
the New Orleans REPUBLICAN had beell
| provided, and as the train rushed on its
speedy way they were dropped at nearly
every house along the route, ditfusing in
tcllgence and sound political doctrine. SD
on the thirtietl day of October, i'll the year
eighteen hundred and seventy, people iis
Mobile. for the first time. were enabled to
read the New Orleans daily papers on the
same day they were published.
At quarter after ten o'clock the train
left the station and specded away along the
lcvee. up Elysian Fields street to the turn
off, and then rushed on its journey witt;
accelerated speed.
Passing on through wood and marsh,
over bog and prairie. we made our speedy
| way along that part of the road. described
somewhat in last Sundays REPUBLICANl
| Sighting Fort Macomb, at Chef Menteur!
passing solitary shanty deep III the woods
remote from other hstl,itations. a lodge
in some wilderness ought to be, across the
blue waters OF beautiful Lake Catherine
while the buildings of Fort Pike, seen far
in the distance. on one side and friendly
| lighthouse on the other. Wild uncultivaled
| and desert, as is large portion of the
| country over which we passed, it was at the
same time exceedingly interesting; and
men acknowledged that scenery without the
adjunct of dense forest, rugged rock, OF
lofty mountain, could still abound in the
| elements Of the romantic.
But TO return to the practical. The open
ing of the Chattanooga road will at once
render the poorest land along its route val
| liable, by opening forthwith a market for
tirewood On that part of the road within
some twenty miles Of New Orleans wood
abounds, but is for the most part only suita-
bic for fuel.
At little past twelve o'clock we crossed
the Rigolets on the bridge of trestle- work.
This bridge is three-quartcrs of mile long
and is divided by an immense pivot draw,
| constructed of iron, and two hundred and
twenty-five feet long. 1t is at this point
that the lake steamers and other vessels
pass on their way from New Orleans to the
| watering places.
Leaving the. Rigolets. the road is very
solid. and in the best possible condition.
The train increased its speed. and soon
We were gliding along at the rate of forty
five miles per hour. The speed was timed
at several points by Mr.. w. G. Mitchell. IA
gentleman connected with the road, TO
whose courtesy the reporter of the REPUB-
LICAS is indebted for much desirable in
formation. We might state that ct both
Chef Menteur and at the Risolets the water
is over forty-two feet deep. The sea view
from the Rigolcts bridge is very fine.
Rushing along. We soon came to the
English Lookout This is small islet of
high land on which grows group of trees.
Tie whole surrounding is swampy, and
| the spot is interesting chiefly rs a reIninis-
cence of the invasion of New Orleans i'll
1874 for here the British fotlla landed "a
| portion OF the men and established a corps
of observation. A very tall tree, since cut
down, served as a point of observation until
the defeat at Chalmette forced IA total evac-
uation Of the lake waters.
| Soon as the Rigolets are passed, the
running on the road all the way to Mobile
| is nearly as smooth as one of the shell roads
in the vicinity of New Orleans.
Passing East Pearl river, we now entered
the State of Mississippi; the land becoming
higher and dryer, and covered to great
extent, with magnificent trees
Nearing Bay St Louis numbers of the
| population turned out to greet lis. Men and
| hoys shouted, and dogs barked, people
shook hands, standing by the first train
| from New Orleans, and every one felt that
| it was a great event. Il
| We stopped at Bay St. Louis long enough
| to let the locomotive take a drink, and
! then off we rushed toward Biloxi the
bipeds on the train having an advantage
over the iron horse that drew it. for they
| could do two things at once-drink and
rush along at the same time.
p,ssi,C ranidIv by Pass Christian. bv