Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-04-16

III tA1 A@#RSetAF% HHt Az HF5f4AAA# - #s+#
and five. Curves 81 deg. IS 6 gene
eFal thing, convenlsntiy united ~
tangent dehectiOms. The entire
route will admit ofa coed f0adhas
The arat mile Of The lina, Though
locased On The slope q the hlll
South Of the Glass bayou cen g
made safeand secure BY proper Side
hill ditching
EsTiMA1xo COST. sl
Graduation. maserry ssd tlsar4
iron rails, chairs. splkes 81 isfk-
out irons q uiies} n .ss..sssis #1kT 80
Laying track. fnciudiae cfu.stles ieS 18a 60
Dltching on side hlA emhanE-
Bspot sst't tbaiisIns's. machine sGsps ~
and way stations 4s....s..*..sA, s.t At1l4 %
Engineering is..,..Ys.- .ss..-...r
Contingencies lpc, c,...,.ss...s's.. AA1st@
Total s.-.ass.. q, .ssa.as. ss,.s q. .tiesl ~ o
Average cost per mile t5s miles,
including two miles sidings),
S24,426 rs. @ ~
In concluding thls report, Il win
not be irrelevant 10 notice the cost
Of q more direct, o. air-lills, be-
tween Vicksburg and Canton.
Theoretically, the distance would
be $3.50 miles, and the line w0ul0
cross the Big Black river, at orneat
Birdsong's ferry. This point cf
crossing, as has already been Oh.
served, Il eminentlY favorable, and
distant, by an air.l6he, 1855 miles
from Vicksburg though only 70
be reached, at the least expenditure
by following the line as located "
this eurvey--a distance OF 1908
miles. That portion Of the llue
which would pass through the
county Of Kinds, would measure
0 miles In length. The topography
Of that section Of the county
through which aii aifaliHe would
pass is as unfavorabig for railroad
purposes as that developed BY the
Warren hills The water courses
have, generally, a north westerly
tendency; and as these are unmlas
| takeable indexes Of the topography
of q country, It mpat be evident
that the line upon this route would
bO forced 10 elevated crossings, or
the equally unfav0rable alternative
of heavy excavations IN 4 the hills
that skirt them, would have 70 be
adopted. raf t-stl
Assuming that the natural
obstacles which would be
encountered IN the running
Of q more direct line, would
compel q divergence from strict=
" airline, TO the amount OF two
miles, we should have the advana
tage Of shortness on the direct
route over that De located up the
! ! valley, by Ito miles. This advan.
tage, however, Is gained at the ex-
pense OF steep grades and sharp
curvature. It Is certainly evident
thatin choosing the best direction
\ for q line, the rate Of inclination
= y which can be obtained, with Q
y moderate outlay 10 cuttings and
y embankments, ,is Q consideration Of
- greater importance thanthe mere
= maintaining of q direct line. For
though the measured length Of Q
. cirouitOus route may be CONSIDERS
y bly, greater than the length Of q dl.
:, rect line, yet II the incllnations In
!! the former case are much more 10!
\ n vorable than those In the latter, II Is
= = evident that more may be gained ID
y = speed, with the same expenditure
- y Of power, than is lost by the in-
Il y crease Of distance. A careful cal-
- !. culation OF the comparative cost Of
5 the two routes shows q CONSIDERS
y y bic excess Of expenditure N the
= ;. construction Of the airline. I'll
= then simply question Of perma-
= nent maintainancas Of the extra
length Of the longer linesoH
! Il cannot be regarded &c an unim-
= pOFtant consideration that the val-
ley line viii deVelOpea q very lucras
tive trade, which would continue
= . inaccessible by the airline. The
:. abundant products Of the valley, aa
:. y q general thing, now dnd q market
~ - In the towns along the Yazoo river,
= : The latter line. after crossing The
= Big Black river, and lFayeralng
y Kinds county for nine miles, would
y. !. be within nine miles Of the Vicks-
y burg aud Meridian railroad. =
y As ths line from Vicksbure a
Canton has necessary connection
~ with that from Canton Via Aber
= deem TO Decatur, Alabama, ! have
y sublOined TO this The eetiinaied coal
" Of the latter line, as obtained from
y the report Of Hsj. B. II. Green
y Chief Engineer: 5psa issn
Y Length Of line from Canton K
Y Y Aberdeen, 1929 miles.
Graduation Masonry. Bridges,
. &Oa. ..ss...s.4..s.s...s...ss. II. u go tu
r Iron rails, Chains, spikes and turn.
l. out Irons ........t........s....!.s ]. .uj3, 20
Ia Laying track, including cFoss-
40 ties ..........s....4.........s.. 1850
" Ballastlng track with gravel. "A
&. soft and yielding PORTIONS Of
ID Land, Land DANA ges and F0nalnR.. sso.
nj Depot buildings. Machine shops
ana Way stations, ...,..f...... dt5O1
Engineering, contingencies and
ig bsHetaA VA,ee fAFShhNsst sststs.ssss A+AI9t
ar asssoo
n Deduct value OF work standing.... se7,0O
i'll Cost Of aulthiag section. HID, 00a
or Length Of line from Aberdeen Il
nc Decatur, about 100 miles estima-
n ted cost, S3,2i0,000.
IN Mr. r. Boylan, as surveyor, and
ii Mr.. McNutt Paxton, as leveller, con
70 Quoted the insifnmensal operations
IL In the field. TO both these gentle,
u. man my Acknowledgements are duo
u for faithful discharge Of the dntlel
assigned them.
ig Respectfully submitted,
,i- JAMES M. SElRLEa.
q Chief Engineer