New-York tribune., 1871-12-27
A THRIVING CITY.
THE CITY OF TERRE HAUTE--ITS COMMERCIAL
RELATIONS, MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, Ed
UCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, ETC.-THE I'M
PROyEnENT or THE WABASH.


UCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, ETC.-THE I'M
PROvEMENT or THE WABASH.
70 the Editor or The Tribune.
SIR: The City of Tcrre Hautc derives its
name from the high ground on which 1t Ia founded The
French voyagers who gathered at Vncenncsas far back
a. I7O5 wandered tho Wabash and applied this name
to an Indian village which was three miles south o the
presenttOwn. The site IL beautiful one, being on
plateau about feet above the river and soping In
every direction admit Of easy drainage and the
river may made available to supply the hhaDltahs
with an abundance Of good water
The town was organized 1876 and the fact OF s sit
uaon the line OF the Great National Road stnpeh
dOis scheme In ts day, and OF which Henry 'ay WAS
the protector gave to this place prospective impor
tance What however, led to it5 substantial grown
was the completion 1852, Of the Terre Haute and In
dianapolis Railroad, and the subsequent extension OF
that road st. Louis thus fixing Terre Haute as al I'M
pOrtan point OF the great thor0ghfacs Oh trac
between the seaboard and the Mississippi valley anu at
the same time rendering tributary for pur
poses the block coal region OF Brazil, lying 10 meS
to the east Up to that time her popuation aftcr the
lapse OF than 35 years, barely reached 4'W Ill
had risen to 1884, at the present time 1t Is not lr
from OoO and is rapidly increasing Since the conpe
ton OF the Tcrre auc and indianapolis Railroad there
have been put in operation the following routes WHICH
bear directly on the commerce Of tt6 city: The st.
LOUIS Vandalia and Terre Iiautc the st. LOUIS ana III
diannpolis essentially rival line running to the same
principal points the Evansville and Crawiordsvil' and
the Terre Haute and Chicago. Ground has just Deeh
broken on the and Trrrc Haute Railroad 10
the stock of which the city has voted subscription
of 100000 thus evincing her disposition 10 open he"
avenues OF trade
By these routes Tcrrc Hauc has direct access to the
Lakes TO the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers ana 70 the
seaboard. She is distant from Chicago lSo miles, '''
Louis l65 miles; from Cincinnati 1S0 miles. and from
tha last
pted by the Cincinnati and Terre Haute route Thus,
then. it will be that there Is room here Tor thc
growth Of another inland city, and know or no place
which has stronger claims to assume such position
than Tcrre Haute 1t il surrounded by country fertile
almost beyond comparison. and much Of II is clothed
with magnificent forest growth. The Wabash Valley
has long known furnishing the best corn lands
in the United States, and the upands produce good Win
wheat. The forests yield abundant materials for
railroad ties wheels hubs barrels, and lumber Tor
agricultural implements and the coal fields at
hand Tie union between tho specuar iron ores OF Mis-
souri, and Lake Superior and the block Goals VI III
DIANA can be effected here cheaDIy at any other
point and the Wabash River affords On unaiilng supply
Of furnace and other manufacturing purposes
An iron furnace under the supernendence Of Mr. A. L.
Crawford with daily capacity Of turning out Is tuns ot
pig metal ia already successful operation. There is
rolling mill, with nail factory attached with capacity
to manufacture 800 kegs Of nails week, and also "A
glass factory.
Main.st is substantially built for the most part of
brick the fronts of many buildings are OF Eettsvie
linestOue freecuing stone Of agreeable tint and
great durability, and capable OF any degree OF 0rna
mentatOn. 1t is, in fact, one OF the most desirable
stones for construction be found in the United States
Many OF the private residences, with their sur
roundin,s Of walks and shrlbbery. indicate spirit OF
taste and refinement the part OF their owners Tho
State Normal School Is situated here, and the building
OF brick with trimmings in the midst OF square,
prrsents interesting appearance. The Opera House
and DOwlings Hall, both tasteully built and adorned
afford cornmodious quarters for popular amusements.
The public school buildings also worthy Of commend
ation that the people not neglecnl OF the
interests OF education To the members OF the American
Association for the Advancement OF Science. the
cason OF their visit to this place last Autumn, the ct
zens extended magnificent reception
With regard to the Importance OF the Wabash River
A great artery OF trade am not profoundly impressed
This like the OhlO each year, as its sources are
cleared up and its swamps drained, appears to flow with
diminished volume. survey with reference to the in
provement of navigation has just been completed
under direction Of the United States Typographical
Bureau, and the plan contemplated Is to remove the
snas aud sawycrs. and excavae channels through the
sand bars. This plan, while it might remove many i'm
pcdimens would not Increase, but rather diminish the
average depth Of water by permitting it flow
freely and when completed would only admit Of the
navigation OF the river for limited portion Of year
BY steamers VI small capacity To slack the river
would be impraccabc, for the ntervaes bordering the
broad, and large tracts OF rich land cul
tvatcd, would be inundated and rendered yauelcss
The only feasible method to render the Wabash
thoroughly nayigablc, IA to initiate what Is now
doing In the neighb0ring State Of Illinois; to
start at the head Of Lake Michigan, say at
Michigan City, and canal. at least 1OS feet broad
the lbOttOm to the nOrthcrnnost bend OF the Wabash
and portion Of the waters OF that great reservoir to
keep the O boatable condition, except when
closed by ice. There is growing disposition on tue
part Of the people to restrain Congress from embarkng
in schemes OF internal Improvement designed TO benefit
particular sections but the State Of Indiana believe,
nearly Of debt and may be disposed to execute
project which shall rebound much to her prosperity.
BY this Is water communication far cheaper than
any land conveyance might be maintained throughout
the entire length Of the State distance OF than
$50 miles in line; thus uniting the commerce Of
the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers with thae0 the
lakes. s. ". FOSTER.
T.rre Hdute Dec 90, 1871.
REVOLUTION IN BESSEMER STEEL MANU-
FACTURE.
The following communication from Prof.
p. H. Wander weyde appears in The Engineering and
Mining Journal: