New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-12
A Great Railroad Enterprise,


We have received copy of the repor,
made to the directors of the New York.
| West Shore and Chicago Railroad Company
| by General Charles b. Stuart, engineer-in.
chief of the enterprise. The design of this
company is to open a new line between New
York and Chicago by new road hence to
Buffalo, connecting there, through the in
ternational bridge now in process of con-
struction, with the Great Western and
Grand Trunk railways i'll Canada, and
through them, and more especially through
the Great Western with the Michigan
Central.
Between New York and Buffalo the dis
tance of the proposed line will be 4O2 miles,
or twenty -four miles less than the distance
by the Hudson River and New York Cen
tral. From this city to Catskill the road
will follow the west shore of the Hudson
river, keeping close to the waters edge
Upon this part of the line the maximum
grade will not exceed ten feet per mile.
while the curves will all be large enough TO
allow the highest rate OF speed. Unlike the
Hudson River railroad, there will be no re-
verse curves, and no tunnels, nor any en-
bankments of magnitude. . ..-
At Catskill the road will leave the Hud-
son river, and proceed in almost direct
line to the Mohawk, at Schenectady:
thence the route will be along the south
side of the Mohawk and the Erie canal to
Utica; from that place TO Syracuse the
course will be almost directly west. On
this part of the line the grades going west
will nowhere exceed thirty feet TO the mile,
and going east they will nowhere exceed
twenty feet to the mile: while on the same
part OF its line the Central railroad has
grades of eighty-eight feet to the mile
From Syracuse to Buffalo the line will be
almost straight, leaving Rochester consider
ably to the north.
1t appears that this company have be-
come owners of the franchise OF the West
Shore railroad, chartered some time since
by the Legislature of New Jersey. This
gives the company control of frontage of
twenty-five miles in extent, ''along the
bulkhead line of New York harber, of the
deepest and best protected water for
wharves on the bay" For the whole length
of the palisades the river has an average
depth OF forty five feet at low water. The
value of this vast extent of water front can
scarcely be overestimated. Ships of any
size can be laid alongside the warehouses Of
the company, and can take in their freight
with facility not enjoyed elsewhere to the
same extent. This water front can also be
improved for use at comparatively little ex-
pense. Between the palisades and the
river the bank varied in width from two
hundred to twelve hundred feet; and
wharyeS and stOrehouses can be erected
there without the necessity of extensive
stone excavations.
General Stuart argues in his report that
there will be little competition between the
West Shore division of this line and the
Hudson River railroad. On the east side of
Hudson river there are already three or
four railroads running parallel to each other,
and all prosperous, while on the west side
there is yet not single one. AT the same
time the most populous and busy towns and |
cities are on the west side, and he is conf |
lent that these towns will at once furnish a |
very large local traffic.
General Stuart proposes double track |
If railroad of four feet eight and half |
nches gauge, with cuts and embankments
5wenty-f0ur feet wide at grade, the bridges |
20 be OF wrought iron, the rails of steel,
Weighing sixty pounds per yard, with ties |
If white oak, and ballast of broken stone.
The total cost of the four hundred and
wenty miles he estimates at $26, ,2l3, 500, or
little over $4,000 a mile. This estimate,
however, does not include the cost of the
tatlonhouses or rolling stock.
ms road will be, in every respect, more
u ubstantial than either the New York Cen
raj or the Hudson River, and it will be per
ectly. practicable to run passenger trains
lpon 1T with ordinary safety at a speed OF
iIS AhiiOS du nOur. WIN 1uS shorter line
nd more direct communication with Chi
ago through Canada and the Michigan
;entral, this road must necessarily become
favorite for through traffic. General
tuart estimates that the gross income will
% over twenty-three millions a year, and
he net income over nine millions, giving
ighteen and half per cent profit on a
apital of fifty millions.
we learn that the gentlemen engaged in |
his enterprise have already substantially
arrangements in England by
Inch the money necessary for the con.
OF the road from this city to
'uffalo is to be produced at seven per cent |
er annum, and that Mr.. John NJ Court
ey, accompanied by the Hon. William M.
warts, counsel for the company, leave for
ondon to-day to consummate the negotia-
ons. The work, we are assured, Is to be-
in at once, the right of way in most of the
,untles OF this State having been freely
wen to the company without any other
'mpensation than the benefits expected I
ON the construction of the road. The i'm !
ortance OF this enterprise can not be ex-
ygerated, and we trust no accident may I
eur to delay the rapid construction of
ork 80 necessary to the prosperity of our | q
and to the relief Of the people | l
ON the enormous impositions which Com I
odore vanderbilt levies upon them, or I
ON the greater ones which he would levy |
he could control the Erie railway | '
anagers. Q