The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-11-13
ton. What can be the reason of all this? Can
It be that Scott, Harrison & Co. are interested
| In the Staera contract2

Now. Messrs Humberd & Hitchcock, Jones
and others, held contracts on the tunnels and
other sections OF the line, previous to the war,
at prices varying from thirty to fly per cent.
less than those given to Steers d Co. Several
of them (very responsible men, intimated 70
the company their willingness to continue said
contracts This Initiated an extraordinary
course of action. II work were commenced
on the South Carolina portion where these
contracts lay, these men could force the COM
pany to renew their agreements on the former
basis. For year and half, therefore; this
portion Of the line (the one least admissible OF
delay.) was left unworked. In the meantime,
Mr.. Lee was employed In running lines innu-
merabe between Walhalla and the Chatuga
River. Eventually he found route that he
estimated as cheaper and shorter than the old
line. No less than three OF the engineers EN-.
ployed on the survey (all thoroughly reliable
men, have informed me that the data used In
estimating the two roads were radically differ
emf. The quantities of the old line were cal.
culated as frst-class road, as regards breadth
of roadbed, easy curves and grades, slopes of
cuttings, &c. Those Of the new line were cal
Culated only Tor second class road. with mar.
row roadbed, steep slopes Of cuttings, and
grades and curves fifty per cent. sleeper and
sharper than on the old line. And yet, with
all their hair-splitting and many other ingenl-
GUS eXpedlente, there was not five per cent.
difference in cost, at Steers's prices, between
the estimates of the quantities. on the two
rontes.
There were. however, two great advan-
tages(?) In the new route. 1st. The directors
were not obliged to give the work to the old
contractors, with their low prices. (out OF
which they could not possibly afford 10 pay
brbes) but could give 1t all to I. Steers, at his
exorbltant rates. 81. The president, j. w.
Harrison, Governor Scott. G: W. Waterman
director John Cochran, 7. Steers, T. B. Lee
(the engineer who got up the line and estl.
bonded, large quantities OF land on and near
the line OF the new route. The Walhalla depot,
aud probably another stopping place, were In
tended to be located on lands owned by men,
bers of the Ring. Under these circumstances,
who could be surprised that Harrison, Scott,
Lee & Co. should hesitate moment which
line to adopt!
The old line (two-thrds constructed) was
abandoned 1t had been unanimously adjudg-
ed the best and cheaper location-when
scarcely begun-by Latrobe, Gwinn, Randolph
st. John, Bovine, Fink, Griffin, al others OF
the most eminent engineers In the United
States. The new line was recommended by q
man whose sole railroad experience, as far as
I can learn. had been gained by working In a
very mediocre capacity, for year or two,
under an assistant of one of these gentlemen.
1t seems to be the opinion of all who were
connected with the road, whom l have had
opportunities OF sounding, that the new line
was adopted before IL tods rlira That the chief
engineer being powerless to prevent the Job,
determined to have as little 10 do with ir as
possible. he always gives out that he left 1t en-
tlrely to his assistant, and that the line was
adopted solely on the figures and estimates OF
Mr.. Lee. believe that he has never even
ridden over the route himself.
But when we speak OF the ne,o line, 1t must not
be supposed that there was only one. Mr..
Lee and large and expensive corps of assis-
tants has been at work off and on for the best
part of three years, In running lines between
Walhala and the Chatuga River about eigh-
teen miles. No less than four Of these have
old line. Second, one mile or two to the
south. through the Needle Gap--a place on or
near the celebrated Poor Mountain tract,
bought by Harrison, Cochran and Scott. This
line was loudly crowed up, as running through
remarkably favorable country (there
were, as the Irlshman said, "such splendid
lot OF high hills to Ill the hollows WITH"
In the preliminary ytestpits, however; nearly
all the cuts were found, contrary to the esti
mates, to be almost bare rock. 3d.. Another
rfne was run to grade OF ninety feet to the
mile, (about twenty-five sleeper than the old
line.) Here. gaining wisdom by experience,
they decided to let we'll enough alone, and moi
sink preliminary test-pits at all. Several deep
cuttings were put through and culverts built,
when they set to work on the heaviest cut ol
all, (runnlng under the beds OF two streams,
Yellow and Peters Creeks,) and supposed ~
to be mostly earth. They found, however,
rock, two feet from the surface nearly al
along, especially where the cutting was eighty
feet deep. One of the contractors foremeI
told me that he considered that cutting to be
far heavier work than the finishing o.
stumphouse tunnel, to avoid which this line
was run. Other cuttings on the line are
very heavy and wet, and mostly rock. 10
many places slips may be calculated on
| In fact the line was found impracticaole
and abandoned after great quantity of worl
had been done. 4th. They have lately SUR
veyed new route, intended for narrow
gauge It Is laid out with several miles o.
| line at grade OF one hundred and fifty feet tt
the mile, both ways-vastly sleeper than any
thing hitherto known In this country on frsl
class railroad, and fifty per cent. sleeper thar
the famous Altoona incline. / have been In
| formed By several eminent engineers. that or
incline of one hundred feet to the mile Is never
| used by good engineers, except under very e4
traordinary circumstances. The line through
the tunnel Is about sixty five feet to the mile
maximum, going west, and torty-six feet tc
the mile going east.
How the little engines OF narrow gauge
railroad can surmount land pull up train
with Thea, hnavier grades than the powerful
broad gauge engines can, none OF my en-
glneering friends Qncludlng several chile
engineers of narrow gauge roads, Can tell.
They don't believe it-.and am firmly persuadet
neither do the Blue Ridge magnates themselves
and they don't care. DETECTIVE.