Litchfield enquirer., 1871-12-07
CONNECTICUT WESTERN R. R.

-~~ON~~-~ O~ S~AN AAN~~@OOAAs
 CONNECTICUT WESTERN R. R.
 Being desireous of making trip over the Duchess and Columbia railroad, and it being intimated to us by A. J. Miller, the faithful and reliable engineer of the '''State Line, No. l." that through connec- tion could be made over the Conn. Vest ern railroad to Millerton, we were induced few mornings since to profit by Andrews timely hint by securing a comfortable seat in the cab of the aforesaid "No. l" and were soon whirling westward over the iron path at lively rate. The first noticeable feature of the Western compa- ny's possession that arrested my attention was their ballast pit, located one half mile west of Canaan Junction, compris- ing several acres of the finest ballasting material in the country. Then came the pump at blackberry river, erected on the high-pull-it perpetual motion principle, on which $1 ,OO0 has been expended in en- deavoring to make water pump water by means of an undershot water-wheel with belt and cups resembling grain elevator. Owing to unlocked for difficulties. such as the fluctuations of the depth of the river, and length of belt, the project has been abandoned. Over that imposing bridge spanning the Housatonic river we passed from Canaan into Salisbury and commenced ascending the eastern slope of Jones' hill, where grades have been adopt ed with 8 maximum of 72 feet to the mile until we reached Foley's summit, where We began to descend by gentle slope into the region of lakes Washinee and Washining, better known as the ''Salis- bury lakes" Here q fine feat of engineer ing IS exhibited by crossing over the south lake by means of Q trestle work one half a mile in length, and resting upon piles driven into the mud and water to the depth of 40 feet. The idea has been 1 popular one with many that railroad upon ''stilts," so called, would prove to be shaky affair. But after a thorough test the work is looked upon to be one of great strength and durability. Passing over this structure we found ourselves at Chapinville station, hree-fourths of 8 1 mile south of village bearing that name. Here a switch is being built by Landon & Co.,, for the purpose of hauling ore and iron. The road from this point to Lake, vile led us through country sufficiently practicable upon the ordinary principles of railroad engineering received and in use upon the Housatonic and other north and south roads of the Atlantic slope. Passing through Lakeville, a few rods south of Holley's knife shop, we soon brought to view on our left, lake Wonon- seponnoc, one of the lovliest sheets of water in New England. A run of two miles with an up grade, as heavy as any we had yet experienced, brought us to the Old Hill ore bed, where we could look down into gully 70 feet deep and discern the miners and casters engaged in remov- ing the deposits of ore out upon the level with the railroad. After leaving this place with sharp descending grade, we soon came in sight of the Empire state, and shortly changed our comfortable po- sition in the locomotive for one ill a Dutchess and Columbia passenger car and commenced the ascent of Winchell mountain. The length of this road is 60 miles, and with 27 stations from Miller ton to Fishlill, mail train makes the comfortable time of two hours and twenty minutes. It is in the passage from Mil 1 lerton to Pine Plains which entities this road to marked pre-eminence over nearly all similar works in the country. 1 On this division the grade for several consecutive miles is between 80 and 100 feet, while the distance by rail is IA miles 1 1t is but 8 by the travled road. The course of the road lies through slate cuts 40 feet deep along the side of the noun tain with high embankments and heavy cuttings frequent. At Pine Plains is the junction of the Poughkeepsie and Stiss- ing, 9 miles. The grading is nearly con- 1 pleted to Boston Corner where 1t crosses the Harlem railroad and thence takes 8 southeasterly course and intersects with 1 the Conn. Western at the New York state line. A strong competition will undoubt- ! edly spring up between these two roads which it is thought may result in the aban- 1 doning of one of them, at least from the Plains to the New York state line The proposed eastern terminus of the Rhine beck and Eastern is also at Pine Plains. This road, if built, will be of greater inter- est to the people of the Housatonic valley than the Poughkeepsie and Eastern and Dutchess and Columbia combined, owing to the fact that it opens & direct commu- nication with the coal mines. Ground has been broken and the prospects are good for the road although an injunction has been served upon the company with 8 view of delaying the work as much as l possible. Correspondent Berkshire COa- 1 rier.
 A SINGULAR CAsE-Mr. Eli Hempsted, l formerly of this city, but recently of Che mango Forks, N. Y., died at his fathers residence in New Haven, on the 20th of Nov., from most singular cause Some years ago he was attacked with insanity and was sent to the Insane Retreat at Hartford. While there hepushed a watch key up his nose, and after his recovery in- formed his physician what he had done. An effort was made to get it out. without 1 success. He left the Retreat and nothing l further was done to remove the article, though he occasionally spoke of feeling it. In year or two he was attacked with a sharp pain at the lower part of the right lung. He suffered from it for some time when it passed away, and for two years he enjoyed good health. A few weeks ago he came to this city with an invoice of produce and while engaged in lifting bar 1 rels, was again attacked with pain and bleeding from the lungs He was taken to his fathers house, where in few days he died. His case was so singular that the physicians made post naorten5 exam ination, when they found the key imbed-
 ded in the lower part of the lung and sur- rounded by lump in state of mortifica- tion. The key had dropped out of the
 nose through the windpipe into the lune
 and had remained there over two years
 Courier.
 The ceremony of tying the marriag
 knot is very much simplifed in the Hoo
 sier State as the follow;nO w;Jl ahnx, !.