The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-09-11
THE CONTINENTAL RAILROAD.

The New York Times has the fol-
lowing in reference to the Continental
railroad. 1t will be seen that the
project is attracting attention in New
York, the centre Of capital, and we
may look for forward movements
very soon:
''DIRECF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
THE EAST AND THE wEsT-A NEW
ROUTE.
"Three years ago number of capi-
talists combined under the name of
the Continental Railroad Company,
for the purpose of establishing a direct
railroad communication between the
east and the west. The utmost devia-
ton from an absolute right line be-
tween New York and Council Bluffs,
in iowa, will be by the projected
route but fifteen miles.
In this way it is claimed that thou
sands of miles will be saved, and that
freight can be carried over the new
road at least fifty per cent. cheaper
than If transported over any existing
line. In the different States through
which the road is to pass charters
have been secured authorizing the
construction of the line. Judge Curtis,
of Boston, aud w. StOughton have
given long written opinion on the
company's charter. These gentlemen
have examined the laws of the differ
ent States relating to the construction
Of railroads, and are of opinion that
the charter gives the company all
requisite rights. The President Of the
Continental Railway Company is Ed
ward Dodge, of New York, and the
Directors are Ex-GOv. VIM. Bigler,
Pennsylvania; Judge F. Hughes, Illi-
nOis; Geo. Green, Iowa; Z. w. Bron-
son, and K. S. Duiggis, Indiana. The
object, capacity, and importance of the
road were explained yesterday by the
Chief Engineer, Mr.. James B. Abbott,
at the cOmpany's offices, No. 20 Mas
sau street. Mr.. Abbott went largely
into the question of cheap Transports
ton, and claimed that a satisfactory
settlement of that problem could only
be reached by the completion of such
a project as the Continental Railway
Company had undertaken. The rail-
roads at present constructed and lead
ing west were, he claimed, too circuit
Gus, and, consequently, too expensive
to be used by farmers for transporting
their produce to the east. He dealt az
length on the absurdity OK going 100
miles north and diverging six miles
TO the east, when the object of ones
journey was to reach the west. In
stancing q good many of the roads
now in operation, he showed that be-
tween New York and Cincinnati a
greater number of miles were travelled
than the distance in q direct llae be-
tween New York and point sixty
miles west of the eastern boundary
line Of Iowa. The railroads now built
had caused the country through which
they passed to become populated, and
their continued existence was, there
fore, Il necessity, but none of them
had been originally devised to go
Directly to the west. Hence the tre-
mendous grades to be met with on
these roads. Mr.. Abbott stated that
it was fact well established that no
railroad can overcome twenty feet of
ascending grade unless at cost equal
to that required to construct one mile
of dead level road. Going west the
road is one of continuous ascent. The
highest average grade of the projected
line between New York and the west
ern ike of Pennsylvania will be 80
feet to the mile coming east, and 40
feet to the mile going west. As the
freight from the east to the west is
greater than that from the west to the
east in the proportion of five to three,
the farmer sending his produce to the
eastern markets will thus be the gain
er. The lowest average grade in the
same distance on any of the existing
lines is more than 100 feet to the mile.
Keeping in mind the cost of overcom-
ing 20 feet OF ascending grade in a
mile, it will be thus seen, said the
speaker, that the farmer has not only
to pay for the unnecessary distance in
miles occasioned by the circ1itous
route, but also for the additional dis
tance involved in ascending the high
grades. -Four hundred miles of the
projected route will deviate but 700
feet from the most direct line. 1t is
claimed by the projectors of the new
road that between here and the west
ern line Of Pennsylvania they can
save in grade and ao.dal distance COM
bined at least 200 miles. II this much
Of the road were built they claim that
it would reduce the cost of freight
coming here from the west, at the low
EST calculation, twenty per cent, and
would, besides, be of immense benefit
10 the so, 600 miles of railroad in opera
lion west of that point by very much |
the traffic. The question
1f a water route direct to the west,
Mr.. Abbott said, was from an en-
standpoint simply impOssi~
Ole. One hundred miles OF the new
road Is graded. The entire road will
be completed, it is claimed, within
TWO years"