, 1873-01-30
Proposed Through Ropte Between chieag'
and Savannah, Ga.
A Grand Cutoff Line to the
Tropics. -
Features 81 tho Route Through Ken
tuoky, Tennessee, Etc.
Au-Rail Connection Between Chicago
and Yankton.

An Intelligent correspondent, writing from
Franklin, N. O.. givos us an array OF facta per-
tanning to tho route proposed, and by high
\ authoritiea declared to bo readily foRBb]o,
betwoon Chicago md tho Atlantic Coast, ut
Savannah, Co., a great direct southoastern
| trunk limo, tho ahortest route from the North
| went to tho West Indies. Tho schomo Ia indood
| grand conception A limo Of railway, on aa
| near an mir line as can possibly be had, from
| Chicago to Savannah, and thence by line Of
etoarnors to Cuba and aouthwarils, Is by no
neans inferior to tho Pacific RAILWAY. Indeed,
In somo reapocta It is equally important to tho
groat Northern lako region with tho Pacific.
One thing ia certain, and TINT Is, that tho limo
| would be great throughfare, unbeBot by SNOW
and leo md indiana. It would bring tho lakon
| and tho Atlantic into fraternal relations, and
would mako tile oxohoneos Of tile tropics aud tho
! cotton-planter with tho la1o region practicable
and easy. .s... 90
Without discussing tho changos and Develop
ment practicable in the present railway syston
whorobY Knoxville, Tenn, ia or is not to be-
reached, q limo Of railway from Knoxville ria
| Franklin to Clayton, Ga; md thence uid Colun-
! bia to Charleston, g. O., has long been d cher
| ishod object. Tho limo from Knoxville, Tenn,
to Anderson, s. c., has boon called tho Blue
Ridge Railroad. a complete survey Of tho route
WAS made Revoral years ago, ind tho road built
and equipped from Anderson to Walhalla, 8. c.,
pointing in that direction. from. Anderson to
Walhalla is thirty-four miles. From Walhal1a
Franklin is fifty mies.' From Franklin to Mary
vile, Tenn., ia about ninoty-four mi1os. from
Maryvillo to Knoxville ia sixteen mi1os. Tho
Blue Ridgo Company built tho road from Knox
vile to Nnryyille, to which point tho cars run.
A good deal Of grading has been dono from
tho North Carolina line, II miles south
to Clayton, further distance Of nine milos.
Tho Blue Ridge Railroad Company, whllo at
work on this line, had IN experimental auryoy
u,ado from Clayton southwards to the waters Of
the Savannah River, and found tho route practl-
cable with gomo twonty or twenty-five miles Of
heavy work. In view OF the construction Of tho
Blue Ridge Railroad, chartor WAS granted for
road from Augusta to Hartwell, pointing to
Clayton. In reference to the construction Of
this main trunk from Clayton. uia Franklin to
Knoxville, charters have been granted from
Athena, Ga, to Clayton, from Brunswick, Ga,
pia Mason and Laurens, Ga; to Knoxville, and
from Contrevil1e, Ga, to Clayton. Whenever
this trunk limo from Knoxville to Clayton is
completed, then throo othor lines diverging
con- and to Cartorsyile or Atlanta, will be forth
with constructed, making grand funnel pour
ing ia travel upon this main trunk, bosidea the
direct line uia Harswell and Augusta to- sayan-
nah.
Our correspondent had an interview with
gentlcman-Willlam Sloan, Of Franklin. Ho
wns assistantongineer IN tho Burvoy and To-
cation Of this Blue Ridge line. He says the work
for twenty. miles down this valley, is very light
worl4 and that good deal Of tho work ii pasu-
ing down the Tennessee River through tho
Smoky Mountains is comparatively light work.
xvi Tcynh nrr1u fhn pan11n
have to bo constr1lcted, and throe tunnels, the |
largest OF which will not exceed 300 or 1000
foet. Yet thcso hoaYy itomH will not make tho
cost per mile more than IN; On average eost.: We,
oral Assembly, now in session, looling to this
proposed enterprise.
gentleman who served for time through
those westorn counties of North Carolina as
Assistant State Goologist and who ia familiar
with most Of the gaps through tho Blue Ridge,
says thero lR not o gap presenting q prsctica-
bic ronto at any reasonable 'oost west Of
tho a "4 is eno1 nnoX miles
This Rabun Gap, at the head Of the Tennosaoo
River, is n remarkable ono.
It Is twenty milea south from Franklin, md is J.
only sixty or seventy foet higher than tho River
Franklin. Moreover, tho line passing through.
thia gap ia tue most direotand ahorteat from
Chicago to Savannah that can possibly bo made.
From Knoxville via Clayton to Augusta ia from
,ateaaa "sn fra, r.
1,a uaso assanoe nes a;oma ~ ~ " Aususta ~
palson, ls w. miles: ',s;.. ninefenee, " muep;
A!enongh ~ as hIanAlln tlioIo W. nlgh masslve
mountains tnoX a1e nos precapasoas AZ, nna Fnggea
~ haa eoIet;iy poen euppyae4; LIZ 1,' snmi99ky ni9y
aou1talu !'t cnuln IL 'no foasAoss l4e DUG Aiaeo
ana VI ~ sno tsauasorso cnal1ls running from
20 tno SMOKY arc Vexy. s1ch anu adhptoa to
g;aa g;!aIa1o8 pn1posesi ai, 1nese .se mountain @nas
sto1o staeh "un' s,,, iy1, 15,, oa!g, cloveI;
aho t1 sIporsor % uAfy a1h.ttnss unoy are covered
WIN ho1lo loIesss q paacR' Nhlto, anu ohestnnt
cnossmu ana unpsy' I'M o a, onerT Dfcn
ai1 ~ ops " raroaI ,saa u.aoH as