New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-19
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
TIE NEW-JERSEY RAILROAD BELT
APPROACHES TO NEw- Y0RK-THE MULTIPLICATION
OF ROADS.


APPROACHES TO NEw-YORK-THE MULTIPLICATION
OF ROADS.
TO the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: For a Just comprehension of the rail-
road future OF the country, of that condition 10 Whon
it must finally compelled by natural causes indepen
IDENTITY Of all tho forces and uvaries OF capital anu pe
yond the control of stockholders there must DC some
little study Of the physical geography OF the country
and the compulsOns which Nature eNeris. Accepting
NewYork as the Yankee Rome which all roads idust
lead there are three only three systems OF railways
that center at the mouth Of the Hudson River We eN-
clude from the all that vast congeres OF railroads
in the Southern and Western States Whether from san
Francisco or Nev-Orcaus. in all their wilderness OF
connections and rivac they tend alike 20 certain CEN
tra ponts which tho instincts OF commerce have Sc
lccted not much 20 accommodate the broad Western
ami Southern agricultural regions, whose fiat sur
faces railroads may be built 40 will in any
direction, az to find gateway to the ocean
in the and greatest harbor which forms
the focus FOR the shipping Of The Atlantic coast
These central points are for the South Bllmore Tor
the Wes' Pittsburgh; for IN, Northwest Buffalo Ihetwo
former blend into IN crossing Now-Jersey 10 he
Hudson Trio three systems. then. cons S. first OF bal
more and Pittsburgh blended, carrying the trade OF the
South and Wtst; OF blO. bringing the cereals o. ue
Northwest down The valleys O. the Mohawk ana inc
Delaware; ana OF the New-l,ngaud chain which mas
alrs,ly m conditions and established ITS fnture
All these obey the laws OF physical geography with rare
exceptions the most notable being the numerous Hnes
Of which Midland is the foremost which cross the
watershed between the MOAtwkor saw the Erie canal
and the Delaware. Bat these all tend toward New
Yort and are merely aaastomoses OF art ries which
have a common destination. Tafy are Ililg5 adapted
70 single volume Of travel aud traGi', aud, 50 long
as the great likes float tAtr h'etS, they
will he the conluits OF the lake region
and is extensions d. ths rthern Pacdc through the
fertile valley OF the Rcd River Of the North, and so on
to the Plcin,. line seems definitely drawn by the
mountains on tho northern boundary Of PENNSYLVANIA
which conpes the lake region 10 the north of IL
in reaching The sea shore. All that the central system
from s, is by the strain OF artificial cmpoon,
and by that natural crlv-aton which permits and
attracts the G3w OF commerce. But the central and
southern systems, which, leaving ont certain dehata0a
land sJuthara OAi0 Indiana, and Illinois, grasp the
bulk OF tho business from Chicago TO NewOrelns, and
hold the larger snare OF the trade are,
II they wOud reach NcwYOrs, compelled TO crowd
themselves into belt OF lanl, throltway, IN
the State Of Ncw-Jcgacy wide enough ana iunnchaped
az the southern end Jut asst ncars the Hudson
10 limits surprisingly On the north AMI west IS
perceptions range of mountains, which might be tun-
celod ouly that lies parallel and not across the
desired route To tlc south aud east Newark BAY,
thc Kills. staten Island, and Ririta1 Bay, all Of them
sore obstacles. Between them and the mountain the
volume OF traffic must pour II It follows the
most drcc. ana every way feasible route to the
again. or ferry uavsable waters when the dry lan lies
open on the elt The width Of this Newt Railroad
bell Is mach narrower thanis generally supposed The
distance from Bound Creek TO New Brunswick the
former hugcug close II the mountain. is only about
Ave miles From ngield. close under the mountain,
to Ezabehpor,, the entire width of the belt is only
seven miles, Frjm Orange Mountain to Newark Bay
Is seven miles. Even as we reach the open
country, the belt crOsSsection from Pal1hcu TO
Eartan Bay, is only ten miles vide. In this narrow
space DC crowded all the continuous rail travel
which finds It's eltrep0t In Pittsburgh and Baltimore, its
elay-hurse in Philadelphia. its depot in Jersey CITY, aud
It. final d,s lItiOn in N3w-YOrk. What wonder then
that competition should be eager for the possession of
rights OF way through this priceless valley walled in by
mountain the one SIDE and hlngcd By the sea upon
the Otbcrl
Within ibe week, company known as the "Ncw-Jer-
soy K3ar04d Company" has secured charter, under
the recently enacted General Law, to build rood
across the state running almost parallel with the New
York aud Philadelphia road organized last week under
the SAM ilW, TIE NewJofsey RJal is tender TO tho
Pennsylvania giving 1t the four tracks which 1t is
COW constructing from Philadelphia TO Piit,burg1, ami
which with a liberal addition OF sdiugs will enable
to disgor-c on the Hudson the bulk it took aboard
Phadelp nl or gathered along the line. The New-YOrk
ana Philadelphia road is said % be allied with the B1
and Ono. Tor both OF them. and for others like
thcn, there is IN the Immediate future Tie Della
ware and Hudson, and the Pneumatic Tube Company
may soon expected to apply for charters, and the
question win then be how mach room is left in the
New-Jerscy railroad bit, or by how much q direct
Southern route now we'll under way, from NewYOrk 10
Sandy Hook by steam ferry, ana thence across New
Jersey anu Delaware 70 Baltimore. may relieve the
pressure the belt The physical condition Is that all
rail routes south from NcwYOrk must keep as far west
as Newark or izlbeth. Those which move by rail and
water coJ ned have the whole OF NewJersey south Of
the Rlrtau open to their occupation. a.
Ne5 York, April y, 1873.