New-York tribune., 1873-08-02
THE JERSEY HIGHWAY.
A CHANCE FOR RAILWAY REFORM

tins city and Philadelphia laid out, railroad enter.
prise in its infancy. Engineers did not know that
IL possible for locomotive 70 ascend grade with
out the aid Of cogged wheels; they did not appreciate
the value OF time In through travel In fact through
travel dreamed Of Tangents were run In order
to avoid trivial difficulties, highpnced land and 10
include as many towns villages possible IN order
TO local travel Hence, the road is tortuous and
unnecessarily long Some OF the worst crooks have
been Strengthened out within few years, and more
improvements talked Of but still the road Is % miles
long and actual distance between Jersey CITY aud
West Philadelphia is only 20 miles, The route Of
the most important profitable in the country and
should present every facility aud comfort which modern
research rendered available TO reduce tue tims
pense aud liability to accident. Tle road should be .
direct line, fenced throughout and built and equipped
in the best manner. For many years legislation
was controlled by the Camden and Amboy, but tho
last legislature by the passage OF the General Railroad
law made IL possible to construct an opposition road
As possible after the law was passed the VA
tiOna Railroad Company secured charter TO ouiid
new road but chose route which would Dc cheap' and
enable them to use Central Railroad OF NewJersey
from Bound Brook nearly Onehird OF the distance As
soon as that Company was formed the feho'yNana
Railroad COMPANY secured charter for another Inc,
but they too wished utilize much OF their present
track as possible and hence have taken long way
around.
Among all the plans proposed for railways. It is
,eve, ground shoud have been entirely ignored A
company that would adopt that route and build road
OF 20 miles, would be enabled to underbd the present
proposed for freight and passage 10 such
that it would be very profitable investment from the
time the trains began running. The state OF NewJesey
is divided about midway in its length BY ridge, the
northern portion being rugged aud mountainous while
the southern half plain, which slopes gently
from It's center toward the Atlantic and the Delaware,
and which has been eroded in the drift period TO
leave rounded hillocks OF few feet In hight and has
been furrowed By the small streams which give 1t
drainage Along the route TO be obtained FOR airline
lakes ponds the outcroppings crea-
ceOus and consist Of Of beds strata, hayinga
gentle dsscent or dip toward the southeast They ap
pear to have lain undisturbed since their deposition
from tho ocean, having folds curves In them but
lying smooth and parallel aud at no point Offering ser
obstacles to level grade or cheap construction An
examination Of the route beginning at jersey City
shows a natural grade along the eastern side Of
Bergen HILL crossing the Kill Won Ku very nearly on
line with the Bergen Point Lighthouse and shooters
Island striking Staten Island west OF Mariners Harbor
across short stretch Of swamp at North Shore which
occupies the northwest OF the island where solid
hInng and perhaps pIing might be necessary. Prom
staten Island the main land would be reached by
bridge Arthurs Kill, an estuary Of insignificant
proportions Here there would be another short stretch
OF swamp along the margin Of the Kills to within short
distance above the mouth Of the Railway River Ihf'
third bridge the would be required az the Rah
way River near which the track would ntersect the
Perth Amboy and Elizabeth branch Of the Central Rail
road Of NewJersey at the village OF East Woodbridge
The Perth AmbOy and Woodbridge branch or tue Penn
sylvana Central Road would the air line at Ayene
Station, midway between Woodbridge and Railway dis
tant from either place only two miles The Easton ahd
Amboy Road would be crossed two miles east Of Meta
chin The fourth bridge would be required at tho Rart
tan River which would be crossed just south OF High
land Park the line entering NewBrunswick in the
southern end of the First Ward sparsely settled part
of the city. principally occupied farming land Cross
ing the neck OF land between the Raritan River aud
Lawrence Brook within few hundred feet OF the DAM
at the pump works OF the New Brunswick Water Com
pany ana skrtlng Lawrence Brook through the valley
of which It Is the center, the line would cross
the main line Of the Pennsylvania Central at
Martinsville and few miles further southwest
the Rocky Hill branch of the Pennsylvania Central
about a mile west of Monmouth Junction. From that
point the line would be parallel with the present road,
where there tangent of Is miles, and the only con
siderable piece of straight track in the old route The
ar line would be a mile west OF the present line and
would follow the line of what Is known as the Straight
Turnpike through PennsgrOve leaving Princeton 10 the
west and touching the suburbs of Port Windsor Carks
vile, and Bakers Basin. all small villages. The Prince
ton aud turnpike would be crossed just outside
Trenton The latter place would be entered north Of
the reservoir the Seventh Ward and the track would
cross Water and ReseryOirss Rutherford aud Bellevue
ayes. the Belvdere Delaware Railroad. Sprngst. the
feeder Of the Delaware Canal aud the Water
Power Canal In Trenton the depot could be built on
State.st the principal street In the city, point
where lots arscheapest. not more than quarter Of
mile from the Capitol buildings The bridge over tho
Delaware River would be the present tobrdge at
the of Calhounst having the Pennsylvania end IN
the Village of Morrsvlle whence the ronte would Oe
through Bucks County and the City OF Philadelphia,
where there are difficult grades.
The population the route, living within one mile OF
the track on either side, which would contribute 10 the
support of local trains is not 5000, not including
the terminal cities of Philadelphia and Jersey City This
would afford considerable profit, although the maio de.
pendence OF air line would be upon through freight
and passengers There gineerinG difficulties 10
encountered the route, almost entirely level
In the eastern part OF Monmouth County where eScava
ton would be necessary, the hills potter clay with
sandstone foundation. and in place do they exceed
altitude OF so feet, and within FIVE miles OF the eNc
walton the only piece OF swamp land would afford place
the surplus earth for filing The only place where
rock cutting would be is at Monmouth juno
ton where there is about mile OF trap which could
be overcome IN part by grade II deemed advisable 10
will be that a straight line drawn Jcr
sew City and Philadelphia would pass through farm land
and woods principally land which could be secured
low figures Where the line strikes town on village lt
IA n the suburbs where land Is cheapest, thus 10 great
extent relieving projectors from OF tho most d
cult features OF roadts depot grounds and right
OF way through cities.
Competent engineers estimate the cost OF slch road
at sums varying from sl2OooOoJ to s5O)oOo) n,ludng
iron bridges steel rails ballast AMI IN. best roll
ing stock That such a road would be very prof able
cannot doubted. particularly when the amount OF
freight passenger traffic Is taken into consideration
There l2i daily passenger trains on the mll lin, oil
the Pennsylvania Central and so the branch ues,
total of ia trains day which arrive at and leave the
aIali lls los futaf -