The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-03-20

has been. compelled to and his nav for the
road not by steep cutting OF the mountain
slde, out absolutely under oyertnnr;ao
IoGks, which he has been compelled TO blast
ana me huge sandstone bouIders that he has
hurried by powder-blasts into the river ot.
Jest the extraordinary difficulty of the work
ana genius of conception and nlannfnr that
mas characterized the whole location. The
New River division Is now passed. and ;ts
wondrous tale might end. but this would
pe incomplete without mention of whot
should not remain unsaid. The crest of the
mountlln banks of the New river. ore
surmounted By rocks of eyery shane. from
the regular outline to the most fantastic
Shapes; and, to fancy excited. Won make
what you will of the images presented.
some appear as castles on the Rhine. their
yellow sides glittering like FURNISHED gold
tue most marked of these is called Perry's
castie' deserved compliment to the present
elncient and accomplished superintend-
ene,-otners appear like temples dedicated
10 the worship of the living God, and Others
IKE pyramids, and then like the statue of
the SPHINX, propoundng the riddle of find
ing pathway for man through these defles.
ine genius OF man has at last solved that
riaole, ana 1t appears now, or will appear
easy, When the passenger train speeds by at
the rate OF thirty to fifty miles per hour.
put the Wayfarer should look above and be-
10" MN TO see and experience the difficult
Ties OF even the first location. A good days
WORK ior the first party Of location was one
quarter Oh mile. Sometimes men bad to
De let down by ropes from the overhangins
rocks 10 enable them to make the location.
A reconnaissance of the roadway was impos-
sloe on horseback or on foot. The presi-
dent, the vice-president, and the chief engi-
neer OF the road surmounted this difficulty,
and made reconnaissance by passing down
the New river in boat over its rapids and
shoals,
To appreciate the daring of this reconnois.
sance you must look on New river,
Which hills so closely bind
Scarce can the stream his passage find,
Though much he fret and chafe and toll,
TIL all bis cddylug currents boil"
The first passenger over this road, having
In view the grandeur of this work and
the extraordinary union Of talents necessary
for success, the intelligence to perceive and
the courage to maintain the right the zeal in
execution and the faith in success exhibited
by the chief engineer Of this road named
one of the huge bouldeTS-which is not far
from the point where the last rail was laid
which completed the connection of the
road" Whitcomb's boulder" As the last
rail was laid. Colonel Whitcomb had given
expression to the ferYid emotions with which
his bosom throbbed by requesting the Rev.
MIR. Jones to return thanks to God, the Giver
OF all blessings, and without whose aid &C.
MUS, courage, and labor are as nothing
This incident deserves to be recalled to the
memory of every traveller, for it has it's mo.
rail-
Just after we had passed through the New
river, - said: "The friends Of the road
may well remember that when difficulties
seemed insurmountable 10 any ordinary cal
culation of means to ends, we never lost
hope. We believed that all would come
right some time, and we have found, as the
poet q believe EmcrSoDsays:
'''They have built ii better than they knew.
The conscious stones TO beauty CREW."