Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-10-02
Cheap Transportatfon-The Con-
tinentaI Railway.

We were agreeably surprised on
Tuesday of last week to find by an ex-
animation of profiles and maps, that
line of railway so closely approximat-
ing to an air line could be construct
ed across the rugged Alleghenies, in
an easterly and westerly direction, at
a comparative moderate cost. We
we're invited by the secretary of the
Continental Railway company to visit
their Office, and listen to an explana-
ton of a scheme to build great trunk
freight line of railway from New York
to the Missouri river.
The explanation was made by Mr.
j. E. Abbott, one of the engineers of
the company, and was exceedingly in
teresting, instructive and conclusive
as to the objects to be attained and the
results which would be acquired by
the country, by the great producing
States of the West, the manufacturing
/ States of the seabord, and especially
i by the city of New York
Mr.. Abbott promised that ''three
4 years since few engineers and capi-
talists foresaw that, with the unexam-
/ pied growth of the country and the
remarkable productiFeness of TIE
| West, a very short time would elapse
| before the present lines of transpor-
tation between the seaboard and the
West would, aside from the extraor-
Edinary expense of operating them, be
found entirely inadequate to the needs
of commerce. They thereupon COM
menced a reconnaissance for an air
line railway from the Hudson to the
Missouri river, which they found to
be not only practicable, but that a
1 railway could be built over this route
1 at a comparatively moderate cost;
which would shorten the geographical
distance between New York and the
important commercial centers of the
West over any existing railway, so as
to make great saving in the expense
of transportation in that respect, as
to greatly reduce the grades and curry.
atures by this new line. The work of
organization was thereupon com.
menced with vigor, and charters were
obtained through the various States
six in nnmber) to be crossed BY this
line until their legal status was com
plete, giving the company full author
| ity " NOhSLIu OpGA dlGs anu uldluIaIu
railway from Council Bluffs, in the
State or Iowa, to the Hudson river or
New York bay, with connecting line
!, to Chicago. In the mean time, right
Of way has been secured for upward
ct nine hundred miles, and local aid
amo uniting to four millions of dollars
obtained along the line, which amount
it is expected will be increased to ten
millions. Contracts for construction
have been let between Tifin, Ohio, and
, Chicago, and the company have up
/ ward of one hundred miles graded,
ready for the iron. The company have
also secured ample facilities for termi-
@fna1 purposes, which are to be utilized
for the cheapest and most expeditions
manner of handling freights by means
of elevators, coal-yards, and ware
J. houses, to and from which vessels q
S any draught can receive and discharge
Y carooes. This last being, in our opin
e ion, next in Importance to commerc,
r to the shortening of distance anc
t cheaPening of rates of transportation
j 1t was shown by statistics that thi!
e new line passes through counties o
: large productions for its entire length
e and that its prospects for local bust
e ness is good, Notwithstanding the fac
!, that but the single idea of constructing
+ freight line from the seabord to th
a Westzwas ever entertained by its pro
Il jectors.
IS A history of the original objects ant
f purposes of construction of the pres
d ent route of railway" which have bee
It joined for through business was the
re given, from which it may be easil
2. seen that transportation by these &C
ctdentdL trunk lines must necessaril
3. be more expensive than the producer
and consumers should be called upo
to pay.
The shortest route between Ne
- York and Chicago, the Pennsylvani
y Central, is male up from nine origina
IN local roads, built to serve the interes'
ey of certain localities only, and now col
of solidated into one line and one maj
I'd agement, to better subserve the intel
ed esGs of through commerce. Necess;
y, rily indirect, circuitous, and never d
" signed either for heavy traffic or quic
: transit, the result has been that mil
IN, ions of dollars have been and will
ed expended upon this road to adapt
bv more and more for the purposes of
he through line, which are added to Il
1T cost of transportation and for whiC
IN, we have to pay. What is true of Il
Pennsylvania Central is equally tn
ne of the New York Central and 9th
al trunk lines-the original cost of the:
roads showing but a proportiona
amount of the basis of present dix
,te dends.
he The Continental railway is the fir
in trunk line projected as such betwe'
he the seaboard and the West; and, as
p result, shows the astonishing and 81
Ter nificant fact, first, that it saves in ge
hn graphical distance over the shorte
line between New York and Chica
r I28 miles, and in the matter of grad
to taking the computation of enginee
ted as basis, that the overcoming of
,as feet of grade is equivalent to m
loh of level road) a large amount in adj
ate ton.
the The comparison of grades betwe
oh. the two lines shows the following &c
hat eral phenomena-viz the Contint
has tall built as an air line, seeks the b.
his route, regardless of all other prac
hill ca bic consequences, and, as an exa
pie, crosses the Alleghenies at an
titude of lao feet above tide-wat
has and, leaving the western line of Per
of sylvania at HOO feet above, eros
eel the Pennsylvania Central at Ft Way
.ific at even grade; while the latter re
,ent crosses the Alleghenies at 2l61