Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-01-31
. For the Journal
The Norfolk. Wilmington and
CharIestOn Halfway.

The object of this railway is to- form
a more direct and economical line OF
travel and traffic between the cltles |!
and towns along the Atlantic Seaboard
between its Terminus. Its construction
will doubtless accomplish this desira- !
BILE result; the line being very direct
and over a comparatively level coun-
try: thus securing the best alignment
and very low grades. /
1t will also form IA portion OF, and
complete the shortest practical route
between the cities of the Atlantic and
Gulf coast, from Norfolk to New Or
leans: and the quickest and cheapest
line of transit between these cities and
the West India Islands rfe Georgia
and Florida.
From Norfolk, the Northern termi
nus of this railway. lines of steamer:
make daily connections with Washing
ton, Baltimore and Philadelphia, and
two lines OF steamers make daily con-
nectio,1 with New York. There is also
n scmi-wee1 ~ line to Boston and II
semi-month V line of steamers to Liv-
erpOOl.
From Norfolk the railway will extend
southwark to Suffolk, Gatesville, Wash
ington, Trenton, Jacksonville, Will
mington, Conwayboro, Georgetown and
Charleston. At the latter city it will
connect with the railroads now in OPP
Grafton to Port Royal, Savannah,
Brunswick. Jacksonville, Fla, Mobile
and New Orleans. 1t will also be the
shortest and cheapest route to the in
land cities and towns of all the South
ern Seaboard and Gulf States. At
Suffolk the railway connects with the
Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad, at
Gatesyille with the steamers and ves-
sells of Albemarle sound and Chowan
river: ut Williamson with the steamers
! from Plymouth and the upper Roanoke
river: at PactOlus with the steamers
I and vessels from Washington. y. {. !;
! Pamlico sound and the Tar river; at
Core Greek with the Atlantic and North
+ Carolina Railroad. extending to New
bern, Morehead City and Goldsboro,
and the navigation of the Neuse river;
at Jacksonville with the New river
steamers: Mt Wilmington with the Will
mington and Weldon, the Wilmington,
Charlotte and Rutherford, the Viii
mington, Columbia and Augusta Kall-
roads, and the Cape Fear river steam
ers: Mt Georgetown with the steamers
and other vessels of the Pee Dee and
Sautec rivers, extending for IL long dis
tance through one of the most pro,
ductiyc cotton and rice districts of the
Southern States; and ut Charlcsto,
with the railway system of South Care
lima and the South and Southwest.
The navigablc rivers. sounds an,
bays. crossed by and connecting Will
this railway, have 4 combined naviga
ton of over one Thousand mites in CT
tcnt, and upon whlch there are plying
; nearly ClcrcR hW1di'Cd rcssCis of nj
t classes, bringing the products of tin
+ upper country to the coast and thenc
through the tortuous channels of TIN
sounds, BAYS and inlcts to the cities q
! Norfolk, Wilmington and Charleston
| The importance of this railway to til
, traffic of the Southern coast will b
better appreciated when we reflect tina
between Norfolk, Va, and Whining
ton, \. c., there is not il single outl,
to the sea that will admit a vessel 1
: greater draught than six or seven feet
The few inlcts that exist have cor
> stautIv shifting channels, and const
uucntly are quite uncertain and vcr
!, unsafe for navigation The aIvant.
II geous location of I'll" rontc of this raj
y y way must exert Il controlling int!ucnt
l over tho freight traffic between II
. CITIES OF tho -SIliIt1c coaSt- us "til
II over the heavy transportation of Soo1
) and produce passing to and from I'll
( adjacent country for several miles c
> each side of the line.
Bv this route. with the steamer rol
= ncctions, the distance from New fOl
- to Charleston will be o,,e h"noi,rd mil
, less than by the present railroads, IN
~ the whole distance accomplished
le about thirty-fve hours.
u u IN al roiiio0d route will very SOC
III he completed from New York TO
IL near Cape Charles, across the 3;
= from Norfolk, connecting with til
ia railway by large ferry steamers, {
10 which cars can be transmitted fro
ts enc line to the other aud the twelve
ii water transportation accomplished
- about one hour. and tie whole distant
III less than seven hundred miles, fro
III New York to Charleston, III twC'''
r fo".. hrn,:* With snfcty. The usr
.e time of steamers from New York
:.e Charleston. around Cape Hattcras.
'te from sixty to seventy hours. The Il
ie- lowing distances and time bctwc
nc these two cities is taken from App
Id, tons Railway Guide