The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-23

at their terminus. aud thus prove tue value
and profit OF their way trade. while nearly
all the supplies Tor the entire West pass over them
return freight. These considerations seem TO
point with inevitable certainty TO the selection or
great freight road. While at the time as Will
be shown hereafter, communications from the
main line o. the road propossd can readily ana
phla and Baltimore.
rHF INLAND WATER FACILITIES.
Your committee do not propose at this time to
consider the great question OF relief sought TO be
had by improvements or our natural water courses,
or by construction OF canals further than 10 ex-
press their concurrence IN any reasonable and
well-denned measure which shall open the naviga-
ton OF the mississippi, and make It clear and
propositions, although OF great Importance.
do not seem to your committee to de-
ton with the present subJects Each must stand
or iaL upon It's own substantial merits and as IL
shows national and economic value every rational
besides giving independents means OF transporta-
tlon viii. ifit be cheap and practicable line, act
in some degree as q check upon exorbItant charges
upon railways But after ali Us done that can in
reason DO expected to be done by the United States
IN Improving and supplementing our wonderful
system OF inland water communication, there re-
mains the undeniabe iact that very large
portion Of the most productive land destined
population, is now and always win win be dependent
Tor Its routes TO the ocean upon railways alone
River or me sae pr
the Ohio River possess any present return busi-
ness OF any considerable amount or are likely to
40 80 for many years 10 come. The channels OF
trade make themselves. and even now q very large
portion OF the exports OF the South comes to New
York on its way to Europe instead OF being directly
exported rom Southern ports, and almost the
whole amount OF foreign. goods used in the South
Is received at the same port No long line OF rail-
been or ever can be pronrably carried on de-
pending solely or manly on through freight.
1t Is always the local trade that maintains them.
So strongly L. this the case in railroads that the
Erie Railway shows only seventeen per cent OF
ten per cent and the New YORK Central still less,
while the roads in Illinois terminating IN Chicago
show only from iour TO seven per cent. In New
road and Erie Canal are rapidly approaching
equality. while the rates are being decreased on
the railway and increased on the canal Time and
certainty enter largely into the calculation ny
which the shrewd American mind appears TO pre-
fer the railroad, even at existing rates.
For these reasons your committee believe we
must In the future depend, as we undoubtedly do
at the prescn. very largely upon the railway as q
chief measure OF internal commerce.
DEFECTS THE PRESENT SYSTEM.
The existing system con.essedly is not now an
ton Tor the present the well founded charge OF cx-
tortion and bad management, your committee
defects. There are four main trunk lines from
New York, leading out 500 to 600 miles West,
then branching on into secondary system, to
which 81 stem again are connected all tributary
roads. These four trunk roads are only the same
in number that were constructed twenty years
ago. NO new ones have been built. They were not
constructed Tor the duty they now called on to
perform. They were built as local roads, and
i0 S foaas are now Daa' "a clrcr.oas routes
reach business centres climbing mountains at diff
fcut and Improbable grades, seeking to save
petual cost OF operation and without any reference
to doing q great through business. Upon
trans. each interfering with and increasing
the expense Of the other. The number OF trains
on these roads per day is limited to lorty-one on
the New York Central and thirty-fve on the Erie,
in each direction; and necessarily limited from
sion on the different classes. On q double track
railway with uniform grades, with single class
or freight trains moving at Uniform rate OF
speed, and where the same engine can haul the
same train weight over any part OF the road, i've
times this number OF trains can be safely run. The
existing roads, from the faulty construction
pointed out, average only $50 tons TO an engine;
although on uniform and moderate grades the
same engine can haul three times that freight
For these reasons the average cost during last
summer from Chicago to New York by rail, as
Der mile and the average price received eleven e
mills per ton per mile. and this profit 1t Ii claimed,
Is not exorbltant. The remedy, then, is to build
only to shorten the distances, to reduce and
equalize the grades, to expend capital wisely and
structon, SO as to save in operating, and thus, by
increasing the capacity OF the motive power, to
reduce rates and depend for profits upon largely
SHORTEN THE DISTANCE TO NEW YORK.
The diiiculty has always been IN crossing the
Alleghanies, which sweep around from the Cats
kills, In New York, through Pennsylvania and New
Jersey. The lines hitherto constructed have met
turned this great obstacle as they best could at
the time OF their construction, and as best suited
the objects they then sought. The New York Central
turned the noun tans oy circultops route to the
route intended to accommodate Harrisburg and
Philadelphia, and without any reference az that
the SOUTH while the Erie accomplished the cross
ing by singularly circultOus track through the
mountains. Is there no practicable line shorter,
heller and caDQbl4 or guDDlVlOQ the need of the
Your committee, from the information before
associated a. = corporation under the name OF the
Continental Railway Company, have, by their agent,
nisned evidence OF existing corporate rights, I'M
der the laws OF New Jersey, pennsylvania. OHIO.
sa o ns 81
to build. They nave also produced maps and pronles
Of the mountain region In Pennsylvania and New
committee believe TO be competent, and who have
given careful study to tie question OF location and
cost for eighteen months past
The results Of these surveys may be briefly stated
as iolows:-
new line can be constructed from point op-
posite New York city winch will greatly shorten
the distance, and can be built with grades rum
ming east not TO exceed thirty feet TO the mile.
Tne obtaining such grade and maintaining 1t
across the diificulr country Of Pennsylvania will
Tor tnas distance unqueSt0nably increase the cost
per mile over the ORIGINAL cost OF any or the exist
lag frank lines, but the saving In operating ex-
penses by reason OF the diminished length oil the line
and the increased capacity Of the engines will re-
duce the expenses per ton upon an expected large
tonnage at least one-half Very careful and eiabo-
rate estimates OF the cost OF operating the pro-
posed railway demonstrate that, II the necessary
amount OF business can be obtained, bulk freight
can be moved at six mills per ton per mile In sum-
mer and seven mills IN winter, or fifteen cents
bushel from Chicago eighteen cents from St. Louis
and twentyfour cents from Council Biuns. The
company believe, and your committee agree with
them. tnat at such rates all the freight required
can be obtained.
The proposed line Of the Continental Railway
crosses fOrty-hve roads and sn0rtens the distance
on each or these from the p0lnt OF intersection to
New York not less than 100 miles. At present
most OF these roads form connections either with
some one OF the existing trunk railways named or
with some transportation company running
cars on said railways and provision ny law may
be necessary to compel roads which cross this
line to deliver to It, II directed BY the shipper,
lair and equitable terms. At Its crossing OF the
Mississippi It, proposed to receive and forward
whatever freight may be sent BY that channel OF
communication. At Chicago IL will connect with
oil railways running to that great centre, and at
St. Louis with the system now existing, and which