Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-11-24
BOARD OF TRADE MEETING.
Report from she RRiIraai committee
on the BIue Ridge uRiirVud

ht Dpdiu ultt pulrunlit l uuJDuI y
ment aud a call published, President
Gaut being In the chair. Mr.. Gaut
stated tlie object Of the meetint, i, be-
ing the report from the Railroad Com
mittee ON the Blue Ridge Railroad.
Col. Terry, Chairman of that Conn
mi,tee, read the report, which Il as fol.
lows:
KNOXVILLE, Nov. 10, 1870.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen Of tie
Board Of Trade:
Your Committee on thr suhir,' oi
the Blue Ridge railroad aud Ito con.
nectiOns, have the houor of making
the following report, iegielting that
the time allowed them Uld not admit
of their going further into ho details
which show the immense importance
t. Knoxville and East Tennessee of its
early construction:
The importance Of through line OF
railway between the South Atlantic
ports, the Ohio Valley aud Northern
lakes has long been conceded, and
many Efforts made for its accomplish
ment, and the project originated in
Cincinnati as early as 1885. In the fol-
lowing year "A convention was held at
Knoxville, attended by delegates from
nine States, who fully endorsed its
vital importance, and declared 1t 10 he
the most magnificent ami important
public work projected in our country.
The line endorsed by this cOnveu-
ton IA Of such immense Importance,
was from Cincinnati to Knoxville, and
thence by the valley of the Little
Tennessee, through Rabun Gap, TO IA
connection with the railroad systems
o. South Carolina aud Georgia.
This project has never been a6an-
doned, and much has been done to-
wards it's fulfillment, but it would
take too much time to enter into de-
tails as TO the obstacles that have thus
far delayed its completion. Its impor-
lance, however, is SO great, thuI Its
final completion is only question Of
time, and your committee Is fully con-
WINGED, as any one who investigates
the subject must be, that the large sec
ton OF country vitality Interested in
this work can not permit the delay to
be long one.
Taking Knoxville as q central point,
much more Is being done towards the
ton, rs the city of Cincinnati will
soon complete it's Soutbern Railroad
to point within twenty miles of our
city. We may take it for granted that
the immense interests at stake will not
suffer this gap TO exist after The COM
pletion of the Southern connection.
From Knoxville southword but six
teen miles of road have been com.
l..N.I l..,s inn at
between Maryviile, Tenn, and Clay
ton, Ga the latter heiug south of
Rabuu Gap and the point whence
Souih Carolina. OF this 1874 miles, 81
and II in Georgia.
TO complete the connection with the
railIoad system of South Carolina at
Walhalla, - miles more are to be
built 40 that State, making n total gap
between the rails of l56 miles. This
will open u direct communication from
Knox Vile TO the whole interior aud
seaboard of South Carolina, and give
the shortest line from the Ohio Valley
to the Atlantic.
To complete the connection with the
railroad system of Georgia, road is
required of IS miles ia length from
Clayton to Bolton, Ou the Air Line
Road, which is at present the northern
terminus of the Athens branch of the
Georgia Rail Road. This connection
at Bolton would give us a competing
line to Atlanta, the shortest line
to all Central Georgia and the
Georgia coast, and would leave but 6
comparatively brief gap in the direct
connection with Macon, which the
energetic citizens of that city, who have
long been ardently DESTROYS of the
Knoxville connection, would undoubt'
eddy soon complete.
The advantages offered Knoxville
and East Tennessee by these connec.
tions can not be overestimated, and
we will enumerate a few of those
deemed by us most important:
/. The distance to the seaboard will
be diminished over one hundred miles
which must give cheaper line o.
transportation for our products and
our imports, TO and from the coast.
2. II opens up to our merchants 8
vast territory now beyond their reach
in North Carolina, South Carolins
and Georgia,
| 3. 1t gives our farmers the shortest
| line to the best markets for their pro-
! auctions.
4. 1t secures to our mines, beyonC
all question, an immense coal trade
with the South Atlantic ports and the
adjacent interior.
3. 1t makes our city the crossing
point of the most direct line from the
northeast 10 the southwest
| with the shortest line from the great
Northwest to the South Atlantic ports
which would give US advantages IN
surpassed by any interior city in th'
| South.
6. The proximity of our Goa
mines would secure to Knoxville thu
location of the machine shops of this
line.
! 7. The vast beds of magnificent
| iron ore in the mountains south o.
Knoxville pierced by this line woulC
| inevitably send their contents to NEE
the coal of Cumberland mountain, il
the forges and furnaces of Knoxville.
| s. The consequent rapid increase
of the manufactures and population o
Knoxville would give home market
for the products of our soil, and enable
our farmers to share in the profits tC
be derived from this great enterprise.
This list might be very considerably