The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-02-16
NEW RAILROAD ROUTE
FROM THE EAST TO THE WEST.

CHEAP NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF
ROUTE FOR A FREIGHT RAILROAD FROM
NEW YORK TO THE WEST.
The Harrisburg correspondent of the New
York Sun of Tuesday telegraphed that sheet
the subjoined special: 1t is understood here
that Nathaniel McConaughy, Esq, chief
engineer of the Peoples Freight Railway
Company, who for year past has been en-
gagged in surveying route for a railroad
from New York to the great West, and who
within the last few weeks has completed
the New York Cheap Transportation
Association, at a meeting TO be held in the
associations room, in Pearl street, on Tues
day, February It is known TO be the de-
sire OF this association to secure the con-
struction of q cheap freight railway from the
harbor of New York through the coal-pro-
ducing regions of Pennsylvania to the corn
producing regions of the West, and this sur
vey was undertaken for the purpose of sscer-
tanning whether a railroad could be made
between these points with a maximum
grade of fifty feet to the mile going west and
forty coming east. The problem has been
solved by Mr.. McConaughy. He has found
1t TO be practicable to construct a railroad
with the maximum grades stated, and to
reach important points in the West by
SHORTER LINE THAN ANY
now in existence. The route surveyed by
Mr.. McConaughy after crossing the Della
ware passes westward through the lower
part of Northampton county, Pennsylvania,
and thence on through Lebigh, Berks, Leb-
anon, and Dauphin counties, crossing the
Pennsylvania railroad and the Susquehanna
river about five miles north of Harrisburg.
Thence it strikes up through Sherman's
valley. in Perry county, at the head OF
which, surrounding a mountain barrier, it
passes into Path valley, in the extreme
northern part of Franklin county. Thence
it passes by gap through the Tuscarora
mountain into the northern part of Fulton
county, and crosses that county on the shed
which divides certain waters that flow into
the Susquehanna from others that flow into
the Potomac. Near the western border of
Fulton it encounters the most formidable
obstacle in its whole course-the SideliDg
mountain-but by means of tunnel it gets
over and through this mountain at rise OF
fifty feet to the mile, about half the rise per
mile at which the Pennsylvania railroad
gets over the Allegheny above Altoona.
Continuing westward through Bedford
county, it strikes the Allegheny range,
climbing over which at the maximum grade
mentioned, il runs through Somerset, Fay
cite and Washington counties to the west
ern boundry OF the state, and thence on
through Ohio to the heart of the great West.
After it reaches Franklin county, this route
pursues a course
PARELLEL WITH THAT OF THE PENNsYLvA-
MA
and Baltimore IL Ohio railroads, and
about midway between them. They lie
from seventy five to one hundred miles
apart. In its passage through Lehigb,
Berks, Lebanon and Dauphin counties, this
route skirts the southern border of the great
anthracite coal field of Pennsylvania. In
its passage through Fulton county it skirts
the southern border of the Broad Top ssmi-
bituminous coal field; and in Somerset,
Fayette and Washington counties, it pierces
the center OF the great bituminous coal
field of Southwestern Pennsylvania. IL
runs through valleys of great fertility, and
over or by the side of mountains covered
with valuable timber, snd along
its entire course through this state iron
ores OF superior richness abound. Great
interest was taken in this survey by the
people along the route. The hope of being
connected by a cheap freight railway with
the great commercial metropolis of the coun-
try induced them to subscribe literally TO de-
tray the expenses of the survey. Is Is be-
lieved that freight railway, with low
grades and with trains running al a uniform
rate of speed, would be grandlv successful
The carrying capacity of low grade road
with a double track and a uniform rate OF
speed-all trains going west on one track and
all coming esss on the other-would be
enormous, and freight could be moved on it
greater distance in one day than it is now
moved in thrice that period of time. The
meeting in New York on Tuesday will be at
tended by number OF gentlemen from
points along the route of the proposed road
in this state.