The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-01-27
SECOND DAYS PROCEEDINGS.

Col. Fleming, from the committee 10
whom was referred Sundry papers, pre-
sented the following report:
lfr. President:
Your committee on resolutions beg leave
to submit the following as their report:
The importance of the grand project
popularity known as the Blue Ridge, or .Ra-
bun Gap Railroad enterprise-whose his
tory, present condition and possibilities of
completion we have met to consider, has
been long too well known to the people rep
resented in this convention to require an
elaborate presentation at this time. Awhole
generation has passed away since it had its
inception. Forty years ago or more, when
railway transportation by steam-power was
yet in its earliest stage of development, this
route was naked out by some of the most
sagacious minds of that day as the future
grand iron highway from Cincinnati to
Charleston" and great Convention, COM
prising delegates from nine States, which
met in Knoxville, III 1886, just as we have
met now, to consider the Importance OF the
direct connection of the Northwest with the
Atlantic seaboard, declared it to be then
''the most magnificent and important public
work projected in our country" But, as
succinctly stated in 1858 by e1-President
Harrison, "this great scheme, supported by
the combined interests of so many States,
owing in a great measure to the terrible
financial embarrassment which, shortly
after its inception, swept over the whole
country, failed of its grand consummation..
But It was for from barren in its practical
results. The roads from Branchville to
Columbia, from Columbia to Charlotte,
from Columbia to Greenville, Abbeyille and
Anderson, Columbia to Spartanburg, on the
Carolina side, and the several roads branch
ing out from Cincinnati and Louisville to-
wards Knoxville, and from Knoxville in
that direction, were all but the off-shoots of
this great enterprise"
Notwithstanding the failure of the origi-
nal scheme, the demand for its consumma-
ton has in nowise abated. On the contrary,
the importance Of its success is to-day more
apparent than ever before. Although that
portion of the Union east Of the Mississippi
may be said to be "checkered with rail-
roads," there has not yet been constructed,
or projected, line of railway, or combi-
nation of lines, that supplies the want of the
Blue Ridge road. Other sections OF the
country have been redeemed from poverty
through the aid of railroad connections, but
the region traversed by the unfinished line
Of the Blue Ridge road is yet virtually e1-
cluded from the worlds commerce, while
within it lie undeveloped stores OF wealth
sufficient to enrich nation. Neither has
any line been completed or projected that
can so closely connect the people and COM
merce of the Northwest with our South At
lantic ssa-board. -
A full recital of the struggles of the Blue
Ridge Company and of the disasters that
repeatedly befell the enterprise, is not
deemed necessary to the purposes of this
report Suffice it to say that with every
effort something at least was accomplished,
in the way of permanent progress. Though
one whole generation failed to realize its
hopes, it has left substantial beginnings
which the present one may easily push for-
ward to successful conclusions. Indeed, de-
spite the present discouraging aspect OF mo-
netary and business affairs throughout the
country, the difficulties in the way of COM
pleting the Blue Ridge Road are but trit1es
in comparison with the obstacles which its
projectors in 1886 confronted without quail
ing. Gradually, though slowly and through
O long series Of years, the West and the
South, as if drawn by an instructive sense
of mutual need, and looking intuitively to
the Blue Ridge route as their ultimate chan
mel of closest communication, have been
approaching each other with outstretched
iron arms. A brief statement of facts de-
rived from authentic surveys and reports,
will show what has been accomplished,
what vet remains to be done, and what
grounds of hopefulness we have for the
future.
The Blue Ridge Railroad Company, as
first organized, was a consolidation of four
companies, chartered by the several States
of South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina
and Tennessee, and their line extended from
Anderson, S. c., to Knoxville, Tennessee, q
distance of 1876 miles, which by late surveys
has been reduced to 1S0 miles. OF this dis
tance there are so miles in South Carolina,
II in Georgia, 60 in North Carolina and 81 81
in Tennessee. Forty-nine miles OF this 1oO
have been completed and are in running
order, leaving 131 miles to be built, on
which a yery large amount of the most ex-
pensiye work has been done. The estima-
ted cost of completing this road on the wide
gauge, and providing it with the necessary
Equipment for an average business of four
teen trains each way daily, is S44 600 per
mile, of which the cost of the road bed Is
$32, 600 per mile. By adopting the narrow
gauge system, without increasing the grades,
a saving of one-third of this cost could be
effected without seriously impairing the
ability of the road and with considerable
saving in the cost of operating it.. A still
further saving of great magnitude could
undoubtedly be made if the convict labor OF
the States traversed by the road could be
secured to work upon the construction:
This estimate is made for first class road
in every respect, with maximum grades
running South of fifty feet to the mile, and
running north of seventy-two feet 10 the
mile.
The connections of this road will be nu-
merous and most important, and Will un-
doubtedly give it very lage amount OF
paving traffic, as it will be trunk line from
Knoxville to Rabun Gap, where it Will
make direct connections with the dlyergng
lines from that point to the interior OF South
Carolina and Georgia, and to the sea ports
of those States, thus insuring it very heavy
business In South Carolina. by the COM
pletion of road of forty miles in length,
from New Market on the Greenvllie ana
Columbia Road to Aiken on the South Gar,
olina Railroad, the distance to the ports OF
Charleston and Port Royal would be aoout
400 miles from Knoxville. In Georgia, by
the extension of the northeastern Kaliroao
from Bellton to Rabun Gap, 1O9 miles from
Maryville, direct line would be secured TO
the WuOlc lnICllOl Va o0OA6iei
nication with Atlanta over the AIR Line
Railroad, as we'll as communication Win
Augusta and Savannah over the Centra,
Railroad, and ultimately with Macon and
Brunswick. The great reduction in distance
to the Southern sea ports would enable the
steam ships freouenting them to draw thelI
supplies of coal from East Tennessee, and
this alone would furnish q very large
amount of business for the road and tend
to build up direct trade of great magnitude !.
with Europe, the West Indies and South
America; and the Northern connections {, o.
this road will be equally important with I'll
those at the South, as the progress made
with the Cincinnati Southern Railroad war
rants us in assuming that with the compIe.
tion of the road from Knoxville South, tht
short gap of about twenty miles between the
Knoxville and Ohio Railroad and the Cln'
cinnati Southern will not be allowed to re.
main open in this great through lineotne oti
shortest that can be made from the ohle
Valley to the South Atlantic ports, anc
thence to the West Indies and South Ameri,
CO. the distance to the latter being at leas'
700 miles less than through the port OF Nc"
York.
The importance of this enterprise will be