The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-15

4
cotton culture having stopped before
reaching Chattanooga, or as one of the
members of the Association hoaxingly
said, all of the cotton which we saw
along the Cincinnati Southern railway
was ten feet high, which is as near cor
rect as any other description of it would
have been, for we saw no cotton at all, it
being too far North for it to grow here.
At Emory Gap, seventy miles from
Chattanooga, we struck
THE LAND Of TUNNELS,
and left the Tennessee Valley by passing
through the first tunnel upon tho line, it
being something more than half a mile
long. at this point, as we have hereto
fore stated in an editorial upon "our
Western connections" the civil en-
gineer corps Of this road began the sur
vey and location of road to knoxville,
to be part of the main line to Cincin-
natl. The coincidence of the survey OF
this new road, having as its direct object
a shorter line to our State, having been
begun upon the very day that the South
Carolina editors were paying their first
visit to Cincinnati over the new road,
Was spoken of US a propitious omen of
an early completion OF direct route
from Charleston, the leading port upon
| the South Atlantic, to Cincinnati, the
most enterprising and important city OF
the great West. After passing through
this tunnel we were in the very heart OF
the Cumberland Mountains, rolling on
ut the rate of thirty-tive or forty miles
an hour, where it had been long consid-
cred almost impossible for wagon to
get through. The scenery was grand
and rugged in the extreme. Now tall
cliffs lift their towering SUBMITS far into
the clear blue above us, and we appear
to be at the base Of the range; then
comes a chasn, with tall bridge and
long fill. which brings us to tunnel,
through which we pass to the summit OF
another ridge, and we whirl along, as 1t
were, through the air, with the chasm
reaching far down to the valley below.
At frequent intervals the view is cut OH
by the passage through tunnel, and
there is one constant change which de-
lights the passenger with it's scenery
Just before reaching
The CUMBERLAND RIVER
we pass through a tunnel about three.
quarters of o mile long, and run imme.
diately out Of the tunnel upon the bridge,
where there is grand view of the Cum
berland above and below, as it passes
between two tall ranges and flows far
below the passengers. Near this point is
to be seen the headquarters OF Gen,
Burnside during the war, and some OF
the temporary buildings used for. the
commissary are yet standing, though in
a diIapidated condition. From the situa-
ton it would appear. r..utterly impossible
to move an army through the surround
ing mountains, and upon inquiry we
were told that the railroad is located sub
stantially upon the very road which
Burnsides engineer corps laid out tor
the advance Of his army npon Chatta-
nooga. For some miles down this stream
runs within view of the Road, and at
times presents stretches OF its banks re-
sembling the Palisades. The growth OF
timber, which is generally light through
these mountains, becomes very large
along this river, and the view is height,
ened by the effect of towering trees and
dense shade, interspersed with bright
patches of sunlight. We soon, however,
passed from the sight of this stream into
a country of the same rugged character
as that which we have been describing,
the mountains, however, becoming
smaller. At Norwood a sumptuous din
ner. embracing q great variety of deli
cious food, was in waiting, prepared for
the passengers by the Cincinnati South
ern Railroad, which. from the beginning
to the end of the trip, showed that it
both desired and knew how to entertain
the Press Association in the most
thoughtful and elegant manner After
partaking of this repast our journey was
renewed, and when we passed the South
bound train at Science Hill, Col. Wilson,
the General Ticket Agent Of the Road,
brought on to our train a supply OF the
daily papers of Cincinnati, which we
were not allowed to purchase, but were
distributed to all who wished to read-a
courtesy which was highly appreciated,
for every one was exceedingly anxious
to learn the forecast of the great struggle
which was to come of in the nominating
Convention to meet in Cincinnati the next
day.
were met by gentlemen representing the
Board Of Trade, the Chamber of Com
merce and other organizations in Gin
cinnati. who made themselves very
agreeable in conversation with and atten-
tions to the members of the excursion
party. After travelling some two hun.
dred miles from Chattanooga we passed
through the twenty-seventh tunnel,
which is the last one along the route, and
soon emerged into an open country.
The section from Emory Gap to Danville
is a
ROUGH, WILD AND MOUNTAINOUS
region, with many bleak and rocky hills.
The growth is inferior, and though it is
entirely undeveloped, with very few
traces even of civilization, we do not
think it susceptible of any high culture
in the agricultural line. If it has any
important future before it, that future
must be worked out in the cultivation OF
fruit or the vine, and by the discovery
and working of mines OF coal, iron, cop.
per, marble, &C., which no doubt exist
IN large quantities. Already two or more
coal mines are in successful operation in
this section, and the building OF feeding
lines of railroad through these noun.
tains by the Cincinnati Southern will
naturally attract settlers, and carry for
ward the work of building up this re.
gion, which now appears SO devoid ol
progress or attraction in a business
|
from Danville on the country is an open
one, and in it the corn, wheat, oats and
grass, for which the section is noted
again appear in abundance. A little
further on we come to the
KENTUCKY RIVER HIGH BRIDGE,
which is one of tho noted points in tho
Railroad world. At first it was intended
to make this suspension bridge, and
the splendid granite piers upon each side
of the river were completed before tho
design was changed. They are now
standing, and present fine appearance
in approaching the bridge from either
side. The present structure is q great
iron truss bridge, being 2SG feet above
the surface of the river, which is the
highest railroad bridge in the world. II
spans deep chasm, through which the
kentucky, the prcttiest of all the rivers
along the whole route, runs, and is ], LOO
feet from bank to bank. When we had
crossed the bridge Col. Wilson stopped
the train long enough for the party tc
walk back to the center of the bridge