Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-07-07
FL,NKING THE BLUE RIDGE,
4 PRACTICABLE ROUTE FROM
CuAKL ESrON TO THE WEST.

! as.antic and French Brosst.vaIley Rait-
.road--Cheap Transportation OF We.-
! tern Products 10 the Sonth Atlantic
/ Ports.
| Correspondence of Ahc Nrms and Cou, ier.
AEDEvlLLE, June 2l.-This is pre-.
emnently the LAY Of Railroads.
Scarcely anewspaper comes TO us that
does not contain some account Of the
doings of railroad men. Powerful
moneyed combinations lave been and
are being formed all over the country
for the purpose Of getting ontrol Of
the railroad lines now in existence
and Of building others. Every city,
town and village in the South is now
prepared 10 favor any scheme having
for its object an INCREASE Of railroad
facilities And very naturally be.
cause additional railroads signify en-
hancement Of the value OF property,
more satisfactory development OF
industries and growth in population
and wealth. Progress and prosperity
cannot now be looked for without the
aid OF railroads.
The South Carolina Railroad is ad-
vertised for sale on the 26th p' OK.
Whoever may be the purchasers Of
that road will reasonably look to the
adoption OF means by which an early
connection can be effected with the
great West and Northwest. AS yet
but little has appeared in the public
prints concerning the Atlantic and
French Broad Valley Railroad. This
letter is written with the view of at
tracing the notice oil the public 10
this road as aHording such a connec-
ton with the great West and North
west as is desirable, and as possessing
advantages which cannot be claimed
by any other route that has been pro-
jected. The Atlantic and French
Broad Valley Railroad being CON-
paratively anew enterprise, doubtless
many OF your intelligent readers nei-
ther know where the route lies nor
what is designed by it. The grand
aim Of the enterprise is The connec-
ton OF Knoxville, Tenn, with the
South Atlantic ports, by which
near and direct outlet through these
ports can be secured for the teeming
products OF the Vest and North
west,
From Knoxville to Asheylle, n.
c., by way Of Morristown and Wolf
Creek the distance is III miles. Near
iyal OF rilis iiitv :
and the remain Ter will be finished in
IL very short time. From Asheyille
to BeIton, s. c., across the mountains
at liasLatoe Gap, and crossing the
Airline Railroad at Easley' 8 Station,
it is 9i; miles: from Belton to Able
Vile, Via Due West, 81 miles; from
Abbeyille TO Trickem, point on the
Augusta and Greenwood Railroad, lG
miles: from Trickem to Edgelield
Courthouse "A miles, and from Edge.
field to Aiken .! miles, making the
entire distance from Knoxville to Al
ken EOS miles. 1t is III miles from
Aiken TO Charleston. Thus the dis
tance from Knoxville to Charleston
would be 42!' miles. This is proba-
bly, abon ten or twelve miles further
than the route would be by the Blue
Ridge Road, but the friends Of the
enterprise claim that Charleston and
Knoxville can be connected by the
Atlantic and French Broad Valley
Railroad at a cost which would not
exceed one-half the amount that
would be required to connect the two
cities by way Ct the Blue Ridge Rall.
road. The mountains can be crossed
at Estatoe Gap with grade not en-
ceeding seventy.iive feet to the mile.
This may seem an impossibility to
those unacquainted with the passage
through the mountains, but it is by
no means ianciful or impracticable.
The survey has teen made alrea J by
two competent enginees, Major I.ee
and Capt. Kirk, and both their re-
ports were in accordance with the
facts stated above.
The road, too, is most advantage
ousiy located, and from Edselield to
the mountains there are no Iormida.
| ble barriers to the construction Of L
railroad. For distance OF nearly
one hundred miles there is no water
Of any consequence to be crossed.
Thus the road can be graded at a
comparatively small cost. Besides,
/ the portion OF South Carolina through
Which the road is To pass is one oil the
best cotton belts in the State, and
the section oil North Carolina and
Tennessee to he penetrated by this
DAD cannot be surpassed. The pros
pect OF grading the road at an early
day is encouraging. Nearly thirty:
five thousand dollars have. been sub
scribed by the people living along the
line OF the road, and about thirteen
miles have been already graded.
Now the gu veyors are busily engaged
II A ~ ,,,l,