The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-02-03
Railroad Moyements-Thc West and
Charleston.

The early completion Of lines Of rail-
way connecting the whole Northwestern
railway system with Knoxville is now
assured. At the annual meeting of
stockholders held last week, the Direct
ors of the Kentucky Central Railroad
we're authorized to extend their line to
connect with the Knoxville branch OF
the Louisville and Nashville Ra | DAD
The extension will be from Lexington to
Roundstone, distance of So miles, or
from Paris to the same point, distance
of II miles. The cost will be about
$2,OO0,OOO. By building from Paris in
stead of running down to Lexington, the
Kentucky Central will get nearly
straight line to Knoxville, and the Paris
route, for that reason, will most likely be
chosen. In the Presidents report to the
stockholders the reasons for pushing to
the South are frankly given, and they
dispel some of the clouds which have
surrounded recent railroad movements in
the West. The new combination which
looks to Charleston as the objective point
on the South Atlantic is not primarily q
Cincinnati project, for the benefit of that
city. The active force is the Louisville
and Nashville Railroad which needs an
independent route to the sea. This road
has determined to extend as Knoxville
branch from Livingston. the present ter
minous, to the Tennessee line, where it
will connect with the Knoxville and Ohio
Railroad, which will be built as rapidly as
practicable from its present terminus at
Caryville to that point. The completion
of the Louisville and Nashville extern
sion and of the Knoxville and Ohio ex-
tension vii! put Louisville and the whole
West and Northwest in close connection
with Knoxville, while the Kentucky
Central by its extension to Roundstone
will connect likewise with Knoxville.
At Knoxville, connection is made with
the Tennessee aud Virginia Roads, and
freight and passengers can 60 down to
Chattanooga and Atlanta or up to Balti-
more, Richmond and Norfolk. utthere
is little to gain if the new line is to halt
and be detected at Knoxville. Atlanta
and the Virginia ports can be reached
without this. The purpose is to get to
the South. Atlantic without touching
Chattanooga and Atlanta. As We have
asserted confidently for years short,
direct, and independent line from the
Northwest to the South Atlantic coast is
an imperative necessity. Thousands of
miles of railroad with an enormous busi-
ness cannot afford to be dependent on the
single railroad which connects Chatta-
nooga with Atlanta-the only railroad
connection, at present, for the Northwest
and Southeast, between Lynchburg, Va,
and Montgomery, Ala.
In short time. under the arrange
ments which have been made, the rail-
road business of the Northwest and
West will be ready to pour down to
Knoxville. What next?
There are, at least, three projected
routes from Knoxville to the South At
lautic. One of these is by way of the
East Tennessee aud Virginia Railroad to
Morristown, and thence to Wolf Creek.
From Wolf Greek to Hendersonville,
sixty.three miles, the road remaius to be
built. The Sparlanburg and Asheville
Railroad is in operation from Spartan
burg (where it connects with Charleston)
to Hendersonville, and the grading is
done to within few miles of A.hevillc.
1t will take less money to reach Char
lesion by the Ashevile route than by the
Blue Ridge routes; and we are informed
that by building abput seven miles of
new road between Spartanburg and Hen.
dersonvile the grades can be lightened
81 tficiently to allow heavy freights to be
carried economically and easily.
A second route is by the Blue Ridge
Railroad. This road is in operation
from Anderson to Walhalla, and from
Maryville TO Knoxville. A rough esti-
mate is that the road can be completed
for about So. 100000, but the Knoxville
and Maryville Railroad is nom owned by
Mr.. Sibley, of the Air Line Railroad.
This route, if the Savannah Valley Rail-
road be built, or line from Ninety-six
to Aiken be constructed, will give the
shortest practicable route to Charleston.
Several million dollars have already
been spent upon the road.
Another route is by the Eastatoe Gap,
which Senator Butler describes, in re.
cent letter to Senator Pendleton, as fol-
lows:
"Our people or the south or east side
of the Blue Ridge range of mountains
are extremely anxious TO make some
direct railroad connection with Cincin-
natl and the Western cites. The chief
obstacle to this very desirable end-the
hitherto impossible barrier of the noun
tains-has been lately overcome by the
discovery ofa pass through which rail-
road may be built, MS | am informed,
without a tunnel or trestle, and with a
grade of not more than seveny-6ve feet