The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-06-18
fUE RICHMOND ANU ALLEGHANY
RAILROAD.
IA origin. Its Ex,en. lite Aims. and It's
sIny--vicc.President Parsons's
Recent Address, &C., &C.


kllechany railroad and the outlook gene.
rslly In Virginia. Mr.. Parsons being intro.
duced by Major Hctchkiss, said substan-
tislls:
thank Major Botchkiss Tor these kind
words Of hin, but have not the audacity to
attempt 10 make a speech. Ii would be
hard, in any event, TO interest gathering |
weary with the hard studies anu high fes.
tiyilies Of snch week. II is hard TO speak
10 men under the impressions Of Natural
Bridge. Your minds are not ready TO re-
turn 10 common language. Fortunately, |
have not been asked TO make speech, but |
to answer questions that have been clearly |
presented.
First. What is the Richmond aud Ale-
gbsBy Railroad Company IL Is railroad |
company whose stockholders are prominent |
Businessmen from different parts Of the !
country, whose franchises da:e back within |
seven years Of century, whose first pres. |
den, was George Washington. This com.
pany has undertaken in another way to make
good the promise and fulfil the work Of
three generations. 1t has organized aud
undertaken to connect the great rivers Of
the West, through The Virginia mountains,
with the inreachipg ocean. In brief, IFS
business history is this:
The State Of Virginia, when she, after
great effort, after the construction OF mas.
sive works that had cost Sl1,000.000 In
gold and twice eleven millions in interest
crippled by The war and fettered by her new
Constitution-found these works involved
and imperilled by obligations she could not
meei-proposed that the canal be converted
into railroad. The proposition was ac-
cep,ed, and the contract was drawn. On
the one part was surrendered the
works and franchises OF the James River
and Kanawha Canal Company, OF the
Richmond Dock Company, which works
included large areas in the city ol
Richmond. with several thousand feet Of
granite wbarves, tbirty-two dams across
James river with larger power than drives
all the textile manufactures OF Great Bril-
tain; belt Of land, IN fee simple, stretch
ing over 200 miles. 100 feet wide, with thou
sands Of acres lying between ii and the
river. a partially constructed railroad 80
miles long; 200 miles OF turnpikes and
other valuable improvements. The fran
chises comprised in these acts were too
many TO euumeTate. The territory tribu-
taTy was the richest in the State; great
fertile valley walled with mountains rich
with many minerals. The conditions were
first. that TIE debts should be paid; sec.
ond, that railroad should be built within
26 months go miles long.
Those undertaking were 10 deposit half
million Of dollars and to pay The debts and
TO build the railroad. The deposit was
made, the debts discharged, and in sixteen
months the railroad will be built. The con-
ditions will be more than met. Not such
road as was contemplated, but better road
is being built. All the bridges are OF iron,
the track OF steel, rock balasted, and OF
the most permanent kind. The work was
practically entered upon eleven months ago.
Within that time 1877 miles OF railroad have
been constructed and the remaining work
is nearly done.
On the 10th Of July the line from Rich
mond to Lynchburg will be opened to the
public. and on the 1st Of August the whole
line will be finished. The road, as you have
seen, is well built. For 200 miles 1t will
have no grade greater than fifteen feet to
the mile, and no adverse grade to the sea.
lis curvature is gentle. IL crosses 1877
streams on arch masonry. On the first 10
miles there are but two bridges. 1t Is
built upon continuous embankment Their
ouebly settled and drained. Upon this line
when fully equipped the fixed charges, after
deducting the outside rentals, will be less
than 1000 per mile. The line follows a
great river that has cut thirteen mountain
ranges 10 the base, and for 1876 miles Is al
most continuously in the ore measures. 1t
cure a line that could be operated with the
greatest economy. To the intelligent gen.
flemen present who know how great part
the carrier plays in all the projects you are
considering, l need not emphasize these
statements.
Second. What will this railroad bes On
the 23d Of this month the contract OF con-
soidation will be concluded with the Ohio
Central and the Atlantic and Northwestern
Railroad Companies that will connect Rich
mond with Toledo. and ultimately with Chi
esoo. The intermediate line is being sur
yeyed. have Just returned from this line,
and / have something TO say to the gen.
tlemen here connected with the Penn
sylyauia and other railroads that Will
interest them. 1t is possible to carry this
low.erade line to the Ohio river. To buildit
with but a single summit, with but a single
tunnel, with no grades exceeding thirty feet,
and with no adverse grade east or west from
the summit, and when IL is done this road
will pass $50 miles in ore measures, l2O
miles through al.ieids, with only 40 miles
between them; and upon fuily-equlpped
line between Richmond and Toledo the
fixed charges will be less than q, 900 per
mile. l am not speaking TO you as railroad
men, bat as representatives, OF great manu-
featuring interests upon which the pros.
pefltN OF AL TallTOaus uepeuus. w nat hlcD-
mond aud Chicago are | need net tell you,
but | will say word about our eastern
terminus.
We do not expect to GO TO the sea, but
the sea will come 10 Richmond In the
midst OF surveys and projects for running
railroads TO the sea from Richmond, some
body one morning thought to inquire how
much il will cost to bring the seato Rich
mond, and the result OF that inquiry may
say l., that II will cost less 10 bring twenty
five feet OF water within three miles OF
Richmond than i. will cost to lay track
from Richmond 10 Newport News. Then,
with TWENTY-FIVE feet OF water brought out
from the Atlantic at IFS greatest depth, out
OF the Chesapeake bay, out OF that Kings
chamber Of which Maury speaks, the tide
can be brought to Richmond-to the base
OF her granite hils-a city where
there never was yellow-fever, where
never was time when a full days labor
could not be done in midsummer; a city
that has increased in the last decade 40 per
cent, that is increasing faster than any city
ON the Atlantic coast; great commercial
city that has nearly 10000 people. When
we have established a great seaport. when
we have connected Chicago with Richmond,
when we have made this connection through
this great mineral belt, when we have done
IL by steel rail, with low grade, with a
light debt, In a temperate climate, we have,
I think, furnished the conditions through
which great traffic will seek the line.
Here is the greatest indentation OF the
seacoas,; here is the Chesapeake bay and
Doahs aud 6rpaf arm of the sea