The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-03-23
ANOTHER RAHROAD MOVE.


Knoxville and Augusta route. Her bust
ness men very properly say that they
cannot depend upon Northern com
muication with the eastern seal board
during the winter MONTHS KnOrU5lle
Dispatch.
MORRISTO TKN, 4 WAKE!
By inactivity you have lost with
in the last twelve months a fine OPP
portunity for a connection of your
road at Cumberland Gap with Ken
lucky lines, and to obtain material
aid in the construction of your short
line to that point. The above para
graph suggests another favorable
opportunity VIII you slumber on
until the tide has passed, and then
arouse only to regret your losses ?
You went to work like men and OBJ
tanned your charter and secured the
right Of way, but what will that
avail you if you adopt a shameful
inaction. Let every man arouse,
and with a kind grace and bold
front, look the situation square in
the face. Let the city of Chicago
know that you want the road to
come this way invite them to come
this way, and assure them in good
faith that you will give their grand
enterprise aid, countenance and
support" so far as in your power
lies. You need not be afraid Or
ashamed to present to them the
.ln rN+ 10 10
feasible line from the Ohio river to
the ocean; it is the shortest line by
odds it is as easy of construction,
with as low grades and easy curves,
as any other line; and it is as rich
in every element that would render
a railway prosperous as any rival
route that can be mentioned While
we are upon the subject we will take
the liberty to say that, by reference
to a railroad map, it will be readily
seen that MOrristown is situated at
the junction of the Charleston line,
with the Memphis and Norfolk line,
and almost on q line drawn from
Charleston to Chicago through Paris,
kentucky.
There is but one link missing in
the Charleston line, and that is be-
ing constructed now and will be
closed up this year. There is a mu-
tual contract between Kentucky
roads and the Knoxville & Ohio and
East Tennessee, Virginia and Geor-
gia roads to supply the wanting
road between London, Ky, and
Careyville, Tenn, within the next
eighteen months, and when that is
done, we will have rather a circuit
GUS connection with Louisville and
Cincinnati, at a loss in distance
equal to 0He-ttth of the entire length
of a feasible line from Morristown
via Cumberland Gap to Cincinnati
Morristown is located in a beautiful
and healthy valley, lying between
the HolstOn river and the Chucky
and French Broad, and the road to
Cumberland Gap, starting at Nor
ristOwn, traverses the depressions,
which nature seems to have made
for a road, there being no serious
obstacle in the way, except Clinch
which can be surmounted
by, perhaps, 9 less grade than is
used in other trunk lines.
1t cuts at right angles the Beams
Station valley and the valleys of the
Clinch and Powel's rivers, and ter
in Powel's Valley, with coal
on either side within fifty miles and
in front just beyond the Gap. All
these valleys are rich in land, and
abound in agricultural productions
and every kind of live stock.
The Morristown and Cumberland |
Gap road begins and ends in the i'm
vicinity of vast beds of iron
ore. The line is rich in forest, and
would render marble, zinc and lead, |
&c, available. We do not wish to |
institute an invidious comparison of
the line suggested in the paragraph |
copied at the head of this article, |
rs passing the Gap and Morristown, |
with the one named as passing
south, over the Knox |
vile & Augusta or Blue Ridge road;
but it is due to us to say that we
have high authority for saying that |
5he line from Cincinnati, or Louis |
Vile, by Cumberland Gap and Nor |
,istoWn to Charleston is SERENITY four |
miles shorter than the line by Knox
vile, and will be of easier curves,
lighter grades and cheaper cOnstruc- |
ion.
Yet more. If present lines were
adopted to London, Ky, and from
here, by Knoxville, to Morristown
md thence to Charleston, we would
still have an appreciative advantage
n distance of fifty-four miles in favor
,fthe route by Cumberland Gap and
If the line from Cincinnati to
Paris is adopted and thence by Win
chester, Irvine, Proctor and Man
chester to Cumberland Gap, there
will be about 40 miles of road to
)uild. This route will penetrate
he great coal fields and salt lands of
Eastern Kentucky. IF the line from
louisville by london, Knoxville
nd thence over the Knoxville &
augusta or Blue Ridge road to
charleston is selected, there will be
bout 21O miles of road to be con
tructed of much heavier work than
he last named line ); but if the pres
MT line from Louisville to London
re chosen and thence by Cumber-
md Gap to Morristown there would
e only 1913 miles of road necessary
} construct to make a through line
omplete from Chicago to Charles
IN, which when finished would be
mong the great lines of the coun-
y, and certainly the greatest line
ON the Ohio to the Southeastern
past, and in less than five years
i'll be crossed South of the Cum
orland Mountain by the greatest