The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1882-11-22
A GREAT Rail- WAY EETsRPRsE.

Through the indefatigable efforts
of Col. o. c. King, of Morristown,
Tenn, the different projected rail-
ways connecting Chicago on the
lakes st. Louis, on the Mississippi, |
and Louisville and Cincinnati, on
the Ohio rivers, with Charleston and
other seaboard cities of the South,
have been consolidated into one
grand railway system, known as the
Carolina, Cumberland Gap, and
Chicago railroad, of which Col.
King is Vicc- President, and COM
posed of the following roads, viz:
The French Broad and Atlantic rail
road. i'm South Carolina the AT
lantic and French Broad Valley rail-
road, in North Carolina the Morris
town, Cumberland Gap, and Ohio
railroad. in Tennessee and the
Cumberland railroad, in Kentucky.
This grand consolidation was
effected at a recent meeting at
Greenville, S. c., and a contract
made with the Atlantic and North
western Construction Company TO
build and equip the entire line.
Sixty miles of this line has already
been built, and the entire work Will
be completed at the earliest possible
time in which it can be done. This
is. indeed, one of the most impor-
tant railway lines in the South,
traversing and opening up vast re-
gions of the richest and most val
1able coal, mineral, and timbered
interests of our continent, and
making connections between the
great cities of Chicago, st. Louis,
Louisville, and Cincinnati with the
Charleston, of inestimable value to
the commerce of this mighty sec
ton of country. By this route it is
about 376 miles from London, KY,
to Aiken, s. c., affording direct con-
nection with Charleston, ITO miles
distant, and to Augusta, 10 miles.
At London, KY, direct communiea-
ton is formed with Louisville and
Cincinnati. By this line Charles
ton will be made the nearest seaport
for Cincinnati, Louisville, st. Louis,
and Chicago.
From London, KY, to the Ten
nessee line, a distance of almost
forty-eight miles, the route is
through the finest coal fields on the
continent. These Goals are: a. The
bituminous. These are closely com
pressed, very free from impurities,
and superior for use in open CRATES
and for cooking purposes. They are
In veins nearly horizontal, and vary
ing in thickness from eight inches
to seven feet. In some places as
many as three workable veins have
been opened lying one above
another. (2) A camel coal. A
vein of this coal over FIVE feet in
thickness has been opened, which is
pronounced equal to the English
camel coal. These Goals are prac-
tically inexhaustible, and the veins
that lie above the road-bed will fur
nish all the coal that will be required
for transportation for hundreds OF
years. Within three miles of the
Southern limit of the coal fields, the
road enters the real iron field of
East Tennessee. The first iron
reached is the Clinton, or Dye Stone
ore. a fossiliferous, red hematite-
Prof Killebrew, in speaking of this
ore, says: at forms a regular
stratum of Walden's Ridge, four
feet beneath the surface, and varies
from eighteen inches to three feet in
thickness"
Passing South, this road crosses
belt after belt of the finest Llmonite
ores. In some places along the line
there are literally "mountains of
iron" South of and near to the
Limonite ores, are veins of Specular
ores, and south of these are the Mag
netic ores.
The truth is, that in run of one
hundred and twenty miles south
from the southern limit of the coal
field, this road bisects every known
variety of iron ore, and they exist
in connection with the coal.
But this road also crosses the
famous variegated marbles of East
Tennessee, and will open up the
splendid zinc and lead deposits of
Claiborne and Jefferson counties.
A statement of the resources of
this route would be incomplete with
out reference to the timbers. There
is nothing to equal the timbers of
Southeastern Kentucky, East Ten
nessee, and Western North Carolina,
and this road penetrates the finest
portion of the belt. The timbers of
this section are of almost infinite
variety oaks, hickories, poplsrs,
pines, walnuts, ash, cherry, cedar,
elm, sycamore, maple, chestnut, ETC.,
etc. Here may be seen chestnut
and poplar trees full ten feet In
diameter.
In addition to all these advanta
ges. this line passes through one of
the richest and most beautiful coun-
tries on the globe. The soils are of
the rarest qualities, and the climate
unsurpassed for healthfulness. For
manufacturing purposes immense
water powers abound. For stock
raising, especially sheep husbandry,
no part of the American continent
possesses superior advantages And
then, if these are insufficient in
ducements, the output of precious
metals i'm the Smoky Mountain
Range along this line are very in
viting.
We have seen reports made re
Gently of surface specimens OF sill
yer ore yielding two hundred ounces,
and of gold eighteen ounces to the
ton. Surely to capitalists seeking
Investments. or invalids in search OF