The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-09-05
A SKYLAND RAILROAD.
ONE ALONG. THE GREAT WATER
DIVIDE SUGGESTED.
A Bold Scheme, but Not at all Imprac.
tlcable.
TASheville JOurnal.l

from near Dalton, Ga, eastward into
New York State, the average line of
whose summit is the resting place for
the clouds. This is the Blue Ridge
water-divide, which separates the waters
that flow southwark directly into the
Atlantic Ocean, from those which flow
westward and empty into the Missis-
sippi and the Gulf of Mexico.
One can start on this water dividing
ridge at point between Dalton, Ca,
and Cleveland, Tenn, and travel all
the way along this great ridge far up
into Western Pennsylvania and West
ern New York, heading all the streams
on both sides, without crossing single
one of them.
This wonderful wall-work, construc-
ted in the ancient ocean which once
covered all thi scontinent, connot fail
to attract the admiration of the stu
dents of nature, as they travel and
dwell among these mountains.
To those who have not a correct
knowledge OF tine great water divide,
the mountains seem to be scattered
here and there, without order or sys-
tenn when, indeed, they are as sys-
tematically arranged as any other or
ganic work Of the Creator. We say
organic, because any continent is an
organism as complete as that of ami
mails or vegetables. The great Blue
Ridge is the spinal column of the
eastern section of this continent The
mountains on each side of the Blue
Ridge, from one end to the other, are
connected with the Blue Ridge, as the
ribs and limbs of a vertebrate animal
are related to the backbone.
Take your position on any high
peak you choose near Asheville. You
will see what looks like wilderness
of mountains in any direction you cast
your eyes ; yet every mountain you
see is either directly or indirectly con-
nected with the great water dividing
Blue Ridge.
! The high peaks each mark the heads
!of streams running in different direc-
tions These fountainheads are in the
sides or near the base of the peaks
The long high ridges stand IN between
the streams, and each itself constitu.
ting a water divide, but all connected
directly or indirectly with the great
waterdivide.
The building of a railroad across the
Blue Ridge at the various gaps, ha:
produced growing necessity for the
construction of a line of roads along
the entire length of the great water
divide. 1t requires neither prophet
nor the son of prophet, but only one
who knows the construction and the
wealth of the Blue Ridge Mountains
one who can foresee some of the flu
ture strides of progress, to predict, with
certainty, the building of great Sky
land Railroad from the Virginia noun
tains to Chattanooga. Indeed, the
first section of such railroad is now
in process of construction, from Muir
ply in the direction Of Cleveland
Tenn. The next section may be the
extension of that road from Murphy
, eastward olang the water-divide, cross
ing the line of the new railroad nov
being built from Greenville, S. C..
. through Eastatoe Gap, towards Ashe
vile, and crossing also, the Ashevillt
& Spartanburg Railroad near Fla
Rock. From this point the Skylane
road woud pass eastward upon the al
most level plateau from Flat Rock b,
the Blue House and along the base o
Bear Wallow Mountains until it cross
es the Western North Carolina Rail
road near Swannanoa Tunnel. From
this point it would proceed along th'
line of the great waterdivide into
Virginia and even further east.
r The average altitude Of this railroad
8 above sea level, would be the NEAR
r height of the great water divide at th'
' Gaps through which the railroads eros
the Blue Ridge. We suppose thi
would be about 1900 feet, nearly the
same as that of Asheville and Hender
t sonville.
! From some of these gaps the water
dividing line rises up over high peak
and mountain tops, such as the Bea
: Wallow and the domes of Black Noun
, tain. At other places this line run
3 for many miles on level plateous, sucl
as that in the Flat Rock and Blu
House sections.
The line of the great railroad il
= question would have to be grade'
around the base of high peaks, dome
and ridges, on comparative leve
with the line of the gaps, as above ex
planned. But this kind OF grading OF
sloping grounds is more easily don
than that across hills and hollows.
Such a railroad would pass within
G. reach of and through the vast forest
of timber and mineral beds of tn