The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-08-28
NJ. & N. G. R. R.
THROUGH A MAGNIFICENT COUN-
Thy.

| Rail Road is now running through
trains to Knoxville. A parlor car
goes out every morning from Allan
ia at $50 o'clock attached to the
Western and Atlantic train, to Ma
rietta. There the car is switched
off and coupled to the Marietta and
North Georgia train, that train 60
ing through to Knoxville, arriving
there at s o clock p. m.
The last of September or 1st of
October the schedule will be quick
ened so as TO arrive at Knoxville by
4:30 O'clock p. m.
Leaving Marietta the road is sim
ply the Marietta and North Geor-
gia changed to broad guage. At
Blue Ridge, 50 miles from Marietta
the northern division or Hiwassee
commences. The country to Blue
Ridge is alternating hills and val
leys, a rich section, and one full of
marble, iron-ore and timber. 1t is
also fine fruit region. 1t is a
beautiful country, TOO. The road
generally follows the trend of the
valleys.
At Blue Ridge the read turns
west or north and follows natural
route until the top of the Tennessee
river valley. The shed is at Ocoee,
there the road is at an altitude of
1900 feet; this point it about 10
miles north of Atlanta.
The scenery here begins to be-
come mountainous in the extreme.
The Ocoee river is reached and fol-
lowed for time; brave move is
then made and the iron horse turr S
his head across the "devile" or wa
tershed between the Ocoee and Hi
wassee. The Hiwassee is reached
at the same time as grandly beauti.
full scenery as can be found on the
continent. The roadway has been
hewn out of solid granite rock and
at places the cliff towers 500 feet
above the train. The river is usu-
ally from 300 to 400 feet wide and
at some places broadens to 500. At
the gorge, or narrows, it narrows to
width which varies from 20 to for
ty feet. At one place the great
volume OF water pours through the
channel which is only fifteen feet
and six inches. wide
No one knows how deep.
Natives have it that it is $50 feet
in depth. Mr.. G. R. Waltor, chief
engineer, secured lead but failed
to find bottom at 100 feet, the
length of bis rope. The road fol-
lows the river twenty-five miles, fif>
teen miles through the gorge.
One might think that this was a
dangerous route, but it is not. The
curves are not sharp and the heav-
lest grade is only twenty-seven feet
to the mile.
Leaving the Hiwassee, in Polk
county, Tennessee, eighty-fve miles
from Knoxville, crossing the river
on magnificent bridge, the road
turns considerably east OF the north
and goes out of the mountains
through Hiwassee gap. Here it is
in the rich grain-producing valley
of famed east Tennessee. OFF to the
south are the Blue Ridge noun
tains, and to the north now and then
a glimpse of the Cumberland can be
caught. The country is reasonably
level, very much more so than the
country along the East Tennessee
road, which is about thirty miles
away. The new route follows what
was known in ante-bellum days as
1 the federal road, and was the road
tc Atlanta and the south, There is
not cut over six feet deep on the
road until within few miles Of
Knoxville, after leaving HiNassee
river, and no fill to speak OF.
The road passes through Madi
sonville, in Monroe county, ther
on to Morgantown, crossing the
little Tennessee at Niles ferry, ;
point which will be remembered By
the old soldiers of Georgia who die
service in East Tennessee during
the war. 1t strikes very near tEt