Library 
 
 OF THE 
 
 University of NortH Carolina 
 
 This book was prccontcd b ygjtiCHayftfiaJl 
 
 Cf 385. I - \M 5£-n& 
 

 JLr>* 
 
 Doc. 
 
 No. 76.] [Ses. 
 
 1858-'9. 
 
 
 Ordered to be Printed. 
 
 
 Holden & Wilson, Printers to the State. 
 
 REPORT ON THE BILL TO AMEND THE ACTS OF 
 1854-'55 AND lS56-'57 TO FACILITATE THE CON- 
 STRUCTION of the WESTERN NORTH-CAROLINA 
 RAILROAD. 
 
 The committee on internal improvements to whom was re- 
 ferred a " a bill to amend the acts of 1854-'55 and 1856-57, 
 in relation to the Western North-Carolina Railroad," have 
 had the same under consideration, and authorized the under- 
 signed to make the following report — strike out after the en- 
 acting clause and insert amendment marked A. : 
 
 This great State enterprise, embracing a line of railway 
 connecting Newbern and Beaufort on the Atlantic ocean and 
 its tributary streams on the Atlantic slope, with Asheville west 
 of the Blue Ridge, to be extended to a navigable point on the 
 waters of the Mississippi, had its origin as far back as 1828, 
 while railroads were yet their infancy, and while the max- 
 imum speed of the locomotive was six instead of sixty miles, 
 and the attention of the people of North-Carolina to the im- 
 portance of the enterprise, had for its first advocate Professor 
 Caldwell, formerly President of the University at Chapel 
 Hill, as will be seen by reference to his Carlton letters, writ- 
 '6 ten in 1828, in favor of this projected railroad. 
 
 It is true that his plan recommended, Was like the railroad 
 system at that time, very imperfect, but at the same time it 
 is proper to admit that the line recommended for this great 
 State enterprise, covers the route which experience and sur- 
 veys have decided in favor of; and it is but clue to Professor 
 
2 Document ~No. 76. [Session 
 
 Caldwell, and to his memory, to say that he was the first to 
 advocate this great enterprise. 
 
 The points designated in the line recommended by him, 
 passed from JSTewbern to Raleigh, thence to Salisbury, thence 
 to Morganton, and thence through the Swananoa gap of the 
 Blue Ridge to Asheville on the French Broad river, which is 
 by him, after a mathematical examination, represented as not 
 varying at any point from an air line more than 12 miles. 
 
 The Carlton letters having attracted public attention to the 
 importance of this railroad communication, it will be perceived 
 in the debates of the Convention that amended the Constitu- 
 tion in 1835, that its completion was looked to as the means 
 of increasing the value of property in the west, and thus by 
 equalizing taxation the great inequality in representation in the 
 Senate between the eastern and western portion of the State 
 would be removed, and the preponderance in favor of the 
 east in that branch of the Legislature would not be greater 
 than the majority in favor of the west in the House of Com- 
 mons ; and that the concurrence of both being necessary to 
 the passage of a law, one would exercise a wholesome check 
 on the other. The west could pass no law without the sanc- 
 tion of the east, the east could pass no law without the sanc- 
 tion of the west. 
 
 This inferrence is further sustained by the provisions of the 
 act of 1836 passed to give the aid of the State to extend 
 the road. The State was to subscride two-fiths as fast as 
 solvent individuals subscribed three-fifths. But with this pro- 
 portion of State aid, it was seen that the work coull not pro- 
 gress. After receiving the recommendation of nearly all the 
 Governors of the State for a period of twenty years, the State 
 finally adopted energetic measures to complete this great State 
 work at the session of 1S48. 
 
 By the act of that and subsequent sessions of the Gen- 
 eral Assembly, the State has authorized the subscription 
 in behalf of the State to the aggregate amount of $8,466,500, 
 and upwards of three hundred miles of the road from Beau- 
 fort Harbor, via Kewbern, Goldsboro', Raleigh, Greensboro', 
 and Salisbury to Statesville, had been completed equipped, 
 
1858-9.] Document No. 76. 3 
 
 and from Statesville to Morganton, the road is under contract 
 to be completed against the 1st of January, 1S60. This leaves 
 of the road to be completed, without any additional appropri- 
 ation, extending from Morgan ton to Asheville, across the 
 Blue Ridge, 62 miles. This portion of the road, under the 
 act of 1851— '55, is formed into two divisions, the 2d and 3rd, 
 andjio State aid, under the existing laws can be given to said 
 road, embraced within the 2d and 3rd division, until the 1st 
 divison to Morgan ton is completed, and equipped. By the 
 act of 1856— '57, the 1st division of the road is extended so as io 
 reach Morganton, and the company were authorized and did 
 open books for the subscription of stock for the 2d division of the 
 road, to be extended from Morganton to the Blue Ridge road. 
 The present bill proposes to consolidate the 2d and 3d divis- 
 ions of the road so as to form one division from Morganton to 
 the French Broad river, near Asheville, a distance of 62 miles, 
 but in putting the road under contract, the company is requir- 
 ed to place the road under contract, commencing at its eastern 
 terminus, onl}' as fast as the stock is subscribed, and so as 
 to prevent any portion of the road remaining unfinished ; and 
 as a further guarantee, the compan} T is required to retain out 
 of the pay of each contractor ten per cent, on his estimates, 
 until his contract is completed, and to prevent the company 
 from increasing any demands on the treasury to a greater ex- 
 tent than is contemplated by the act of 1854— '55, the bill pro- 
 vides that the State shall not be called on in payment of her 
 subscriptions for said road for more than $100,000 in the year 
 1859, or more than $200,000 in the year 1860. While under 
 the acts of 1854-'55, and 1856-'57, the company without this 
 amendatory act would as soon as the individual stock is sub- 
 scribed, have the right to call on the State for the subscription 
 of $600,000 to be paid pare jpassue, with payments made by 
 the individual subscribers of stock, and thus instead of in- 
 creasing the demands on the treasury, as some of the opponents 
 of the bill have supposed, it actually diminishes the demand 
 for the year 1860, $300,000. And to meet the payment of in- 
 terest on the bonds to be issued for that object, ample provis- 
 ion has already been made in the Revenue bill, prepared at 
 
4 Document jSo. 76. [Session 
 
 this session. The company desire the change contemplated 
 in the bill for the purpose of putting a small force upon the 
 Blue Ridge, so that the mountain portion of the road which 
 connects the valley of the Catawba and French Broad, not 
 exceeding ten miles, may be completed, with the grading east 
 of the Blue Ridge, which would facilitate the completion of 
 the road to Asheville several years socner, and at a much less 
 cost than it could be finished under the former acts. The 
 bill also makes provision that the company shall have the right 
 to select the best route across the Blue Ridge, instead of be- 
 ing confined to the route through the Swannona Gap, under 
 the restrictions of the act of 1856- ? 57. This it is believed 
 wj'll be beneficial to the company and the State, at least in 
 two ways. 1st. It will cause the best route to be selected. 
 2d. It will be the means of strengthening the subscriptions 
 on the line which may be selected. 
 
 Fixing the location, by law, across the Blue Ridge, tends to 
 lessen the influence in favor of subscriptions on the favored 
 line, which accounts for the opposition to the subscription of 
 Burke county. The bill contains another provision, which re- 
 moves the objections urged against the extension beyond the 
 Blue Ridge, founded upon the allegation that the road will ex- 
 ceed the appropriation, by providing that "the State shall not 
 be called on to make any new appropriation to complete the 
 division of the road from Morganton to Asheville." 
 
 The committee, while the bill reported only makes provi- 
 sion to facilitate the construction of the road as far west as 
 Asheville, the point lixed in the charter, and confines and 
 limits the company to the appropriation already made, deem 
 it advisable to advert to some of the advantages which will 
 result from the completion of that much of the road, and to 
 the original intention of the State with reference to the exten- 
 sion of the road beyond the French Broad river to the Tennes- 
 see line in the d'rection of Chattanoga, and .some of the ad- 
 vantages to the State and to all the connecting improvements 
 on the Atlantic slope, which raaj be anticipated upon the 
 completion of the road as originally contemplated, when the 
 four millions were appropriated under the act of 1854-'55, 
 
1S5S-9.] Document No. !S. 5 
 
 and for which a survey and location, subject to the approval 
 of the next General Assembly, has already been authorized. 
 
 The committee, in order to demonstrate this as the location 
 designed, have deemed proper to advert to the original pro- 
 vision of the bill, on which the act of 1854— '55 was based. 
 
 The first section of the bill, after the acting clause, provides 
 "That for the purpose of effecting a railroad communication 
 between the North-Carolina Railroad, now being built, and 
 the valley of the Mississippi, the formation of a corporate com- 
 pany, with a capital stock of six millions of dollars, is Hereby 
 authorized.'" 
 
 The act itself authorized the construction of a railroad to 
 the Tennessee line, in the direction of Chattanooga. 
 
 The survey authorized at this session will determine the 
 practicability of the route west of French Broad. If practi- 
 cable, as the route is upwards of forty miles shorter than the 
 route by the Paint Rock and Ivnoxville, it is quite probable, 
 if the cost grade and curviture be favorable, that it will be 
 adopted. The next question to be considered is, as to such 
 extension proving prefitable to the roads connecting with this 
 great trunk line. 
 
 The attached report marked A proves that it is favorable 
 for a railroad. 
 
 From Asheville the first depot would be in the Hominy val- 
 ley, the second in the Pigeon valley, the third in Richland 
 valley, and the fourth in the Copper Region of Jackson coun- 
 ty, of itself sufficient for a single track railroad, embracing an 
 area of five hundred square miles, superior to New England 
 in climate, soil, and water power, in the centre of the South. 
 
 By examination of the map of the State, and of the United 
 States, it will be seen that the route west from Asheville to 
 complete the connection with Chattanooga passes over but 
 one elevation, the divide between the waters of the French 
 Broad and Tennessee rivers, which, agreeably to Professor 
 Mitchell's report, is as follows: At Asheville the elevation 
 above tide water is 2200 feet; at Waynesville, a distance of 
 thirty miles, 2722 ; at the head of Scots Creek, which is the 
 only divide between Asheville aud Chattanooga, is 3240 feet. 
 
6 Docukent No. 76. [Session 
 
 This gives, as the maxium grade, from Asheville to "Waynes- 
 ville seventeen feet ; from "Waynesville to the divide at the 
 head of Scotts Creek, seven miles; seventy -three feet without 
 a tunnel — with a tunnel the grade would be reduced to sixty- 
 eight feet, which is the grade of the East Tennessee and Vir- 
 ginia road. From this point the line descends with the Ten- 
 nessee river to Chattanooga without any mountain or elevated 
 point. The maxium grade, agreeably to Major Gwynn's report, 
 is about forty-five feet to the mile in passing the Smoky or 
 Iron Mountain ; distance from Asheville to Chattanooga, by 
 this route, about 200 miles, which runs but little from an air 
 line, with only a little, upward of seventy miles, to build ; the 
 remainder of the line is either constructed or in progress of 
 construction. 
 
 By a diverging line up the Savannah, in Jackson county, 
 of twenty miles in length, to connect with the Blue Eidge 
 road, a line is established with Atlanta, Ga., shorter by fifty 
 miles, than any other line that has been established ; and by 
 a diverging line of sixty-five miles, from the Tennessee river 
 to Duck Town, a shorter line to Yicksbnrgand New Orleans, 
 by near one hundred miles, than the East Tennessee and Vir- 
 ginia road, would be effected. Duck Town, agreeably to 
 a report which will be seen in the printed reports of 185C- ? 57, 
 furnishes frieght to the aggregate amount of 29,000 tons per 
 annum. This portion of the line, between the Tennessee 
 river and Duck Tov\n, is along the side of white statuary 
 marble and soap stone, without limitation as to quantit}', 
 which will bear transportation to the seaports, and through 
 an iron region, equal, if not superior, to the iron region in 
 "Wales. 
 
 The question to be considered is, will a road combining 
 these advantages and being the great thoroughfare of travel 
 from New Orleans to "Washington City and New York, with 
 the transportation of the great mails between these points and 
 the Pacific, justify the expenditure ? The best way to deter- 
 mine this point is to examine what has been the result of the 
 construction of similar roads leading from the Atlantic ocean 
 to the valley of the Mississippi. The appended table marked 
 
1858-'9.] Document No. 76. f 
 
 B. shows in a condensed form the length and cost in the ag- 
 gregate, and per mile, of all the lines of railroad extending 
 from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, connecting the Atlantic 
 ocean with its navigable streams In the Atlantic States 
 of Georgia, South-Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsyl- 
 vania, New York and Massachusetts, the result of all 
 the roads that have connected the Atlantic with the 
 Mississippi valley, as will be seen by reference to the con- 
 densed statement, proves that a nett income has been pro- 
 duced sufficient to pay the interest on the cost, and to create 
 a sinking fund sufficient to pay the debt by the time it falls 
 due, without taxing the people of the State, by substituting a 
 tax on through commerce and travel. This leads to the im- 
 portant question to be determined by this Legislature, shall 
 North-Carolina complete her railroad connection with the 
 valley of the Mississippi, and thus relieve the people of the 
 State from the tax to pay the interest and to create a sinking 
 fund to pay the State debt, and finally relieve the people from 
 the payment of the poll tax for State purposes, or shall the 
 State fail to complete this railroad connection, and thus be 
 forced not only to tax the people to pay interest on the State 
 debt, but the principal, and permit the large sum in- 
 vested in internal improvements to remain unproductive? 
 And while all other States obtain connections with the Missis- 
 sippi valley, acknowledge that the people of North-Carolina 
 are inferior to the people of her sister States, and justly enti- 
 tled to be considered the Rip Yan Winkle of the South, the 
 committee entertain the opinion that the people of North- 
 Carolina are not prepared to acknowledge or admit their in- 
 feriority, and that they will carry out their great State work, 
 and thus relieve the people of the State from the interest and 
 principal of the State debt contracted for internal improve- 
 ments, and to place the State on terms of equality with her 
 sister States, socially, commercially and politically. (For 
 comparative distances from the upper end of the line, see 
 table marked C.) 
 
 Prof. Latrobe's letter approving the last survey of the 
 Swananoa Gap, marked D. 
 
8 Document ~No. 76. [Session 
 
 The committee therefore recommend the passage of the 
 amendment to the bill, herewith submitted. 
 
 W. H. THOMAS, 
 February 4th, 1859. Member of the Committee. 
 
1858-'9.] Document No. 76. 
 
 (A.) 
 
 Columbia, December 12, 1S56. 
 
 Dear Sir: I am just in the receipt of your favor of the 6th 
 instant. I have not by me a copy of my letter to you of the 
 Duck Town route — it presents no difficulties worthy of note 
 — no tunnels, no heavy work excavation — but little bridging, 
 and the grades and curvatures will be comparatively light. 
 
 Enclosed you will find Mr. Randolph's report. On the re- 
 cognizance of the route from the mouth of the Tuckasege Ri- 
 ver to the French Broad, Mr. Randolph has the experience 
 of twenty years in mountainous countries — he has twelve or 
 fifteen years on the Raltimore and Ohio Railroad. 
 
 You may have every confidence in his report. Indeed 
 there are very few in whose judgment I have more reliance. 
 You may regard his estimate as ample. 
 Yours truly, 
 
 WALTER S. GWYNN. 
 
 W. H. Thomas, Esq., Raleigh, N. C. 
 
 Andekson, S. C, December S, 1856. 
 
 Ma joe "Walter S. Gwtnn : 
 
 Dear Sir : In compliance with your instructions, I start- 
 ed from Anderson, on the 18th of November to make a re- 
 cognizance of a route for Railroad, from the confluence of the 
 Little Tennessee and Tuskasege Rivers (on the line of the 
 Blue Ridge road,) to Asheville in Buncombe county, of the 
 same. State. 
 
 The line examined passes up the valley of the Tuskasege 
 river to the mouth of the Scott's creek, and three miles up 
 this creek, a distance of thirty-two miles, with an average 
 grade of not more than 26 feet per mile, crossing in the dis- 
 tance the Tuskasege twice, Torney's creek, Noland creek, 
 
10 Document No. 76. [Session 
 
 Deep creek and Orowalufta, where wooden bridges of large 
 span would be required, and ten runs where arched culverts 
 would be used, encountering nine sharp bends, involving heavy 
 work, in one or two of which a small tunnel may be resorted 
 to with advantage ; and one tunnel of about 1200 feet in con- 
 nection with the two crossings of the river above mentioned, 
 which would save more than one mile in distance. 
 
 From the point on Scott's creek above mentioned to its 
 head, the distance is about ten miles, requiring a grade of 
 about 90 feet per mile, at the head of this creek a tunnel of 
 about 3000 feet will bring the line to the head of Richland 
 creek, thence to the point it empties into Pigeon river 12 
 miles, an average grade of about 50 feet per mile will be re- 
 quired, thence up Pigeon river, crossing the head of Homi- 
 ny creek, eight miles with a grade of not exceeding 50 feet 
 per mile, grading up the river slope, and passing through the 
 Ridge to the head of the creek by a short tunnel, thence 
 down Hominy to and across French Broad river to a point 
 about three miles from Asheville. distance IS miles, with an 
 average grade of about 40 feet per mile. 
 
 At this point my examination closed, (as I supposed a con- 
 nection would there be formed with the North Carolina rail- 
 road,) and together the means of communication with Ashe- 
 ville, be determined. The difficult portions of this line will 
 be the eleven miles on Scott's creek, including the tunnel. 
 The fall is great and irregular — the valley crooked, without 
 regular slope, but indented w T ith numerous ridges or points 
 and ravines, involving heavy cutting and filling — the remain- 
 der of the line is very favorable for a railroad. I present a 
 a rough estimate of distance and cost : 
 
 32 miles at $14,000 per mile, $448,000 00 
 
 11 " 63,000 " 693,000 00 
 
 11 " 10,000 " . 110,000 00 
 
 8 " 8,000 " 64,000 00 
 
 18 " 12,000 " 216,000 00 
 
 $1,531,000 00 
 
lS5S-'9.] Document No. 76. 11 
 
 Superstructure, buildings, engineering, &c 3 815,000 00 
 
 $2,346,000 00 
 
 ($29,325 per mile.) 
 
 * * -x- * * * # 
 
 Building stone and timber are abundant, and on the greater 
 portion of the line, very convenient, and the country through 
 which it passes seems capable of furnishing all the provisions 
 which may be required in the construction of the work. 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 JAS. L. RANDOLPH. 
 
 This line was again examined in 1858 by Mr. McCalla, en- 
 gineer, on the Western North-Carolina Railroad, who, in his 
 report, confirms the statements in its favor by Messrs. Gwynn 
 and Randolph, and by a comparison it will be seen that this 
 line does not cost as much per mile as the railroad from Salis- 
 bury to Morgan ton. 
 
 The amount required of the State to complete this line of 
 road would be as follows : 
 
 Agreeably to the estimates of the engineer, 
 the States' part of the total cost, equip- 
 ment, &c, of $2,346,000. $1,564,000 
 Agreeably to the estimated cost of the con- 
 struction of the road from Salisbury to 
 Asheville, leaves about $1,000,000, of the 
 appropriation of 1853-'55, 1,000,000 
 
 $ 564,000 
 To be supplied by an appropriation or trans- 
 fer of stock in the Western North-Carolina 
 Railroad. 
 
12 
 
 Document No. 76. 
 
 [Session 
 
 (B.) 
 RAILROAD STATISTICS. 
 
 
 |';3 
 
 
 COST PER 
 
 
 NET 
 
 NAMES OF KOADS. 
 
 jg § TOTAL COST. 
 
 o 
 
 MILE. 
 
 DEBT. 
 
 EARNINGS. 
 
 Georgia Centra], 
 
 191 $ 3,750,000 
 
 •$19,633* 
 
 $ 191,767 
 
 $ 582,310 
 
 South-Carolina, 
 
 203 
 
 7,588,037 
 
 37,379* 
 
 3,318,525 
 
 740,535 
 
 Virginia and Tennessee, 
 
 204 
 
 6,765,155 
 
 32,917* 
 
 3,261,955 
 
 223,240 
 
 Virginia Centra!, 
 
 175 
 
 5,384,260 
 
 30,652* 
 
 1,833,170 
 
 295,776 
 
 Baltimore and Ohio, . . 
 
 •382 
 
 24,802,645 
 
 64,928* 
 
 10,986,804 
 
 1,325,287 
 
 Pennsylvania, 
 
 256 
 
 27,266,982 
 
 106,511* 
 
 15,690,524 
 
 1,854,927 
 
 Philadelphia & Reading, 
 
 96 
 
 19,363,720 
 
 200,663* 
 
 9,423,506 
 
 1,583,776 
 
 New-York Central, . . . 
 
 556 
 
 30,732,518 
 
 55,274* 
 
 14,402,635 
 
 3,041,120 
 
 New- York and Erie, . . 
 
 464 
 
 34,469,324 
 
 74,287* 
 
 28,081,468 
 
 1,454,032 
 
 Hudson River, 
 
 144 
 
 12,737,89b 
 
 88,457* 
 
 9,250,362 
 
 688,880 
 
 Western Massachusetts, 
 
 155 
 
 10,495,905 
 
 67,715* 
 
 5,839,080 
 
 889,763 
 
 (O.) 
 
 TABLE 
 
 Of comparative distances between the proposed route through 
 Western North-Carolina, compared to the route by the com- 
 peting line of the East Tennessee and Virginia line ; 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA ROUTE. 
 
 From New York to Norfolk, by the air line road, 
 
 " Norfolk to Salisbury, shortening the line from 
 Hillsboro' to Bidgeway, 
 From Salisbury to Asheville, by the Swananoa gap, 
 " Asheville to the line of the Blue Ridge Road, 
 To Situo, in Macon county, 
 " Athens, on the East Tennessee and Virginia Road; 
 to Chattanooga, by that road, 
 
 MILES. 
 
 325 
 
 278 
 
 137 
 
 80 
 
 42 
 
 56 
 
1858-'9.] Document No. 76. 13 
 
 From Chattanooga to Memphis; 833 
 
 Total distance from New York to Memphis, 1251 
 
 EAST TENNESSEE AND VIRGINIA ROUTE. 
 
 MILES. 
 
 From New York to Norfolk, 325 
 
 " Norfolk to Petersburg, 100 
 
 To Lynchburg, 123 
 
 From Lynchburg to Bristol, 204 
 
 ToKnoxville, 103 
 
 " Chattanooga, 112 
 
 From Chattanooga, 333 
 
 Total distance from New York to Memphis, 1290 
 
 The comparative distance between New York and Atlanta, 
 Montgomery, and New Orleans, through Western North-Ca- 
 rolina, forming a connection with the Georgia roads at Alojay, 
 in Gilmer county, will give more than one hundred miles in 
 favor of the route through Western North-Carolina. 
 
 [D.] 
 
 Baltimore, Dec. 26th, 1S5S. 
 
 J. C. Turner, Esq., Chief Engineer 
 
 of Western North-Carolina Railroad: 
 
 Dear Sir: — Having had the pleasure to-day of examining 
 the map and profile of the line located by you for the W. N, 
 C. railroad across the mountain summit of the Swananoa Gap, 
 and having had my attention particularly directed by your- 
 self to a somewhat novel feature in the location, I cheerfully 
 express, at your request, my opinion upon the feature refer- 
 red to. 
 
14: , Document !No. 76. [Session 
 
 A grade of two feet per 100 or 105 0-10 feet per mile, hav- 
 ing been found to combine the most advantages in the ascent 
 of the mountain on its eastern slope, you have been, it seems, 
 obliged, in order to maintain that grade, to make the line 
 recross itself in one place at a higher level. 
 
 In doing this an entire circle of 360 degrees is turned upon 
 a radius of 573 feet ascending at the rate above stated. This 
 part of your location, is objected to, it appears, on the ground 
 of its novelty, under the impression that, as a similar case has 
 not yet occurred upon any other railroad, it would be a dan- 
 gerous experiment upon your own line. I am enabled to 
 state, however, that when locating the 13. & 0. railroad in 
 1817, I contempla'ed a similar manoeuvre in making the de- 
 scent from the Glades at Cranberry summit to Cheat river, 
 and would, without hesitation, have constructed the road up- 
 on the line so located, had not the adoption (for other reasons) 
 of a steeper grade obviated the necessity of employing that 
 device, to increase the length of the descending plane. 
 
 A moment's consideration, indeed, will show that with a 
 given grade and curvative and cost of construction, it mat- 
 ters not whether the line pursues a spiral or serpentine coursa 
 in ascending or descending. 
 
 The originality of the spiral feature would rather recom- 
 mend the route to the traveller, who upon all our mountain 
 lines is solicited by appeals to hU love of the picturesque. 
 
 In regard to the feasibility of the grade of 105 six-tenths 
 feet per mile on your line, I have only to point to the 11G 
 feet grade ond 600 feet radius curve on the B. & R. P., for 
 eight and a-half miles, continuously ascending from Cheat 
 River to the glade against the heavier trade of the road. 
 This grade has been safely and successfully worked since 
 1852, and also the grade averaging 116 feet per mile, for 11 
 consecutive miles descending from the glades to Piedmont, 
 on the Potomac, since 1851. 
 
 The summit immediately west of Cheat River is passed with 
 106 six-tenths feet per mile, on curves of 600 feet radius on 
 both sides of the ridge. 
 
 I need scarcely speak of the temporary line of 528 per mile, 
 
1858-9.] Document No. 76. 15 
 
 on a curve of 300 feet radius, np which a locomotive, propell- 
 ed itself, tender, and a car of thirteen tons, gross weight, at a 
 speed often miles and more per hour, nor of the other tem- 
 porary line of five and six feet per 100, over which two' and 
 three, and even four cars of similar weight were carried by 
 the same power. 
 
 The accompanying map and profile of the Baltimore and 
 Ohio railroad west of Cumberland, of which I beg your ac- 
 ceptance, will exhibit the "loops " in the line which I had 
 intended to have adopted had not reasons in no way referring 
 to its practicability or propriety upon general principles in- 
 duced me to dispense with it. 
 I am, dear sir, 
 
 very truly and respectfully yours, 
 
 BENJ. H. LATROBE, 
 Con. Engineer and late Chief Engineer 
 
 of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. 
 

UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
 00042071961 
 
 FOR USE ONLY IN 
 THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION 
 
 Form No. A-368, Rev. 8/95