FARMERS RECxISTER— MISSISSIPPI AND CHESAPEAKE RAILWAY. 



429 



I am gratified to have it in my power to inform 

 you that our suhscription books embrace a veiy 

 SLibptaniial Hst of subscribers to the amount of 

 considerably upwards oi' 300,000 dollars.* 



KDMUND P. GAINES. 

 REPORT &C. 



Sir: — In obedience to your instructions of ■2d ult., 

 I have examiiied the country between this place 

 and the easterly base of the Cumberland moun- 

 tain, in East Tennessee, with the view of ascer- 

 taining as nearly as practicable from personal ob- 

 servation, the leasibility of a rail road in that di- 

 rection. The time and means at my command 

 and applicable to this service, were ihr too litnited 

 to admit of an examination so minute and multi- 

 farious as the great extent and diversified aspect of 

 the country would seem to demand, yel the reauit.'s 

 that have been attained are even more lavorable 

 than could reasonably have been anticipated, 

 though less satisfactory and conclusive than those 

 in which a more protracted and costly examina- 

 tion might have led. 



I ' now submit in conformity to your request, a 

 brief exposition of some of the more prominent 

 features of the country examined, and of the 

 principal dilHculties to be encountered m the con- 

 struction of the contemplated rail road, leaving 

 such details as I have been able to collect in refer- 

 ence to the subject, to be embodied in my general 

 report on the several examinations in wdiichi have 

 been engaged. 



The route under consideration is to be regarded 

 as a portion of a grand route, extending from the 

 head of Cliesapeake Bay to the Mississippi river, 

 and may be designated with propriety by the 

 name ofthe Chesapeake and Mississippi Rad Road, 

 connecting the largest bay v/ithin the United 

 States with the largest river in the world. The 

 entire length of the route will be nearly 1000 miles. 

 On a portion of it a rail road has already been 

 constructed by the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road 

 Compan}^, viz: from Baltimore to the Potomac 

 river, about 70 miles. On another portion, viz: 

 from Harper's Ferry to Winchester, Va., a rail 

 road IS in the progress of construction — surve3"s 

 have moreover been extended through the great 

 valley of Virginia to the Tennessee line, near 

 Bluntsville, and a rail road has been pronounced 

 practicable on this portion of the grand route. A 

 personal acquaintance wkh the valley of Tennessee 

 from the Virginia line to the Easterly base of the 

 Cumberland mountain, convinces me that a rail 

 road is equally practicable on this portion of the 

 route, Avhich will terminate in the valley of the 

 Clinch river, near the confluence of Emery's river 

 with that stream. The valley region just alluded 

 to, viz; the valleys of Virginia and Tennessee, 

 present no uniform, continuous or direct valley 

 route, but a succession of valleys or glades, inter- 

 vening between the numerous insulated hills, and 

 ridges of greater or less magnitude, with '-which 

 these valley regions are studded, and amongst 

 which, although I have never examined the coun- 

 try with a view to the choice of a route lor a rail 

 road, yet I feel persuaded from a general know- 

 ledge of its aspect, that a route favorable lor acon- 



* [The numerous errors in the foregoing letter are in 

 the newspaper copy from which this is taken. En. 

 Far. Reg] 



tinuous rail road, leading from the mouth of 

 Emery's river, on Clinch to Harper's Ferry on the 

 Potomac may be found, and shall presume on its 

 practicability till the reverse shall have been estab- 

 lished by actual survey. The principal difBcultiea 

 to be encountered on such a route will probabl}'' 

 consist in numerous deep cuttings and perhaps oc- 

 casional tunnels, in passing from one valley or 

 glade to another, and occasional plains inclining at. 

 an angle of about one degree in crossing the 

 principal ridges. I have been informed that a 

 route nearly direct leading from the valley of the 

 Roanoke to the snnmiit of the Allegany mountain 

 has been surveyed by Capt. Crozet with an unifc)rm 

 ascent of one degree, or 92 feet per mile. 



Ascents of the character just mentioned are con- 

 templated to be overcome by the aid of teams of 

 horses or mules stationed at the foot of the plain, 

 and kept in readiness to aid the locomotive engine 

 in conveying its load upward, to the summit ofthe 

 plain. On arriving at the head of the plain the 

 team may be detached fi-om the train and placed in 

 stable cars fitted for that purpose, in which they 

 may descend to the foot of the plain and be in 

 readiness to ascend v/ith the next train. 



With respect to the route from JMemphis on the 

 Mississippi, to the easterly base of the Cumber- 

 land mountain, my late examinations and the in- 

 formation 1 have been able to obtain from persons 

 well acquainted v/ith the aspect of the country tra- 

 versed by different portions of the route, are more 

 definite and conclusive, and I now take occasion to 

 present a summary of the results to which they 

 have led, and which are as follows, viz: 



Commencing at Memphis, the route proceeds in 

 a North Easterly direction to a point near Jackson, 

 the distance being 85 miles. This portion of the 

 route has been surveyed by Mr. J. Thompson, 

 and has been (bund practicable at a gradation of 

 30 feet per mile without incurring excavations or 

 embankments on any part of it more than 20 feet 

 deep, while by far the greatest proportion of the 

 route is on level ground. Extensive causeways 

 will be required in order to pass the valleys of 

 Wolfe, Big Hatchee and Forked Deer rivers and 

 their branches. 



From Jackson the route proceeds Easterly, pur- 

 suing the valley of the middle fork of Forked 

 Deer river to its head, there crossing a low ridge, 

 by means of cutting about 20 or 25 feet deep fi^r ti 

 short distance and thence descending through the 

 valley of Beech river to the Tennessee river. 

 This portion of the route embraces a distance of 

 about 51 miles, is remarkably direct and passes 

 over bottom land, for the most part secure from in- 

 undation, and affording a very easy graduation 

 both with respect to inclination and road forma- 

 tion. 



The Tennessee river must be crossed by abndge 

 or viaduct 850 yards long, with causev>'ays of con- 

 siderable extent leading across the bottoms on 

 either side of the river. 



From Tennessee river to ihe valley of Bigby 

 creek two routes are presented, of the following 

 characters. — First, a route leading upivards in the 

 valley of Cedar creek, to its head in Buffaloe 

 ridge, which is about 200 feet high, rassing throut^h 

 the ridge by means of a tunnel 700 yards long, 

 thence crossing Buffaloe river, and pursuinof tlie 

 valley of Sinking creek to its head, thence de- 

 ecending by a ravine, crossing Trace crefk on a 



