348 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 6 



WILMINGTON AND HALIFAX RAILWAY. 



Extracts fiofn Ihe Report of Walter Gwynii, Esq., EiiKiiiror, 

 to tlio President and Directors of tlic VV'iiiningtoii aiul Uuliigli 

 Kail Road Company. 



Gentlemen: — I have the honor to .submit the 

 results of the rcconnoissances and surveys, iiecces- 

 saiy for tlie seleciioa oi" the route oi" the contein- 

 plaleJ tail road between Wilmington and Hali- 

 fax. 



A carefiil examination of the country led to the 

 adoplon of the following lines for survey; 



TVcstern Route. 



This route commences at the "Dry Pond," in 

 the south-east suburbs of Wilmington, thence 

 running nearly due north to the head of market 

 street, it takes an easterly direction to a Hivorable 

 site for crossing Siiiith's Creek at "Love Grove." 

 After crossing Smith's Creek, the route passes 

 over a level plain, only broken b}' Prince George's 

 Creek, which it crosses between Mr. Burgwin's 

 d'velling and mill-house, to the north-east branch 

 of the Cape Fear River, near the old bridge. The 

 graduation on this portion ol the route, consists of 

 slight excavations and embankments in clean 

 sand, and will be extremely easy of execution. 

 From the Cape Fear, it may be run straight forty- 

 seven miles to Hackleberr^v Pocosin, at the head 

 of Bear SwaiTip. Within this distance, the route 

 will cross Rockfish and Stewart Creeks. With 

 the exception of the bridges and embankments 

 across these streams, the surface of the ground is 

 so very level, that the chief work in the road-way 

 formation, will consist of slight cuts, no where 

 greater than ten feet in depth, and embankments 

 from two to three feet in height. The route tra- 

 verses the ridge dividing the waters of Long Creek 

 froiTi those of the "north-east," and passes about 

 two miles and a half to the west of South Wash- 

 ington ; and about seven miles to the west of Ke- 

 nansvillc. From the head of Bear Swamp, the 

 country continues unbroken, until the route reaches 

 Goshen ; which is one of the head branches of 

 the north-east. Llere the first undulation in the 

 plane of the road worthy of notice occurs, a de- 

 scent and immediately an ascent of 30 feet to tlie 

 nfile is unavoidable, and some comparatively deep 

 cutting, and heavy enbankments are encountered. 

 Immediately on ascending from the valley of 

 Goshen, the route reaches a dry, level, open woods 

 through which it passes to Brook's Branch. Tlie 

 formation of the rail road on this portion of the 

 route will consist, chiefly, in cutting down the 

 large trees which overspread the track, and liew- 

 ing and preparing them tor the reception of the iron 

 rails. After making a slight undulation in crossing 

 Brooks' Branch, which is a very inconsiderable 

 stream, it arrives at the same level, on which it 

 continues to the head of Yellow Marsh; along 

 the margin of which, it descends to the valley of 

 the Neuse River, encountering in its descent, some 

 heavy cuttings, which consist, however, entirely of 

 sand. It crosses the Neuse at a very favorable 

 place — iJUKt below the bridge on the stage road 

 from Halifax to Ftiyetteville — thence passing near 

 Waynesborough, the country wearing the same 

 level aspect, with the exception of the breaks oc- 

 casioned by the Naidumla, Acock, and Black 

 Creeks; the surface being almost perli^ctly smooth. 



It reaches Contentnea Creek about half Avay be- 

 tween Woodward's and Rountree's Bridges. 

 After crossing the Contentnea, until the route 

 reaches Enfield, the country may be characterized 

 as bold, compared with the uniform level aspect 

 heretolore jiresented. 



The soil also undergoes some change. From 

 sand, to a substratum of clay, mixed with sand, 

 which will be encountered in some of the excavti- 

 tions. On this portion of the route, Tcssnot, Town 

 and Cokey Swamps, the Tar River, and Swilt and 

 Fishing Creeks, are crossed. Tliese occasion a 

 multiplicity of low summits, and an undulatoiy 

 profile. The grades are, however, gentle, and the 

 cuttings and fillings no where exceed fifteen feet. 

 Afler leaving Enfield, the route gradually de- 

 scends to a favorable site for crossing Beach 

 Swamp, just below the mouth of Bear Swamp, 

 along the borders of which, with very little varia- 

 tion fi'om a level grade, and no other expense in 

 the formation of the road-way, than the raising of 

 a bank t\vo or three li;et in height, the route runs 

 until it reaches (>)uaukey Creek." Here occurs the 

 highest embankment on the line of the road. It 

 is, however, very short. From Quaukey, which is 

 only a mile from the teriuination of the road, the 

 route ascends very gradually until it unites with 

 the Haiilax and Weldon Rail Road, about half ii 

 mile fi'om Halifax, and seven miles fi'om Weldon. 

 At Weldon, the Portsmoutli and Roanoke Rail 

 Road crosses the Roanoke River by a bridge — 

 it also crosses the Petersburg Rail Road about two 

 and a half miles from Weldon, where the two 

 roads can be easily united ; and thus a connexion 

 of your road may be formed with the Petersburg 

 Rail Road, or by the steamboats which now daily- 

 ply between Weldon and Blakely, they may be 

 connected. In any event I can see no difficulty in 

 the way of both passengers and goods, destined 

 for Petersburg, passing from your road to the Pe- 

 tersburg Rail Road, with as little delay and in- 

 convenience, as to the Portsmouth Rail Road. 



A description of the line which was run on the 

 west side of Long Creek to Bear Swamp, and 

 which will be brought into comparison with that 

 portion of the western route, from Wilmington to 

 the same point, will appropriately precede the esti- 

 mats of the "western route," and will come in here. 

 This line commences at the timber pens, and runs 

 upwards along the margin of the river about a 

 mile ; thence it crosses over and passes along the 

 dividing ground between the Cape Fear and its 

 north-east branch, to nearly the head of Long 

 Creek. The road-bed in this distance will be 

 formed of alternate excavations and embankments, 

 consisting entirely of sand. Thence the line will 

 pass on the dividing ground between Long Creek 

 and Moore's Creek ; and between Moore's and 

 .Rockfish Creeks, and throughout to the head of 

 Bear Swamp, the ground is extremely favorable. 

 Stewart and Turkey Creeks are the only streams 

 that are crossed. 



Summary of the excavation, cmbankn:icnts, and 

 superstructure : 



69 miles, 1191 feet, at ^433,815 97 



From this, there should be deducted the cost of 

 six miles of superstructure, at $;3,S00 per mile, 

 this being the reduction which will occur in the 

 actual loctition; wdiich leaves ^411,015 97, the 

 cost of this line. This compared with the first 



I 



