REPORT

OF

SURVEYS MADE FOR A

THROUGH TRAFFIC RAILWAY

FROM THE

MIDDLE AND SOUTHERN

ANTHRACITE COAL FIELDS,

OF PENNSYLVANIA,

TO NEW YORK BAY.

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF

R. A. WILDER.

SEPTEMBER, 1868.

PRINTED BY BANNAN & RAMSEY,

POTTSVILLE, PA.

REPORT.

MR. B. BANNAN,

Dear Sir:-In accordance with your expressed wishes, and the desire of several gentlemen prominently connected with mining and other important interests in this County, I assumed the charge of surveys for a railroad leading directly from this coal region to the seaboard near New York.

You have long been the able and consistent advocate of such a road, and as the present movement is mainly due to your exertions, it is proper for me to address this report to you.

In the early part of March, I placed a corps of engineers on the route contemplated, who prosecuted the work of preliminary examinations, with occasional interruptions from inclement weather and other causes, till the terminus on New York Bay was attained near the close of July.

The object of these surveys being to determine the practicability of constructing a through traffic railroad, which will accommodate the greatest area of coal producing lands by the shortest distance consistent with favorable grades and alignment, no attempt has been made towards a final location, as neither the time nor means at my disposal, would have warranted this course; but the line surveyed, having been carefully selected, can be rapidly revised and prepared for construction, whenever it is desirable to place the work under contract.

As authority to use the present system of lateral railroads has been granted by the Legislature, no surveys were made within the coal area to reach the mines; but even if this authority did not exist, from my intimate acquaintance with the topography of the coal region, I have no hesitancy in saying that every important colliery can be approached by

another road, without particularly interfering with the interests of other companies, except to take away a portion of their trade, or compel a reduction of their charges for transportation. Besides it is probable that very important changes will gradually be introduced in the mode of mining and preparing coal for shipment, which will necessitate great changes in the location of some of the lateral railroads and sidings. The existing laterals are as well adapted to the present operations as any that could be constructed, and as they are strictly coal roads, encumbered with very little way business, they could be made portions of a through traffic system of transportation without inconvenience to any one. Coal passing over them designed for the way trade of other linęs, would diverge from the one under consideration at the point where the through trains would be made up, hence no detentions would occur from this cause.

The route from the coal region to the seaboard will be considered under three divisions; the first embraces the country between these coal fields and the Lehigh River, and constitutes the one of greatest immediate interest to this locality, because it can be easily constructed, and will afford early relief to our languishing coal trade; besides being within the finanical ability of the business men of this county, for if they have not the ready money to invest in such an enterprise, they possess property of exceeding value on which funds can be realized, and, what is not often the case in such operations, the application of the means thus obtained will enhance the value of the property pledged beyond its indebtedness, so that the sum invested in the road is an actual gain to the owner.

The second division extends from the mouth of Lizzard Creek, eight and a half miles below Mauch Chunk, to the Delaware River near Easton. The presence of three lines of improvements in the Lehigh Valley renders this portion of the work more difficult and expensive; but the impediments met with are not insurmountable, nor beyond a reasonable expenditure for so important a work.

The third division embraces examinations between the Delaware River and Perth Amboy, and other points on the