The Blossburg and Corning railroad, from the bituminous coal region at Blossburg to the Chemung canal at Corning, New York. Projected length, forty miles; part finished. The Harrisburg and Lancaster railroad branches from the Philadelphia and Columbia railroad near Lancaster, and extends by Mountjoy and Portsmouth to Harrisburg, where it joins the Cumberland Valley railroad. Near Elizabethtown there is a tunnel of 850 feet. Highest grade, forty-two feet to the mile, generally less than thirty-five feet. Length, thirty-six miles. The Cumberland Valley railroad commences at Harrisburg, crosses the Susquehanna, and continues westward by Carlisle, Newville, and Shippensburg to Chambersburg in Franklin county. The bridge by which this road crosses the Susquehanna has the railroad laid upon a flat roof, with carriage ways beneath. Length of road, fifty-two miles. A route for another railroad to join this, and to extend from Chambersburg to Pittsburg, has been surveyed. The Franklin railroad joins the Cumberland Valley railroad at Chambersburg; thence southward by Greencastle to the state boundary, and to Hagerstown in Maryland. Length, about twenty miles. It is projected to continue this road to the Potomac. The York and Wrightsville railroad extends from the western termination of the Philadelphia and Columbia railroad, across the Susquehanna to Wrightsville; thence westward to York, thirteen miles, where it intersects the Baltimore and Susquehanna railroad. The Baltimore and Susquehanna railroad extends southward from York, up the valley of Codorus creek to the Maryland boundary, eighteen miles, and thence to Baltimore. Whole length, fifty-six miles. The Turnpike Roads and Bridges of Pennsylvania are numerous and well made. They have been nearly all constructed by incorporated companies. Mr. Frego observes, "That few of them have ever yielded dividends equal to the interest on the cost of construction, and most of them little more than sufficient to keep them in repair, yet they should not be considered as an improvident and wasteful expenditure of capital. The advantages resulting to those portions of the state which they connect, and through which they pass, from increased facilities of travelling, and the transportation of produce and merchandise, the additional value which they consequently give to the lands adjacent to them, the easy and direct communication afforded by their means between different sections of the country, previously separated by impassable mountains or impenetrable wilderness, have altogether far exceeded in value the cost of all the turnpikes in Pennsylvania. "These roads are usually constructed of a bed of broken stone, from one to two feet thick, having a convex surface so as to permit the water to drain off freely, and sufficiently wide to allow the passage of two or three carriages abreast. On each side of this artificial road is another track, commonly called the summer road, which is made on the natural soil, and being generally smoother than the stoned road, is usually preferred when the ground is dry. On the steep mountain sides the turnpikes ascend by a winding series of regularly graded slopes, seldom exceeding three or four degrees, no angle exceeding five degrees being permitted by law. "The Philadelphia and Lancaster turnpike, sixty-two miles in length, is said to be the first road of this kind undertaken in the United States. It was commenced in 1792, and finished two years afterwards, at a cost of about 465,000 dollars. Other turnpikes have since been connected with it, forming a continuous line across the state throughout its whole length, from Trenton on the Delaware to the state of Ohio on the west, a distance of nearly 350 miles. Numerous other turnpikes intersect this main line, leading off from it in different directions, and again branching out and intersecting others, so as to form a network of communication to every part of the commonwealth, and rendering the most remote districts of comparatively easy access. "The common roads are under the care of supervisors elected by the voters of each township, and are kept in repair by a tax laid upon the inhabitants. It is the custom in many townships for those who prefer it to work on the road to the amount of their tax, being duly notified by the supervisor when and where their services will be required. Bridges over small streams are erected at the expenses of the townships; but if the estimated cost of a required bridge appears to be larger than the township should reasonably bear, the court, grand jury, and county commissioners, may, on application, direct it to be built by the county. "The number and excellence of the bridges in Pennsylvania is a frequent subject of remark by travellers. It would be useless for us to attempt a particular notice of the vast number erected at the expense of the several counties, over the streams within their limits; many of them being substantial and well-built structures, costing from 20,000 dollars to 50,000 dollars. Those across the Delaware, Susquehanna, Alleghany, Monongahela, and others of our large streams, amounting in number to seventy or eighty, have been mostly built by incorporated companies; and many of them are so distinguished for excellence of construction and ingenuity of combination, as well as scientific boldness and beauty of design, that it may well be doubted whether any other part of the world can compete with Pennsylvania in the art of building wooden bridges." The following statement from the "Monthly Commercial Chronicle," in Hunt's Merchants' Magazine, contains the most accurate information that we have been able to procure. "The state of Pennsylvania, which failed in paying the interest of its debt, has advertised its public works, for the construction of which those debts were contracted, for sale, to take its stock at par in payment. That stock is nominally at forty cents on the dollar in the market. This being the peculiar position of the debt of the state of Pennsylvania, we will here annex a table of the leading works, with their extent, cost, and aggregate revenue and expenditures for ten years, from 1830 to 1840 inclusive :—" COST, Revenue, and Expenditures of the Finished Lines of Pennsylvania Canals and Pittsburg.. Railroad tolls................................. Motive power... Locomotives, ropes, &c.... Total........ Delaware division-Extends from Bristol to Easton Susquehanna division Extends from Duncan's island to Northumberland.. North Branch division-Extends from Northumberland to Lackawannock... West Branch division-Extends from Northumber- French Creek division - Extends (including the Railroad tolls...................................................................... Locomotives, ropes, &c............................................ Alleghany Portage railway-Extends from Hollidaysburg to Johnstown...... In addition to this, there are the following canals in progress, and nearly completed : These have cost nearly 10,000,000 dollars, making the total funded debt, with money borrowed to pay interest and other expenses, 36,331,005 dollars. The property of the state is as follows: The works may become valuable, but as seen in the above table, in ten years, including a most prosperous season, the expenses exceeded the receipts 512,585 dollars, independent of the interest on the debt contracted for their construction. We have gone thus into details, because it is a novel feature in the money market for an independent state to become bankrupt, and tender its property for sale in payment. In New Jersey, Delaware, the Morris canal was begun in 1824, and completed in 1836, and cost about 2,500,000 dollars. It extends from Easton, on the Delaware, to Jersey city, 101 miles. A large amount of coal, from the coal region of Pennsylvania, is transported on it. It has recently been widened at a great expense. The Delaware and Raritan canal extends from New Brunswick, on the Raritan, to Bordentown, on the Delaware, below Trenton, and is forty-three miles in length. It forms part of an important communication between the cities of New York and Philadelphia. Salem canal extends from Salem creek, four miles to Delaware river. The NEW JERSEY railroads are more important even than her canals. The Camden and Amboy railroad was incorporated in 1829, and completed in 1832, extending from Camden, on the Delaware, opposite to Philadelphia, to South Amboy, at the mouth of the Raritan, sixty-one miles. The New Jersey railroad was incorporated in 1832, and opened in 1836, extending from Jersey city, through Newark, New Brunswick, and Trenton, to Bordentown, where it forms a junction with the Camden and Amboy road. The Paterson railroad was incorporated in 1831, and completed in 1834, and branches off from the New Jersey railroad at Bergen hill, and extends fifteen miles to Paterson. The Morris and Essex railroad extends from Newark to Morristown, twenty miles. The Elizabethport and Somerville railroad communicates between the two places, twenty-five miles. The Camden and Woodbury railroad extends, from the one place to the other, nine miles. In DELAWARE and MARYLAND, the Chesapeake and Delaware canal is the most important internal improvement. It crosses the northern part of the state, commencing at Delaware city (which has only forty houses), forty-six miles below Philadelphia, and extends thirteen miles and a half to Back creek, a navigable branch of Elk river. Being sixty-six feet wide at the surface, and ten feet deep, it is navigable for sloops and steamboats. The Deep Cut in this canal is four miles in length, through a hill ninety feet high. This canal was commenced in 1824, and completed in 1829, at a cost of 2,200,000 dollars. The Newcastle and Frenchtown railroad also forms a connexion between the Delaware and Chesapeake. It extends from Newcastle on the Delaware river, to Frenchtown on Elk river, is sixteen miles and a quarter long, and was finished in 1832, at an expense of 400,000 dollars. "Two of the greatest works of internal improvement in the United States have been projected and commenced by Maryland. The first is the Chesapeake and Ohio canals, commencing at Georgetown, district of Columbia, and to extend to Cumberland, on the Potomac, and thence by Wills creek and the Youghiogheny and Monongahela rivers to Pittsburg, a distance of 341 miles and a quarter. It would require a tunnel through the Alleghany mountains four miles and eighty yards in length. The whole amount of lockage will be 3215 feet. The estimated cost is 9,347,408 dollars. The state of Maryland has subscribed 3,000,000 dollars, and the United States 1,000,000 dollars, towards the completion of the undertaking. A charter was granted by Virginia in 1824, and confirmed by Maryland and the Congress of the United States in 1825, and the work was commenced in 1828. It has been nearly completed from Georgetown to Cumberland, 185 miles, and has been extended to Alexandria."—U. S. Gaz. "The second great work is the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, designed to extend from Baltimore to Wheeling, on the Ohio, 360 miles. It was incorporated by the legislature of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, in 1827, and commenced July 4th, 1828. The state of Maryland has subscribed to the stock 3,000,000 dollars, and the city of Baltimore 3,000,000 dollars. It is completed from Baltimore to Cumberland. The Washington branch extends thirty miles and a quarter from Potapsco river to Washington. The Baltimore and Port Deposite railroad extends thirty-six miles from Baltimore to Havre de Grace. The Baltimore and Susquehanna railroad extends fifty-six miles from Baltimore to York, Pennsylvania. The Reistertown branch railroad commences six miles from Baltimore, and extends eight miles to Reistertown. The Wilmington and Susquehanna railroad extends from Havre de Grace, thirty-two miles, to Wilmington, Delaware. The Annapolis and Elkridge railroad extends nineteen miles and three-quarters from Washington branch to Annapolis."—U. S. Gaz. Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore railroad.-From the reports made January 9th, 1843, and January 8th, 1844, it appears that the whole amount of receipts for the year ending the 21st of December, 1842, were 469,858 dollars 4 cents. The whole expenses for the year, ending the same day, were 239,965 dollars 7 cents. The revenue for 1842 was 134,010 dollars 65 cents less than The whole in 1841, and the expenses were less by 102,979 dollars 70 cents. receipts for the year ending the 31st of December, 1843, were 430,434 dollars 47 cents; while the current expenses for the same period were 230,384 dollars 86 cents. It appears, by the last report, that the funded debt of the company amounted to 2,972,887 dollars 16 cents. The president alludes to the adverse circumstances of the company during the past year; but hopes, that from the favourable prospects of the country, the period is approaching when it will receive such substantial assurance of prosperity as will confirm the anticipations of the most sanguine. Of the probability of this, however, no speculations are offered. The fifth annual report of the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad company embraces some interesting statements. The gross receipts of the road for 1842 were 386,874 dollars; receipts on the Newcastle and Frenchtown railroad for the same period, 82,983 dollars; joint gross receipts, 469,857 dollars. The largest receipts for passengers, 38,370 dollars, were in the month of May; the largest receipts for freight, 7293 dollars, were in the month of February. The largest gross receipts, in 1841, were 603,868 dollars, being an increase of 134,010 dollars over 1842. Expenses in 1841, 342,940 dollars; expenses in 1842, 239,965 dollars. Decrease in net revenue in 1842, 31,080 dollars. The saving in expense for the last year is a very important matter, and speaks well for the management of the road. VIRGINIA. The Dismal Swamp canal connects Chesapeake bay with Albemarle sound, extending from Deep creek to Joyce's creek, twenty-three miles, at a cost of 879,864 dollars. It has branches of eleven miles. The Alexandria canal extends seven miles and a quarter from Georgetown to Alexandria. The James river and Kanawha canal extend 175 miles, from Richmond to Buchanan. The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac railroad extends seventy-five miles, to Aquia creek. Louisa branch, twenty-five miles from Richmond, proceeds forty-nine miles, to Gordonsville. Richmond and Petersburg railroad, from |
