REPORT OF THE ENGINEER,
UPON THE
PRELIMINARY SURVEYS
FOR THE
HARTFORD AND NEW-HAVEN
R.AIL-ROAD.
/
REPORT OF THE ENGINEER,
UPON THE
i
PRELIMINARY SURVEYS
FOR THE
HARTFORD AND NEW-HAVEN
RAIL-R'OAD.
NEW-HAVEN:
PRINTED BY J. PECK.
1835.
New-Haven, July 13, 1835.
A meeting of the committee appointed June 22, 1835, was held at the
office of Nathan Smith, Esq., to hear the report of the Engineer.
Present, James Brewster and John S. Mitchell.
Voted, That the Report on the subject of the survey and estimates
for the Hartford and New-Haven Rail-Road, by Alexander C.
Twining, Esq., be accepted ; and that eight hundred copies be print¬
ed without delay, for distribution.
ALEX'R HARRISON, Secretary.
REPORT, &c.
jTo Messrs. James Brewster, John Babcock, John S. Mitchell,
Joel Root, Alexander Harrison, Obadiah Pease, Richard
Hubbard, and Elisha A. Cowles :
Gentlemen,—
The survey from New-Haven to Hartford, which I was request¬
ed by you to undertake, with reference to the construction of a
rail-road between the two cities, was commenced by me at New-
Haven on the 8th of May last, and finished on the 12th of June.
In the course of the five weeks intervening between those dates,
various lines were surveyed, which amount in their aggregate dis¬
tance to sixty-five miles; being almost two entire routes from city
to city. The field operations have been conducted personally by
myself, assisted at the level by Mr. Henry A. Dodge,—a young
gentleman with whose faithfulness and qualifications some of you
are already acquainted. For an eye view of these operations, I
ask your attention to the map herewith presented; upon which I
have traced the course of each instrumental exploration, and have
laid down, in their proper situation, the features of the neighbor¬
ing country ; aiming at accuracy, however, as to the last, only in
the case of those hills, streams, he., which come into near proxi¬
mity to the paths of the proposed routes.
The question of a proper location of this road presents, when
looked at in its widest extent, three distinct tracts of country, as
the subjects of examination. The most eastern tract, embracing
the city of Middletown, upon the Connecticut river, is separated
from the district in which New-Haven lies, by interposed high¬
lands ; and is contained, throughout its northern extension, between
the Connecticut river and the north and south ridges, which, be¬
ginning at the quarries of Rocky-Hill, just south of Hartford, com¬
prehend, in a series of parallel ranges, the mountains of Newing-
4
ton, Meriden and Middletown, and make down to the Long Island
Sound, a few miles east of New-Haven harbor. F rom the ob¬
servations which I have made upon this district of country, both
now and at a former time, with an express view to the route of
this rail-road, and also from facts and opinions communicated to me
by individuals who are intimate with this whole region, I infer
without a doubt, that the interposed ridges can be passed with fa¬
cility through either of two or three openings between New-Haven
and Middletown.* North of Middletown, however, it is evident to
the sight, that no route to Hartford exists, possessing even mode¬
rate facilities, except in a circuit along the banks and shores of the
Connecticut river. If ever, therefore, the Middletown route shall
be taken into serious contemplation, it must be upon other grounds
than those of a direct line and a judicious topographical location.
The important considerations of another kind, which might be ur¬
ged in favor of this route, will doubtless receive their due wTeight
hereafter, in the decision of the ultimate location.
Of the three districts of country already spoken of, as embra¬
ced in the general question, the most western lies on the South-
ington side of that mountainous northern range, which begins near
New-Haven, in the eminence called East-Rock, and comprehends,
in its northern progress, Mount Carmel, the Hanging Hills, the
Farmington and the Talcott mountains. A rail-road to Hartford,
through this district, might coincide in general, for the first twenty-
five miles, with the route of the Farmington canal,—might pass
through the notch of the Farmington mountain directly west of
New-Britain, and proceed thence to Hartford. This route, consi¬
dered in relation to its own merits alone, and not by comparison
with any other existing route more direct, and judged of by the
known facilities of the country along the canal line,—'by the low
level and even surface offered to the eye through the New-Britain
notch, and by the apparently commodious arrangement of the fea-
*1 am particularly indebted to William C. Redfield, Esq. of New-York, for
valuable facts and suggestions respecting the topographical features of this and
other tracts which may be made available for a rail-road \ and I am equally in¬
debted to Dr. James G. Percival, whose geological researches in the Trap Basin
of Connecticut, are well known,
5
tures of the country beyond, to the immediate vicinity of Hartford,,
must be described as easy in itself, and not very indirect. If the
project, which is now somewhat discussed, of a rail-road from Hart¬
ford to the Hudson, by way of the New-Britain notch and the val¬
ley of Farmington river, were to be considered as one which will
certainly be consummated within a moderate period of time, the
new relations which would arise out of the execution of such a
project, would lend much of their interest to this western location
for the New-Haven and Hartford rail-road.
A desire was expressed by your Committee of Arrangements to
have in their hands at as early a day as possible, the necessary pre¬
liminaries to the opening of your books for subscription. For this
reason, the detailed and exact operations of the survey have been
confined to the intermediate region of the three which were known
to offer practicable routes, as being the one which presents the
most direct access to our object; although, as to the question
whether it w7ould present any thing more favorable in other re¬
spects than the Southington route, I am not now able to judge.
This district is situated between the two mountainous ranges here¬
tofore described, and includes the western limits of Wallingford,
Meriden and Berlin. It opens at the south around East-Rock, by
the valley of the Quinipiac or Wallingford river. It is traversed
midway by the valley of the Middletown Little river, which
spreads into the Berlin flats, and it is merged at Hartford in the
Connecticut river valley, along the hollow of Hog river. The dis¬
trict has, therefore, two summits, which turn to the north and to
the south the flow of the country streams,—the one summit being
interposed between the Berlin flats and the Quinipiac river, and
the other.summit being the highest land in the Green swamp,
north of those flats, and interposed between those streams which
tend towards Middletown and those which tend towards Hartford.
After all that was done in this field of our actual operations, there
remain, for small portions of the general route, certain localities
that may ultimately claim a particular examination,—which the
time did not admit of, for the present. A glance at the map will
give you a bird's eye view of this intermediate region, and of the
operations in it.
6
For the arbitrary zero to which all the elevations of the survey
are to be referred, I took the average high-water mark at New-
Haven, as nearly as it could be ascertained by the tide-marks upon
the sea-wall at the foot of East-street. The commencement of
the grading is supposed to take place at the average elevation of
East-street, which is twelve feet above the tide, and to accommo¬
date itself, as it leaves the city, to the imperceptible ascent of that
street,—rising at an inclination of six feet to the mile, as far as the
open field beyond Barnsville; where the grade begins to dip be¬
neath the soil, and at the same time assumes, for half a mile, an
upward inclination of thirty feet to the mile, and bends, mean¬
while, to the east, on a radius of twenty-five hundred feet, to avoid
the extreme parts of East-Rock, and pass the high ground at its
eastern base. By this bend we cross the Mill river marsh a little
south of Neck bridge, encountering the necessity of a high em¬
bankment on the marsh, and of a deep cut beyond, around the
mountain. This line will strike into the Middletown turnpike just
opposite the rock; and turning again to the left,behind the moun¬
tain, will be located immediately back of Major Atwater's dwel¬
ling, and along the west margin of the extensive salt marsh, which
forms there the flats of the Quinipiac or Wallingford river. It is
important at this stage of the report to remark, that these field ope¬
rations, the end of which was to explore and to estimate, without
finally locating, give no intimation respecting the best mode of ap¬
proach to the city and harbor. That question, (except in the par¬
ticulars laid down in the charter,) remains of course unaffected by
any thing which has been done as yet in any quarter. The par¬
ticular line which has been followed, is, in my opinion, not the best
in some respects, while in other respects it is the best mode of in¬
troducing the road into New-Haven. Among the most favorable
lines of entrance which might be chosen, this is one ; and it forms,
I suppose, the most northern crossing of Mill river which can be
considered advisable.
A direct route from behind Major Atwater's, would lie across
the salt marsh; but the deviation westward, which will suffice to
throw us clear of the expensive construction upon such abase, is so
slight, as to determine the line to the margin of the marsh. Simi-
7
lar considerations, as to expense, seem to put the idea of crossing
over to the east side of the marsh, near the Middletown causeway,
out of the question. The nearest favorable spot for crossing the
Quinipiac, (if any crossing be desirable before we come into the
borders of Meriden,) will be at North-Haven; up to which place
the road will proceed upon favorable ground, and with a low grade.
The sandy plains of North-Haven and Wallingford, on the east
side of the Quinipiac, present to the eye a surface so inviting, both
for its evenness, and the light character of the material which
is to be excavated,—offering besides, the opportunity of long
straight lines and an almost entire absence of curvature,—that our
first essay naturally was, to cross the river, and make trial of those
plains. After the crossing, (which may take place a quarter of a
mile down stream from the North-Haven bridge, by means of a
heavy embankment at the hither side, and a viaduct of one hun¬
dred and fifty feet in length,) our grade for two miles, to gain
and continue at the elevation of the plains, must rise at the
rate first of 13 J, and next of 26§ feet to the mile. Upon those
plains the surface is found by the level to be more undulating than
it appears to the eye. They are in some places encroached upon
by the valley of the Quinipiac, which indents them with deep
bays, that compel the line to keep far away from the stream ;
besides which, they are intersected in three instances by hol¬
lows, that require a heavy embankment. One of these is the wide
hollow of Horton's brook ; and the other two form the channels
of country streams, which appear to be nameless. The undulating
grade which the line has of necessity to assume, in order to accom¬
modate these varying levels, may perhaps be equalized, and much
expense of cutting and embankment avoided, by shifting the line
yet more westward from the river ; by which improvement in re¬
spect to grading, something must, on the other hand, be sacrificed,
as regards the directness of the route. This plain has become, in
many parts, the depository of a drifting sand, which every high wind
raises in clouds; and along these parts, when the road shall be
made, brush must be interwoven into the fences, or some other
precaution taken, to preserve the rail from being buried or clogged
by the drifting material.
3
Nine miles above North-Haven, where the Quinipiac valley
goes off suddenly to the west, and the old colony road turns off
from the Hartford turnpike, our line comes to the foot of the high¬
lands, which put down south from Meriden village; and here
there would be no way open, except to pursue the stream in its
westward course, but for the favor of a narrow valley, which, as
we curve gently around the highlands, is met coming down from
towards Meriden, and which is separated at its higher extremity
from a second valley in the same course, leading in the opposite di¬
rection a little to the west of the village. The separating barrier
between the two valleys, is a sharp swell of sandstone rock at their
head, which goes by the name of Holt's hill, and which must be
cut through,—forty-seven feet at the deepest,—forming the most
expensive single point upon the whole route. Holt's hill stands to
the south of Meriden one mile and a quarter ; and on leaving its
northern slope, we drop into the second valley, which opens north
upon the old colony road ; and by following the general direction of
this last, we come down to the valley of the Harbor brook, near
the dwellings of Major Cowles and Dr. Hough, three-fourths of a
mile west of Meriden. Leaving the village to the east, our line
now passes for one and a half miles through a swampy valley, that
leads up to the first dividing summit; the waters on one side of
which run south to the Quinipiac, and on the other side run north
to the Middletown Little river. This summit is passed without any
extraordinary difficulty, and thus we come upon the Beaver
Ponds, or rather the flat surrounding them ;—of which flat we pass
a narrow spur, and then continue along its eastern side. At this
spot, which is but a little north of the middle distance from New-
Haven to Hartford, our grade will have attained to its highest ele¬
vation of one hundred and sixty-seven feet and nine inches above
tide, or one hundred and fifty-five feet and nine inches above the
grade of East-street. We are now distant but a mile from the lofty
Lamentation mountain, and from the base of the Hanging Hills, not
half so far; and when one looks at the loftiness and extent of these
almost contiguous eminences, as well as the mountainous features
of this whole region, it is matter of surprise, that a pass should
exist, independently of any leading stream, so low as this one,—
9
which, if disposed in one continuous and uniform slope from New-
Haven, would average but seven feet and three fourths to the
mile. It was shown, however, by subsequent examinations, that
a still lower summit may be assumed on a route farther to
the west.
A glance at the lines protracted upon the map, will discover just
abreast of North-Haven village, two, which there separate,—one
pursuing its course eastward, and the other westward of the Quini-
piac, till they unite again just north of the Beaver Ponds. The
eastern line will be immediately recognized as corresponding to
the route just described; the other corresponds to a second route,
which requires a brief notice. With a view to avoid the expen¬
sive cut at Holt's hill, and obtain a full knowledge of the facili¬
ties of the country, I returned the survey to the crossing opposite
North-Haven, and continued on my New-Haven line in the more
direct course up the Quinipiac, on its west side. At Doolittle's
mills, the high precipitous banks are avoided, without any deviation
from the general direction, by crossing and again re-crossing the
stream. Farther on, three fourths of a mile, a trap ledge puts
boldly on to the river, and will create the expense of a considera¬
ble excavation through rock, unless it may, as seems probable,
be shunned altogether, by transferring to some point above it the
re-crossing of the stream, which took place below, near the
mills. At Humiston's mills, opposite to Wallingford, the high hill
to the west creates an eastward declination from the general
course ; and at the sudden turn of the stream westward, hard by
Yalesville, and abreast of the parting point of our eastern route
from the Quinipiac banks, the line crosses the river, and runs
around the Meriden highlands, copying the great bend of the
stream, which here, for three miles, comes repeatedly across our
route, sweeping from side to side of the valley. At length, above
the auger-factory at Hanover, the Quinipiac takes a final leave of
the rail-road, which now assumes the valley of Sodom brook, a
small tributary that enters here, having come down from the sum¬
mit just south of the Beaver ponds. Three fourths of the way
up this valley, a sharp mountain ridge puts across it, and seems
at first to make a further progress hopeless, but afterwards
2
10
discloses an opening, where our line may be conducted through
without excavation, by means of a straight natural defile, along
which the brook has found its way, giving it a striking adaptation
to our route, as respects both position and elevation. Upon
leaving this defile, and after passing the dividing summit, with a
trifling cut, this line comes out, like our other, upon the Beaver
ponds.
The Beaver ponds are two collections of water, of moderate
superficial extent, but of unfathomed depth. They are sur¬
rounded by a shaking bog, which is held in a basin among the
sand hills. Originally, it is probable, the water surface occupied
the whole extent of the bog, but a vegetable growth is constantly
narrowing its limits, and shooting down to a great depth below its
surface ; so that in time the ponds will disappear, and may perhaps
be displaced through their entire bulk. Our road will cross the
shaking bog upon a part which now sustains a growth of vigor¬
ous middle aged timber, and which is capable, of course, of sus¬
taining the five foot embankment which it is proposed to put upon
it. Just north of the ponds, we gain our rail-road's highest eleva¬
tion, of one hundred and forty-five feet and nine inches above
East-street; which is ten feet lower than the corresponding eleva¬
tion upon the eastern route,—from which route we are now sepa¬
rated only by a short interval, and with which our present line
unites a little past the summit.
This western route by Sodom brook, will be longer by one third
of a mile than the route by Holt's hill, but the cost of grading
comes out, by our estimate, at ten thousand dollars less. Its
whole course, up to the dividing summit, lies along the valleys;
and its grade maintains, for the most part, a continued, and always
a gentle ascent. These favorable circumstances are however balan¬
ced by the frequent intrusions of the Quinipiac, which, besides the
necessity of often crossing the stream, make it essential, upon the
low grounds, to guard against damage or interruption by the
floods.
Our level, when turned upon the Beaver pond flat, told an ele¬
vation of one hundred and forty-eight feet above tide; and the
northern extremity, two miles further on, of what is called the
11
Old Fly,—which is in fact, but is its northern prolongation, and
along whose western margin our surveyed line was located,—shows
an elevation but seven feet less. Here the Beaver brook, which has
its fountain in the ponds, suddenly bends west, and breaks through
an opposing ridge, (which may once have set back its waters in a
lake, of which the ridge would then form the northern abutment,)
and pursuing its way thence down a narrow meadow, breaks through
a second ridge,—making a defile, into the bed of which its waters are
now dammed back for the use of a mill below. The chasm formed by
its passage through the first named ridge, lies in a manner too in¬
volved among the hills to be made available on this present route:
we therefore cut the ridge for seventy rods in length, and from ten
to twenty-seven feet in depth. A part of the excavation of this
cut has been estimated as slate rock, although the presence of such
a material is not certain. An embankment of nine feet across the
narrow meadow, will lead to the head of the mill-pond in the
second defile, and here the line will pass upon the western slope,
descending all along at the maximum allowed inclination, (or thirty
feet to the mile,) to gain the low level of the Berlin flats. Im¬
mediately on leaving the defile, our side slope fails us, and the
Berlin flat, here fifty feet below the grade, puts up boldly to the
base of the highlands. Fortunately, the line, by varying its di¬
rection to the east, may run along a ridge or back-bone which puts
off towards Brandegee's factory ; may cross the factory pond on a
bridge two hundred feet long, having piers of thirty feet high and
abutments of twenty feet; and with the farther aid of an embank¬
ment, may reach on to the side slope of the Worthington hill,
which soon becomes so gradual, as to allow a choice of elevation.
Along this slope, the line maintains its maximum rate of descent,
keeping about a quarter of a mile west of the village, till, over
against its southern extremity, it issues upon the flats, twenty-two
feet above them. The material for the embankment here re¬
quired, is to be obtained from a gravel hill, through the swell of
which our direct course leads; and when this has been accom¬
plished, our grade comes down easily upon the level of the flat, at
the low elevation of thirty-six feet above tide. A succession of
bulky excavations and embankments in these last three miles, will
make this portion of the route, as far back as the north end of
12
the 'Old Fly,' more difficult perhaps than any other equal portion
from New-Haven to Hartford. The disadvantage is, however,
compensated by the even character of the country for many miles
beyond,—first along the Berlin flats, and then in the Green
swamp, which communicates with those flats at their northern border.
After the progress of a mile upon the flat surface of the swamp, it
was thought best to interrupt the survey, and return it to the Old
Fly, for the purpose of a trial upon the opposite side of the flats.
The line which is delineated upon the map, near to Kensington,
and along the west margin of the Berlin flats, denotes the trial
which was made along that route, in the hope of a more favorable
descent on to the flats. The difficulties, however, by this route,
are very similar to those upon the Worthington side ; and the esti¬
mate of expense turns out the same, almost exactly, for both.
Finally, the Kensington route was broken off, (in consequence of
its leading on to grounds too elevated for a location,) at the spot
where the full line is ended on the map; but the dotted continua¬
tion shows, further east, a route which will doubtless lead into the
Green swamp upon ground as favorable as that of the flat in gene¬
ral. For that portion of the route, the estimate was in part con¬
jectural. The line on this western border of the Berlin flat, al¬
though a trifle more expensive than that along the Worthington
hill, appears to be shorter, by one third of a mile, or more.
But to return to the survey, which was temporarily interrupted
in the Green swamp. This swamp, it should be mentioned, is an
even and narrow district of wet land, and sometimes shallow bog,
which runs south-west and north-east, for four miles and a half,
among the highlands, to the east of New Britain, and west of
Newington. Its superficial material, for a foot or two in depth, is
generally mud, or vegetable matter, which rests on clay beneath.
In the central portion of this swamp lies the summit, dividing the
country streams which turn towards Middletown, from those which
turn towards Hartford. The elevation of this summit is sixty-eight
feet above tide. At the southern opening of the swamp, our line
would leave to the east the brook which issues from it, and a little
north of the Newington and New Britain road, would continue
upon a table land, which maintains nearly one elevation quite to
Hartford, except as intersected by the valleys of the streams.
13
After crossing the road from Newington to West Hartford, and
passing for a half mile, with a cutting of from seven to twelve feet,
a wooded tract, called ' Dirty Swamp/ we meet one of the inter¬
ruptions of the table land, at the hollow of a south-western tribu¬
tary of Hog river, which empties at Hartford. Some unusual ex¬
pense will be required for the embankment to cross this hollow ;
after which, there will be no necessity of varying the long straight
line that has led us out from the Green swamp, to make it lie in a pro¬
per course along the west bank of the Hog river. But the ground for
the three ensuing miles becomes broken, and channeled by ravines,
and the beds of certain tributaries of the Hog river,—two of which
cause, by their hollows, considerable embankments. This is a wild
and unfrequented region, abounding in sloughs, and overgrown w ith
brushwood; and something of this character it retains up to the
spot where, coming in sight of Hartford, and following the swTeep
of the Hog river, our line will bend easterly on to the slope that
lies between that river and the Asylum. The entrance by which
the city of Hartford is to be approached, remains of course as un¬
determined as the same question at New-Haven. Our present line,
entering from the west, strikes the doubling of Hog river north of
ImJey's mills, and finds its terminating station in Pearl-street, at an
elevation of forty feet above tide, and twenty feet and seven inches
below the water-table of the state-house; being also twenty-four
rods distant to the west from that building, and thirty-six miles
and fifty-one chains distant from the foot of East-street, in New-
Haven. The entire distance from the foot of East-street, to the
Hartford state-house, was thirty-six miles and fifty-seven chains ;
while that of the Hartford turnpike, between the same points, may
be called thirty-five miles and twenty-seven chains : making the
difference only one mile and three furlongs against the rail-road.
This comparison of distances applies to the route by Holt's hill
and Worthington :—the distance by way of Sodom brook, would
be one third of a mile greater; but by way of Kensington, it would
be at least one third of a mile less.
It had been originally my design, to conduct the Worthington
line up to Hartford by the way of Newington village. But by
reason of the unexpectedly low elevation of the Berlin flats, (the Lit¬
tle river being at my point of crossing only 27//* feet above tide,) it
14
became not easy to command, in the manner which had been con¬
templated, the passes of the high grounds which form Richards's
hill and its continuations; and this was the occasion of our line's
being pushed off into the Green swamp, with that western devia¬
tion which that line exhibits, as traced upon the map. But it was
thought advisable, before bringing to a close the field operations,
to attempt those passes again, by an examination carried back from
Hartford towards Newington. The result proves this region, up
to the base of Richards's hill, to be susceptible of a direct and
moderately expensive location; but, at the spot aforementioned,
we encounter swells and ridges of an uncertain constitution, which
must be leveled with great labor; and afterwards the flat must
be embanked in the direction of the dotted line upon the map,
—which has been produced to show the supposed southern
continuation of the Newington route, to unite with the line that
comes upward from Worthington village. The cut will here, for
half a mile, be about twenty-seven feet in depth; and there is an
uncertainty respecting the quality of the material deep beneath the
surface. If, (as seems to be probable,) no rock should be found on
examination to be present, this route by the way of Newington,
will stand in fair competition w7ith the route by the way of the Green
swamp, on account of its greater directness. In the present un¬
certainty as to the material of which Richards's hill is composed, no
estimate of this route would throw much light upon the general
objects of the survey, and none has been made. Breaking off at
Richards's hill, the survey wTas now turned eastward through the
valley of a brook, which discharges its water into the Green swamp,
and was closed upon our line and bench at Sta.740 in the swamp;
—with which measure of verification, the field operations were
brought to a close, on the twelfth of June.
We have now before us all the data necessary for an accurate
judgment respecting the character and expensiveness of a rail-road
route by the way of Meriden and Berlin. For this purpose, it is
immaterial which route, or what combination of the partial routes
that were surveyed and found practicable, shall be made the
basis of our judgment and estimates;—so nearly balanced are
they in the aggregate of their respective advantages. The route
which has been described as crossing the Quinipiac,—cutting
15
through Holt's hill,—passing by Worthington village, and'through
the Green swamp, is rather the most expensive, and not the least
direct of the several combinations. It will therefore be a safe,
and, I think, a judicious basis for all our computations and con¬
clusions.
The following table has been arranged with reference to this
last mentioned route by Holt's hill, by throwing together all the
excavations of a similar depth, and all the embankments of a simi¬
lar height, in such a way, as to give a correct and ready view, both
of the extent and depth of cutting and filling, and their relative
proportion to each other upon the entire route.
Upon this plan, there will be of excavation and embankment:
Excavat'n
2 ft. deep
6.30 miles
Embank't
2 ft. high
9.50 miles.
do.
6 " "
9.11 "
do.
6 " "
5.70 "
do.
12 " "
2.69 "
do.
15 " "
2.58 «
do.
24" "
.30 «
do.
25 " "
.32 "
Entire length of excavation,
do. do. of embankment,
do. . do. of bridges,
18.40 miles.
18.10 "
.14
(C
Entire length of route, - - 36.64 miles.
The excavation will be sand, gravel and clay, in a nearly
equal proportion, with a considerable amount of ditching and wet
digging in mud and vegetable matter. The amount of rock is es¬
timated at 83,988 cubic yards,—mostly solid rock, and that chiefly
red sand-stone and slate.
The table following is arranged in such a manner, as to exhibit
the entire extent of the inclinations of the same degree throughout
the whole route. It will be noticed, that the steepest inclinations
are but thirty feet to the mile.
Ascending
to the north.
Inclination to the
mile.
Descending
to the north.
lExtentof similar
j inclinations.
Level,
9 feet and under
13J feet
261 feet
30 feet
13.16 miles.
6.57 "
3.23 "
5.14 "
8.54 "
5.82 miles
2.18 "
2.78 "
3.70 "
0.75 miles
1.05 "
2.36 «
4.84 "
14.48 miles ascend'g. | descend'g 9.00 miles.
36.64 miles total.
16
About twenty miles of the route is disposed in straight lines.
The remaining sixteen miles and two thirds consists of curves,
which may be turned on radii of from five thousand to twenty
thousand feet; except at the entrance of the two cities, where
curves of about twenty-five hundred feet would probably be ex¬
pedient.
For the convenience of statement, the line will be disposed into
sections, that will be estimated each by itself; and these separate
estimates will be brought together, to make the general result. In
all the sections, I suppose the road to be thirty feet wide at the
level of the grade, (but to provide for contingencies, the calcula¬
tions are in fact made for a width of thirty-five feet.) A single
track only is supposed to be at first employed. The masonry is to
be generally dry work, at $1,50 the perch of twenty-five feet;
but at $3,00 the perch, when mortared, or dressed with particular
care, to joints and beds. The bridges are supposed to be a simple
truss-work, or string-pieces, braced from beneath, and sustained by
abutments, and sometimes piers of masonry.
This commences at the foot of East-street, passes the embank¬
ment and bridge at Mill river, and the deep cut at the base of East-
Rock, and ends near the margin of the salt-marsh, three miles
from New-Haven. Excavation is sand and gravel; the principal
body to be transported a half mile by a temporary rail-way, to form
the embankment at the Mill river.
Grading East-street, past Barnsville, - $3,876.50
Embankment at Mill river, and excavation opposite
East-Rock, ------ 18,500.00
Bridge across Mill river, (foundations to be piled,) - 8,174.00
ESTIMATE OF GRADING
NEW-HAVEN SECTION.
Road bridge for Middletown turnpike, -
One mile light excavation and embankment
Three crossings for farms, -
Grubbing and clearing, -
556.00
2,086.19
325.00
75.00
Cost of New-Haven Section, 3 miles, - $33,592.69
17
QUINIPIAC SECTION.
This proceeds with a low grade, along easy ground, to the cross¬
ing of the Quinipiac, a little south of North-Haven bridge ; then
upon the sandy plains east of that stream, as far north as to the
bend of the river and the foot of the high grounds of Meriden, six¬
teen miles from New-Haven.
Excavation and embankment, thirteen miles, - $49,595.38
Ditching salt marsh and wet ground, 60 chains, - 1,200.00
Changing North-Haven road 420 rods, - - 1,050.00
Bridge at crossing of Quinipiac, 150 feet long, - 2,116.00
Six bridges and two crossings for public roads, - 3,674.00
Thirteen crossings for farms, - 750.00
Culvert, ten feet span, for Horton's brook, - - 1,500.00
Culvert for brook opposite Yalesville, - - 1,500.00
Ten small culverts, - - - - - 2,650.00
Grubbing and clearing, , - - - - - 200,00
Cost of Quinipiac Section, 13 miles, - $64,235.38.
MERIDEN SECTION.
This turns from the river into the valley leading to Holt's hill,—
cuts through the hill,—passes along much swTampy ground to the
first dividing summit, and then along the east of the Beaver ponds,
ending to the north of these, nearly opposite the turnpike-gate,
and twenty-one miles from New-Haven.
Excavation of Holt's hill, 48 chains, viz :
Wet earth 33,088 cubic yds. at 20 cts. $6,617.60
Red rock 32,648 " 60 " 19,588.80
Excavation at summit, 36 chains, viz.
Earth 10,028 cubic yards, at 12 cts. $1,203.36
Loose rock 9,000 " 25 " 2,250.00
Solid rock 9,000 " 60 " 5,400.00
$26,206.40
8,853.36
Excavation and embankment, 3 miles 76 chains, 26,885.40
Harbor brook culvert at Meriden, ten feet, - 1,500.00
Amount carried forward, $63,445.16
3
18
Amount brought forward, $63,445.16
Culvert for brook from summit, - 750.00
Three small culverts, ----- 600.00
Ditching wet ground, 88 chains, - 1,584.00
Changing road near Meriden, 50 rods, - - 75,00
Two road bridges and one crossing, - 1,450.00
Five farm crossings, ----- 500.00
Grubbing and clearing, ----- 350.00
Cost of Meriden Section, 5 miles, - $68,754.16
t
BERLIN SECTION.
This runs along the west margin of the 'Old Fly,' till it cuts
through the ridge at its northern outlet; it then passes the defile
in the next ridge,— crosses Brandegee's pond on to the Worthing-
ton hill, and descends to the Berlin flats, which it pursues to their
northern border, and terminates at the southern opening of the
Green swamp. Length six miles.
Embankment along the c Old Fly,' six feet high for
87 chains, with ditching and clearing, - - $11,564.80
Two culverts for Beaver brook, - 1,500.00
Excavation through two ridges, and embankment
>
across meadow, &c., to factory pond, - - 12,541.14
Rock in do. 14,600 cubic yards, - 8,300.00
Bridge 200 feet, across factory pond, - 7,200.00
Culvert for Beaver brook, ----- 1,000.00
Embankment and excavation on Worthington side-
slope, one mile and a quarter, - - - - 8,388.81
Embankment on flat 14 feet high, 33 chains long, 10,118.88
Excavation and embankment on flat, 1 mile 73 chains, 3,850.00
A bridge and two culverts for streams, - - 1,850.00
Bridge and two crossings, ----- 1,000.00
Three farm crossings, 300.00
Grubbing and clearing, ----- 125.00
Cost of Berlin Section, 6 miles, - $67,738.63
19
GREEN SWAMP SECTION.
This extends through the swamp by a low embankment, with
wide and deep ditches on each side. It passes on to the table land,
cuts through ' Dirty swamp,' and terminates near the brick-yards,
on the other side of the gully which is made by a south-western
branch of the Hog river. The soil is all clay. Length six miles.
Excavation and embankment in swamp, 3 miles 57
chains, §10,143.95
Ditches, - - 3,645.00
Culvert, ten feet, for Green swamp brook, - - 1,500.00
Bridge for New-Britain road, also one crossing, - 650.00
Two farm crossings, ----- 200.00
Excavation and embankment, 1 mile 76 chains, - 14,051.44
Embankment across gully of Little river, - - 7,856.64
Bridge for old road to Farmington and Hartford, - 1,050.00
Culvert for branch of Little river, - - - 2,500.00
I
Grubbing and clearing, ----- 275.00
Cost of Green swamp Section, 6 miles, - §41,872.03
HARTFORD SECTION.
This courses along the broken ground west of the Hog river,
and enters Hartford from the west, passing between the Asylum
and the Hog river, and north of Imley's mills, into Pearl-street.
Length three miles and fifty-one chains. Soil all clay, and grub¬
bing considerable.
Excavation and embankment to doubling of Hog
river, 3J miles, ----- §29,067.77
Rock near Hartford, 18,740 cubic yards, - - 9,370.00
Embankment by Imley's mills, 18 feet high, 30 chains
long, 12,276.00
One culvert $1000, and seven small do. $250 each, 2,750.00
Four crossings, ------ 400.00
Bridge across north-west branch of Hog river, 100 ft. 3,592.00
Two bridges across doublings of Hog river, 75 ft. each, 10,068.00
Grubbing and clearing, ----- 350.00
Cost of Hartford Section, 3 miles 51 chains, - $67,873.77
20
RECAPITULATION.
New-Haven Section, 3 miles, -
- $33,592.69
Quinipiac do. 13 "
64,235.38
Meriden do. 5 "
68,754.16
Berlin do. 6 "
67,738.63
Green swamp do. 6 "
41,872.03
Hartford do. 3.64 "
67,873.77
36.64
$344,066.66
Cost of grading by Holt's hill, 36.64 miles, $344,066.66, being
per mile $9,390.47.
It may be observed, in passing, that, by the estimates which
have been made of the other routes, but which need not be given
in detail, the results upon those other routes would vary from the
above as follows:
Cost of grading by Sodom brook, 36.95 miles, - $333,998.33
Do. do. Kensington, say 36.31 " - 344,338.84
SUPERSTRUCTURE.
Upon the road, when graded, there may be laid, (if in the end
such a construction shall be deemed advisable,) a wooden superstruc¬
ture, with a flat iron rail, at an expense of about $4000 to the
mile. But the policy of adopting such a structure, appears to me
at present, very questionable, both from considerations of economy,
arising out of the cost and inconvenience of repairs upon a
perishable structure, and from considerations drawn from the rela¬
tion in which this road will stand to other lines of communication.
It can hardly be doubted, that this road, (in addition to its con¬
templated extension to Springfield,) will, after being made, be
speedily extended to Worcester. It will in that case connect with
the Boston and Worcester rail-road, forming with it one line of
communication ; and it would seem to be desirable, that the
structure of this should not be exceeded in permanent excellence,
by the structure of that. Besides, this whole route is to come into
competition with other thoroughfares from New-York to Boston,
—the most prominent of which will be the Boston and Providence
rail-road. When we consider the excellent navigation by steam¬
boats, which is open at all seasons from New-York to New-Haven,
and the inducements to travelers which are offered by the cities of
21 •
t
New-Haven and Hartford, and the town of Worcester, it appears
reasonable to expect, that the high advantages of this route will
make it, to a greater degree than any other that can be selected,
the rival route to the Boston and Providence rail-road, (the great
amount of whose destined business would soon secure it rivals in
any event.) Under an expectation of this sort, it would be short¬
sighted to calculate for any thing less than a superstructure of a
very substantial and excellent kind; and it would be, to say the
least, unsafe, in our early operations, to incur the hazard of tram¬
meling the future directors of this work, by estimating now on the
idea of a cheap but perishable structure, when there is a prospect,
that they may wish to adopt a durable but more expensive one.
I am decided, therefore, as to the propriety of making an imper¬
ishable construction the basis of these present estimates.
Among the superstructures of this character which have been
either proposed or adopted, I prefer the one which has been ar¬
ranged for the Brooklyn and Jamaica rail-road, by Major D. B.
Douglass, the Engineer. As a rail-way, it has many features in
common with certain ways already laid, and in actual use; but it
has other features peculiar to itself. I give preference to this, because
it is at once very substantial and durable, and of moderate cost;
and is at the same time better fitted, (as I judge,) to avoid unequal
and permanent displacement by frost, than either the wooden
frame, or the cross sleepers bearing upon longitudinal trenches of
broken stone,—unless with additional and expensive transverse
trenches. The bearing of this rail-way is to be upon stone slabs of
twenty inches square, or an equivalent surface, and from three and
a half inches, to four and a half inches in thickness. These slabs
are to be embedded in the sand,—one in each linear yard, for the
whole extent, under both rails. Upon the two corresponding slabs of
each yard, there will come down a transverse sleeper of red cedar,
five inches square, and seven feet long. This sleeper is to re¬
ceive upon it at each end, directly above the central bearing on
the slab, a cast iron chair set into it, and secured by wood screws;
which chair becomes, together with its fellows, the bed of a
rolled iron edge-rail, of 40 lbs. to the yard, which must be suit¬
ably secured in its place by keys. The whole body of transverse
sleepers, being thus three feet apart, are to be bound together by
22
two parallel pieces of scantling, spiked on longitudinally,—one
on each side of the center; and these will also be a lateral support
to the gravel which is to form the horse-path. The following will
be the cost of one linear yard of a superstructure of this kind.
Two slabs dressed, 65 cents.
cc
CC
cc
One sleeper notched, 55
Two chairs, 13 lbs. each, - - 44
Four wood screws, 9
Two yards of rail, 80 lbs., - 1.79 "
Two keys and gibbs, 3
Scantling, ----- 18
Four spikes for do., 4
Setting two chairs, 8
Putting down work, 25
cc
CC
cc
cc
cc
$4.10 cents.
Cost by the yard, $4.10 cents ; or by the mile, - $7,216.C
Say for a horse-path and contingencies, - - 284.C
Cost per mile in round numbers, $7,500
ESTIMATE FOR THE FINISHED RAIL-ROAD.
For grading 36.64 miles for double track, - - $344,066.66
For one track laid, at $7,500 per mile, - - 274,800.00
Turnouts, ------ 16,000.00
Fencing 25 miles at $720; and damages, - - 40,000.00
Four locomotives and tenders, at
$6,500, - - - - $26,000.00
Twenty passenger carriages, at $850, 17,000.00
Thirty burden cars, " 350, 10,500.00
53,500.00
Two depots, - $15,000.00
A carriage-house, - 7,500.00
Engine-house and shop, - - 5,000.00
Two watering stations, - - 2,500.00
30,000.00'
Contingencies, ------ 30,000.00
Engineering and superintendence, - - - 30,000.00
Cost of 36.64 miles of rail-road, being per ) ^ f818 366 66
mile, #22,335.33, > ' '
23
It will undoubtedly be necessary to form a direct connection
with the steam-boats to New-York, and if the expense of this be
added, (as it ought to be.) the entire cost of the rail-road, when
ready for operation, may be stated at $830,000,—an estimate which
of course applies only to the main road, with a single track. If
the company shall ever choose to construct branches, or to lay, in
whole or in part, a double track, those additions will have their
appropriate estimate, at such time as they shall be determined on.
The sum, gentlemen, which has just been stated, may exceed,
I am aware, your anticipations; and it must be admitted, that
when we consider the generally favorable conditions of soil and lo¬
cation, under which the work is to be executed, the estimate bears
the appearance of a large one. But, as it has been your desire to
be acquainted with the exact truth, so it has been my aim to put
you fully in possession of it; and I am desirous to have it understood,
that, in making up this amount, I have kept in view the notorious
fact, that the estimates of cost which have been made at the outset
of almost every considerable undertaking of this kind in the United
States, have been proved by the result to be far too low; and that I
have intended to adjust the standard of this estimate so high, that
the final cost of your work may not, if judiciously managed, exceed
the original expectations of the stockholders. And here I would
recall to your notice the general conditions of the work, to which
the amount above estimated is intended to apply.
The road is supposed to be put in preparation for a double
track, and a single one to be laid. The prepared surface is to
have a breadth of thirty feet at the level of the grade; but to pro¬
vide for the contingencies that may arise in this department, the
computations have been made throughout, in all excavations, em¬
bankments, rock, bridges and culverts, for a breadth of thirty-five
feet; and no advantage has been taken of the sometimes admissi¬
ble economy of narrowing, for the present, the dimensions of deep
cuts and high embankments. These principles of computation
have doubtless latitude enough : let us look next at the conditions
under which the execution of the work is to take place.
At this part of the review, we find, that the line, running in
the direction of the ridges, will have to encounter few very un-
tractable districts of country;—that the excavation for one half of the
24
route is of the very easiest kind, and for the other half only of
ordinary difficulty;—that no one very expensive bridge, or other
structure, need be counted upon;—that the workmanship of such
incidental structures as are to be made, is supposed to be only so ex¬
pensive in kind, as to insure a substantial and neat performance;
and that the plan of the rail-way, while abundantly strong and du¬
rable, is yet one of moderate cost. Such are the grounds upon
which I hold the belief, that, unless a second track, in whole or in
part, should be added, or branches be extended out from the main
body of the road, (which, if resolved upon, must have their own
estimate,) this sum of $830,000 will complete the rail-road, and
put it in successful operation.
ANNUAL EXPENDITURE.
The expenses of repairs for the road and engines, and all con¬
tingent outlays for operations of this kind, are easily calculated
from data derived from different roads in this country, that are in
actual use. The annual expense of repairs may be taken at
$4,000.
The annual expense of transportation of burdens, such as cot¬
ton, manufactured articles, etc., would vary with the amount of
this transportation, and the number of trips by the day which
would be made. For the quantity of tonnage with which this road
would open, we may consider the cost of transporting a ton from
city to city, including fuel, oil, repairs and attendance, at fifty
cents the ton. For the number of passengers with which the
road would open, there must be two trips and two return trips
each day, which, at $15 the trip for 313 days, being the entire
year, except Sundays, would make for the year, (including fuel,
oil, repairs of engine and train, engine-man and all attendance,)
$18,780. The salaries of superintendent and clerks may be put
at $4,000. Supposing, therefore, the road to open with a business
(in addition to the passage trips) that would be done by a single
trip and return trip of a train of burden-cars, carrying from twenty
to thirty tons to each trip, and the same to each return trip, the
entire annual outlay upon the rail-road would be from $33,000
to $34,000.
25
RESOURCES OF THE RAIL-ROAD.
The amount of income which the holders of stock in this rail¬
road may fairly count upon, is fixed, for the greater part of it, by
ascertained facts; and for the rest, it must be matter, to some
extent, of judgment. After carefully collating the supplies of
revenue which will certainly fall into the channel of this road,
and drawing cautiously upon those other currents of travel and
transportation which will be within its influence, but which can
fairly be counted upon only in part, I find, as the result of my own
private judgment, an aggregate of annual receipts, which, after
canceling the expenditures, will yield at once a fair return of in¬
terest to the stockholders. But, as this is a subject upon which
every man, after having the facts before him, must be his own
judge, I shall throw together, in a concise statement, the materials
for forming a judgment, that are in my possession. Let me re¬
mark, however, that, if it were important for me to put down in
figures my own private view of the subject, I should be far from
copying after those romantic visions of per centage, in which half
the projectors of useful public works throughout the world, have
indulged at the outset, and which have led almost of course to ex¬
tensive disappointment. A judicious consideration of the subject
would undoubtedly make it appear, that (except in the case of
some great thoroughfares, that may be able to keep entirely aloof from
competition,) the body of judicious rail-roads cannot, in respect of
profit, range at once far above the business level of the country.
But there are three considerations, which make this species of in¬
vestment more desirable than an ordinary outlay. These are to be
found in the security, the permanence, and the increasing profit, of
such an investment.—The estimation in which capitalists hold any
investment that is both secure and permanent, even though it should
yield but a moderate rate of interest, is manifest in the high customa¬
ry premium upon five per cent, government stocks; and while in both
these particulars, a profitable rail-road stock is not inferior to a
government stock, it has, in its increasing rate of interest, an ele¬
ment of value peculiar to itself.
The opinion which I have already expressed, respecting the
intrinsic value of this particular rail-road, as a source of profit, rests
4
26
upon facts which I shall now state, together with the sources, in
general, from which these facts were derived.
Mr. John Babcock, general agent and proprietor of the stage-
lines from Hartford to New-Haven, states, (as the result of actual
investigation from the books,) that there has been received an¬
nually, for the past five years, $35,000 on an average; of
which sum, $5,000 was for mails. The price of passage has
been $1,50, to those coming by steam-boat from New-York, who
form the body of the passengers ; but to those who have ta¬
ken the stage at the cities, $2,00. The number of passengers
has therefore been 18,000 per annum; and this number corres¬
ponds with Mr. Babcock's estimate. In addition to the receipts
from this source, a part of the mail-money,—say $3,000,—is to
be counted on for the rail-road. Also, there will be probably
2,000 of the local passengers, who now go between Hartford and
New-Haven, or the intermediate towns, by private conveyance,
that would, upon the construction of this work, prefer the latter.
A principal agent of the steam-boat lines at Hartford, who
knows the exact truth upon this subject, being applied to for in¬
formation, has stated the amount of passage-money taken on board
the Hartford boats, at $90,000 per annum; and he estimates the
number of passengers at 30,000 annually. This estimate is
thought by others, in the same line of business, to be low; indeed,
if we judge from the full fare to New-York, which is $3,00, that
number must exclude, in part, those who, being way-passengers,
and stopping at different places upon the river, are not to be
counted upon in an estimate for the rail-road.
The present number of passengers from New-York to Provi¬
dence, is known to be estimated at 50,000 annually. Aside from
the interposition of rail-roads, to vary the natural channels of in¬
tercourse, this route to Boston by Providence, has been vastly su¬
perior to every other; and has taken, of course, nearly the whole
long travel between the two great cities. But it is obvious, that
if any other route had existed, possessing the same natural induce¬
ments, it would certainly have drawn to itself one half of the travel.
If the distance from New-York to Boston is as great as it is gene¬
rally taken to be, there would be, when the Hartford and New-
27
Haven communication shall be opened to Worcester, (an event
which, I cannot doubt, will speedily find its accomplishment,—a
charter for this rail-road, as well as the Springfield road, having been
already obtained to the north line of Connecticut,) a decided dif¬
ference of distance in favor of the route by Hartford. But I pre¬
sume that distance to be over-stated, and the difference to be, in
fact, trifling; so that the times of arrival, by the way of Provi¬
dence, or of Hartford, will be nearly balanced. But the opening
of this new route, equally advantageous with the former, will ne¬
cessarily divide the travel, though in what ratio it is difficult to
determine.
Besides these currents of travel, there is a great amount of pass¬
ing to New-York from the north parts of Connecticut, and the
south parts of Massachusetts, by the way of the Hudson river,
No one can make even an approximate estimate of the amount
which will be diverted by this rail-road. When I placed it at
2,000 passengers, it was taking but one fifth of the estimate made
by others, who are as well-informed upon the subject as I am*
If, on a review of the foregoing facts, any one shall have fixed
his mind upon any specific amount of travel with which the
Hartford and New-Haven rail-road would open at once, or any
specific amount, including what would be drawn to it from other
channels, as soon as the contemplated extension to Worcester
shall take place; let him also consider, that his supposed number
of passengers has been deduced only from the currents of travel
now existing; and that the natural increase of activity in a region
which is traversed by newly opened lines of communication, and
in the country at large, may justify a greatly enlarged estimate of
that number, as applying to the state of things that will exist in a
few years to come. To fortify this view, let him cast an eye at
the projected rail-roads which will center at Hartford. First,
there will be the Bolton road, which will connect, probably, with
the Norwich and Willimantic rail-road,—then there will be the
rail-road to Worcester, and that to Springfield. The rail-road
which is shown by the map, making off towards the Hudson river,
may be considered by many a project too distant to be taken into
notice here; but a petition for such a grant is even now pending,
28
and the same connection will certainly be made through Spring¬
field before a distant day. Of these four lines of communication,
the Hartford and New-Haven rail-road will be the trunk; and,
through the Springfield communication, (which will certainly not
terminate at the town last named,) will hereafter extend its arms
into the higher parts of the Connecticut valley.
In addition to the foregoing sources of revenue, I judge from the
facts before me, that the transportation of burdens upon this road
will, at its first opening, be sufficient to employ at least one train of
burden-cars each day, in a trip going and returning, carrying from
20 to 30 tons each way. But of this amount, and of its probable
increase, some estimate may be formed from the facts which I now
present.
I have received, from Elisha A. Cowles, Esq., of Meriden, a
statement of the amount of transportation to Hartford and Middle-
town, from the villages of New-Britain, Worthington, Meriden and
Wallingford, which lie on the route. This was compiled by means
of a personal application to each individual named in the list. The
amount is more than 7,000 tons, now transported at an expense of
$18,000. Of this amount, 2,000 tons would not pass upon the
road, except in the event of a particular location, which, though
as probable as any other, is not certain. I have deducted -the
2000 tons, and call the remainder equal to 3000 tons taken
through.
The amount of transportation between Hartford and New-Ha¬
ven, during the past winter, has been ascertained from the team¬
sters to have been 3,000 tons, and the expense $18,000.
The Connecticut river is closed for four months in the year;
and during that period, this rail-road will take its place for the
whole transportation ; and during the remaining eight months, for
a part. What the entire tonnage of the river is, has not been di¬
rectly ascertained ; but some light is thrown upon the subject, by
the journal of the " Convention held at Windsor, Vermont, Sept.
29th and 30th, 1830, for the purpose of taking into consideration,
subjects connected with the improvement of the navigation of
Connecticut river." In the report of a committee of that conven¬
tion, I find, under the head of annual exports from the Connccti-
29
cut river valley, the following estimated items:—Beef, 10,181
tons ; pork, lard, ham and bacon, 10,395 tons ; butter and cheese,
8,050 tons ; wool, about 800 tons ; besides a considerable amount
of other products. The imports are put, in the same estimate, at
25,000 tons. The aggregate of imports and exports in 1830, was,
according to this authority, 54,426 tons, besides great quantities
of lumber not here included. If these estimates are correct, it is
probable, that there now comes into or passes Hartford, of both
imports and exports, 30,000 tons annually, supposing an equal
amount taken off eastward by other channels.
Besides its portion of the foregoing transportation, this rail-road
would do a large business in winter, and a considerable business in
summer, in supplying raw material to the large and numerous ma¬
nufactories in Connecticut and Massachusetts, towards which it will
lead, and returning to market the manufactured article. There
are now at Springfield, and in the region around it, about 60,000
spindles in operation ;* and these, I should judge, (as 28,000 of the
number are stated to consume 8,000 bales of cotton,) must create
a transportation, to and fro, of six or seven thousand tons; and
probably this same region, when its power shall be fully taken up,
will transport five times, or perhaps even ten times, its present
amount. A large amount of the cotton to feed these establish¬
ments, would pass on your rail-road,—as the new crop does not
come in till the river is about closing.
It was stated by the witnesses who testified before a committee
of the Connecticut Legislature, at its last session, that the manu¬
factories upon the Hocanum and Tankaroson, near Hartford, now
transport from Hartford 10,000 tons of raw material, and return
it in manufactured articles ;—that on the route to Worcester, there
are, within the bounds of Connecticut, eight factories, besides pa¬
per-mills, furnaces, and cupolas; and that out of Connecticut,
there are, on the same route, in four or five towns, forty-five
manufactories, both cotton and woolen, with an average business
of $100,000 annually. Their raw material is now received by
way of Providence and of Boston, and their manufactured arti-
* The number of spindles here stated, is more than half the number in opera¬
tion at Lowell, Mass.
30
tides returned to a southern market by the same route; but if an
opening to New-Haven were created, this tonnage would fall into
that new channel, both because its market is south, (at New-York
and Philadelphia,) and because the saving of insurance from Bos¬
ton to those cities, would pay a large proportion of the entire
freight to New-Haven.
When, from the foregoing facts, a just estimate shall be formed"
respecting the business to be done at once upon this rail-road, it
will still need to be greatly enhanced, in order to apply to the
state of things a few years hence,—in accordance with the con¬
siderations which were before applied to the subject of travel, as
it is now, and as it will be soon, when the rail-road shall have
exercised awhile its power upon the business and enterprise of the
whole region within its influence, and shall have spread its
branches widely, by means of its junction writh those other roads,
of which it is destined to be the trunk at no distant period.
I have the honor to be, gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
ALEX'R C. TWINING, Engineer.
New-Haven, July 9th, 1835.
ERRATA.
Rage 7th, 8th line from bottom, and page 14th, 13th line from bottom, change
westward, for eastward, and vice versa.
APPENDIX.
The subscribers, having some knowledge as to the business between Hartfoid
and New-Haven, and having read the statement of Alexander C. Twining, Esq.,
in relation to the amount of business and probable income of the Hartford and
New-Haven Rail-road, do hereby certify, that, in our opinion, the amount of bu¬
siness and income of the rail-road cannot be less than the amount stated by the
Engineer. JOEL ROOT, Agent of the N. Haven Steam-Boat Co.
JOHN BABCOCK, Agent of Stage Company.
The undersigned, residing in Springfield, Mass., have examined the statements
of Mr. Twining, above alluded to, and do not hesitate to state, that in our opin¬
ion the estimates of the resources to support the contemplated Rail-road, are very
low. And as to Springfield and its immediate vicinity, we know that the esti¬
mates of tonnage,—the tonnage not being confined to cotton, but including all ar¬
ticles of transportation,—are more than one hundred per cent, below the truth, as
recently ascertained by us with much care, in reference to the Western Rail-way.
JUSTIN WILLARD,
WM. B. CALHOUN.
WALTER H. BOWDOIN,
Member of the Executive Committee for procuring surveys
and statistical information for the Western Rail-way.
We concur in the opinions of Messrs. Willard, Calhoun, and Bowdoin, as
expressed above. D. & J. AMES.
I certify, that, in my opinion, from recent returns from Springfield and its vi¬
cinity, in relation to tonnage and freight, the foregoing estimate of Mr. Twining
is not too large. CALEB RICE, Member of the Executive Committee
for procuring statistics in relation to the Western Rail-way.
We have examined the report of A. C. Twining, Esq., above alluded to, and
so far as his statement relates to the number of passengers transported on the
boats navigating Connecticut river between Hartford and New-York, we believe
it essentially correct. ELISHA PECK, Pres.Conn, river Steam-Boat Co.
CHAS. H. NORTHAM, Treas. do. do.
II. BRAINARD, Agent do. do.
Hartford, July 17, 1835.
HahWqrd
Chartered BaiLBoad to Bfiltei
Miftnilie,
mijjdle
JCerzden.
ffartrOyer \ %\
RollsHill.
JUstMi
YaUsvilli,
Delittli Milt
Stowing tto Roidcc of Sic
onteniplated^^
KliW
rail road
GIVTL ENGINEER
TA At triers Zit/wj StS'MS"
Notary Public, Muskegon County, Mich.
My commission expires Aug. 13,1933