HAZARD'S

REGISTER OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVOTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF EVERY KIND OF USEFUL INFORMATION RESPECTING THE STATE.

VOL. XV.--NO. 10.

EDITED BY SAMUEL HAZARD.

PHILADELPHIA, MARCH 1835.

NEW YORK AND ERIE RAIL ROAD.
We are indebted to a New York subscriber for the
proceedings of the Common Council of that city, a re-
port of a Special Committee of the Board of Aldermen,
and also the report of Benjamin Wright, Engineer, in
relation to the New York and Erie Rail Road, intended
to counterbalance the effects which would result from
the efforts making in this state to attract to this city the
western trade. These documents we conceive highly
important to our citizens, and therefore present them
for more general inspection, than they would otherwise
probably receive.

Proceedings of the Common Council of the city of New
York, in aid of the New York and Erie Rail Road.
On the 1st of December, 1834, the Board of Assistant
Aldermen, on motion of Assistant Alderman Johnson,
adopted the following resolution:-

Whereas the immense augmentation which has been experienced in the extent, wealth and prosperity of the city of New York, since the completion of the Canals of this state, signally demonstrates the value and neces. sity of artificial channels of commercial communication, connecting the metropolis with the populous and fertile regions of the interior:

No. 374.

poration, might properly be encouraged by the public authorities:

And whereas it is now satisfactorily ascertained by means of that survey, that in case the state shall cooperate and participate in the enterprise, the whole of the road in question can be completed within four years from the first day of May 1835, and a communication thereby provided, by which passengers and merchandise may be regularly transported at all seasons of the year, in less than forty hours from the city of New York to the southern shore of Lake Erie, communicating also by means of the Allegheny river directly with the valley of the Ohio:

And whereas the inhabitants of this city are deeply interested in the prosecution and speedy accomplishment of this most important undertaking, tending as it plainly must, to attract and secure for ever to this emporium the vast and expanding trade of the most fertile, valuable and populous portion of the continent, thereby augmenting its commerce, prosperity and wealth to an incalculable extent:

Therefore Resolved, (if the Board of Aldermen concur herewith,) that it be referred to a Joint Committee of three members of each Board to report resolutions signifying the sense, which the Common Council entertain of the necessity, importance and value of the proposed work, and to inquire and report what measures, if any, the city may properly adopt to promote and secure its speedy execution.

On the 3d day of December, 1834, the Board of Aldermen, on motion of Alderman Stilwell, concurred in the resolution, and a committee was appointed of three members from each board.

On the 4th day of February, 1835, the joint committee presented the subjoined report, which was adopted on the 9th of that month by the Board of Assistant Aldermen, and on the by the Board of Aldermen.

And whereas several rival works leading into the state of Ohio, from ports on the Atlantic sea board south of this city, are now constructing and are rapidly advancing to completion under the direction of various companies incorporated, and powerfully patronized by the States of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, seeking to divert from the city of New York, the extensive and lucrative commerce which it has heretofore enjoyed with the rich and rapidly increasing States and Territories north of the Ohio river, and relying for suc- The Special Committee from the Board of Aldermen cess upon the greater severity of climate, experienced and Assistant Aldermen of the City of New York, to in the more northerly latitude of the State of New York, whom was referred the resolution of Assistant Alderwhereby the navigation of its Canals is suspended dur-man Johnson, touching the necessity, importance and ing a large portion of the year; and whereas it has become vitally important to the commerce of this metropolis, to obviate the difficulties and disadvantages to which it is thus subjected, which object can only be attained by constructing additional channels of trade and intercourse by means of Rail Roads leading directly from the city to the western waters, and available for commercial purposes at all seasons of the year.

And whereas the Legislature of this State at their last session, directed the route of a rail road to be surveyed under the direction of the Executive, through the southern counties of the State from the Hudson river to Lake Erie, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the public interest would be promoted by a subscription on the part of the state to a portion of the capital stock of the New York and Erie Rail Road Company (which was incorporated in the year 1832, for the purpose of constructing such road,) whereby the Commonwealth at large might participate in the burthens and benefits of that undertaking, or in what other mode the general objects sought to be accomplished by that act of incorVOL. XV.

19

value of the proposed rail road through the southern counties of this state, from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, respectfully beg leave to

REPORT:

That for the purpose of being more fully informed of the details of the subject thus referred to their consideration, they have summoned before them several of the Directors of the New York and Erie Rail Road Company, incorporated in the year 1832, for the purpose of constructing the proposed road, and have also been attended at their request by Benjamin Wright, Esquire, and his assistant engineers, under whose care the route of the road has been recently surveyed. From these individuals the Committee received very full and satisfactory explanations, and nevertheless the Committee being conscious of the momentous importance of the subject under examination, felt it also to be their duty to satisfy themselves, as far as was practicable, from auxiliary sources of information, of the accuracy of the details which were elicited on this interesting

examination. It fortunately happened that one of the committee, by having been engaged for a considerable time in a work of public improvement intersected by the route of the proposed road, had become considerably familiar with the topography and also with the trade and resources of that portion of the country, and was thereby enabled greatly to facilitate the examinations of the Committee.

The Committee moreover deemed it proper that they should make no statements affecting a subject so deeply interesting to the community at large, without a full and sufficient scrutiny, and they have therefore pursued their examination with a minuteness of inquiry which has brought them into acquaintance with many interesting details, which they may deem it expedient hereafter to make the subject of a supplemental report.

Delhi: in Otsego county, by a very important and valuable branch leading up the valley of the Unadilla to Utica, for which a charter is obtained and the stock already subscribed; a branch will lead through the valley of the Onondaga River, in the county of Cortland, to the Salt Works at Syracuse: at Owego, the rail road now finished to Ithaca, will immediately connect the main Ine with the fertile country adjacent to the Cayuga and Seneca Lakes: by the line of Steamboat navigation now in preparation on the Susquehanna at Owego, it will be united to the valley of Wyoming and the coal regions of Pennsylvania: the contemplated rail road from Rochester to Danville, if extended a few miles, will intersect the main line in Steuben county: in Allegheny county it will intersect the contemplated route of the Rochester and Olean canal: and it will become connected in Cataraugus county with the Allegeny River, and thereby open a direct communication between the city of New York and the large and popu

In the mean time they beg leave to present to the Common Council the present summary statement of the facts which have been ascertained by their exami-lous communities and cities in the valley of the Ohio. nation.

In the first place, then, they report, that after full inspection of the maps and plans returned by Judge Wright, and copious explanations from himself and his assistants, they are entirely satisfied that it is practicable to construct the proposed road-and that it will afford the means of transporting passengers, merchandise and the public mails at all seasons of the year, in less than 48 hours from the city of New York to Lake Erie.

The road after leaving Rockland and Orange counties, will follow successively the large vallies of the Delaware, and Susquehanna and the Allegheny, and there by obtain the easy grades of declivity naturally pursued by these streams. The surface of much of the country adjacent to the line is undulating, but the apparent difficulties which are thereby presented, are avoided by following the water courses.

The map of the proposed route annexed to this report fully exhibits these several localities, and is well worthy the attention of the Common Council.

2. The Committee are of opinion that this work will afford immense public benefits to the inhabitants of this metropolis.

The rapid, constant and regular communication it will insure at all seasons of the year with the extensive and fertile grazing districts in the counties of Orange and Delaware and the valley of the Susquehanna, will cheapen the price of subsistence, by affording abundant and uninterrupted supplies of provisions for the public markets: the excellent and valuable timber furnished by the counties of Steuben, Allegheny and Cataraugus, by reducing the cost of building, will accelerate the growth of the city, and at the same time facilitate the operations of ship building: the rapid and regular passage it will secure to the public mails, will insure the speedy transmission of commercial intelliger.ce: it will provide for the public defence, by affording the means of military communication with unparallelled speed between the Atlantic and Western frontiers; while the comfort and health of our citizens will be promoted by obtaining cheap and frequent access to the healthful re gions of the interior.

3. The speedy completion of the work has now become an object of transcendant importance to the merchants, traders and land owners of this city, in order to preserve and extend its great and lucrative trade with the West.

In the language of Judge Wright, the road "goes around instead of over the hills. The whole line of the route is 483 miles, capable however, of being shortened to 460 miles; but it is not comparatively more circuitous than the canals of Pennsylvania. The ascents on much the greatest portion of the route, are generally from 5 to 30 feet per mile, and do not exceed 60 feet per mile, except in five or six instances, where the line crosses the natural boundaries of the large vallies. No stationary engine or inclined plane will be necessary on any part of the road, except in one instance, about four miles from Lake Erie, and even that may be dispensed with by altering the grade for eight miles, at a moderate expense. Locomotive engines, drawing passenger cars, may be propelled over every portion of the road (except the inclined plane) with economy and advantage; and at the points where the rate of acclivity exceeds sixty feet to the mile, the passage of burthen cars heavily loaded may be easily and cheaply expedited, either by auxiliary locomotive en gines, or an addition of animal power. It is quite certain that passengers may be carried over the road with great celerity and profit, and from the testimony taken before the Committee, and the personal information of one or more of its members, they are entirely satisfied that the road will also serve to transport to tide water the lumber, provisions, live stock, fuel, and agricultural products of the region of country adjacent to the route and its contemplated branches, and carry back merchandise in return, more cheaply and advantageously than can be effected by any other channel of com-cember. The merchants of Philadelphia are thereby munication.

The road will be intersected by several lateral branches and canals, which will greatly increase its revenue and its importance. In the western part of Orange county, it intersects the Delaware and Hudson Canal: in Broome county, the Chenango canal: in Tioga county, the Chemung canal: in Delaware county, it will be connected with a branch leading up to

The important and alarming truth can no longer escape the attention of our municipal authorities, that the intercourse between this city and the great West, to which it owes so large a share of its present prosperity and power, is totally suspended during five months of the year. Availing themselves of that circumstance, the public spirited citizens of Pennsylvania have constructed and have now recently completed a line of canals and rail road from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, which are availble for the purposes of trade and intercourse during at least two months of the year in which the navigation of the New York canals is suspended, by the greater severity of their more northern latitude. The Erie Canal is not usually navigable until the 20th of April, and rarely remains open after the 20th of November. The canals of Pennsylvania, favored by a more southern climate, are generally navigable about the 10th of March, and remain so until the 25th of De

enabled to monopolize the western trade during por tions of the spring and autumn, peculiarly valuable for commercial purposes. Even after the navigation is opened on the Erie Canal, the intercourse between New York and the west is obstructed for a considerable time, by the ice accumulated during the months of March and April in the harbor of Buffalo, while the navigation of the Ohio river being open at Pittsburg during that

1835.j

NEW YORK AND ERIE RAIL ROAD,

There is no mode of successful competition with these efforts of our public spirited rivals, except by opening a winter communication between this city and the harbors on the wider part of Lake Erie.

147

important season of the year, the produce of the west communities by the facilities afforded to them for cheap finds its way to Philadelphia, and its proceeds are in-and expeditious communication with their trading emvested in merchandise, and transported into the remo- porium, will augment to a corresponding extent their test portions of the interior, before vessels are able to capabilities of pursuing a profitable commerce with the navigate the eastern end of Lake Er e. The intelligent sea board. and enterprising merchants of Phil delphia, supported It has been frequently and by no means extravagantly by the united efforts of their Board of Trade, are striv-stated, that the construction of the Erie Canal, by ing to follow up this advantage, by promoting with diminishing the time and labor expended in transportagreat zeal, the construction of 1teral canals and rail tion, has saved annually to the citizens of this state not roads by the state of Ohio, and by private companies, less than $5,000,000, and added at least $150,000,000, extending northwesterly from the Pennsylvania line to to their aggregate wealth. This immense and rapid the Ohio canal, for the purpose of effecting a communi- augmentation of value will afford a criterion, although cation between Pittsburg and t e harbor of Cleveland, imperfect, by which to estimate some portion of the on Lake Erie; and that too for the avowed object of pecuniary benefits to be derived by the public from diverting from the city of New York the lucrative com- the opening of a communication not less cheap, more merce it has heretofore enjoyed with the northern parts regular, and far more expeditious than the canal, beof Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. tween this metropolis and a district of fertile territory, embracing an area more than eight times as large as the state of New York, west of Utica. To calculate with any accuracy the value of the vast and illimitable trade which within twenty years will be concentrated upon The proposed road will accomplish that object by the waters of Lake Erie, destined before the present affording the means of transmitting merchandise at all generation shall pass away, to number more than a seasons of the year within forty eight hours from the thousand vessels, and to bear on its surface the wealth warehouses of New York to the harbors of Dunkirk, of at least twenty millions of the American people, or Portland or Erie, while its connection, with the cheap to compute the prodigious rise in value, which the descending navigation of the Allegheny river, (which is landed property on the Island of New York will expegenerally available in the latter part of February, and rience, when the vast and expanding commerce of early in March, and is capable with small expense, of these great inland communities shall be concentrated being rendered navigable for steamboats at all seasons within its limits will not be attempted: but it will be of the year,) will enable the merchants of our city to confidently claimed that the increase in the value of furnish the cities of Pittsburg, Cincinnati, and the other the real estate in this city within the first ten years after trading towns in the valley of the Ohio with their spring completing the proposed road, will repay more than supplies before the opening of navigation on the Penn- tenfold the whole cost of its construction, and that the sylvania Canals, The speedy completion of this road augmentation in the population and wealth of the imwill moreover encourage and hasten its speedy con- mense and fertile regions which will be brought by its tinuation by great western and southern branches lead-completion within four days travel of the sea board, ing from Lake Erie to various points on the western will defy all attempts at sober calculation. and south-western waters, whereby passengers, merchandise, and the mail, may be transmitted in six days from New York to St. Louis, and thus this great central channel of intercourse, ing wholly within the limits of our own state, and subject to its sole jurisdiction, will become the main trunk of a connected system, or series of internal communication extending from the port of New York, throughout the populous region in the vast and fertile valley of the Mississippi.

5. In what mode, then, can this great enterprise, yielding public advantage thus enormous, be most effectually and speedily accomplished?

In the year 1832, the standing committee on the internal improvements in the Legislature of this state, after full examination of this and other projects of inland communication, reported that it would not be politic for the state, as such, to construct rail roads; and for the obvious reason, that the owners of the road must

The statistical particulars of these great lines of west-manage the transportation, and the state could not beern communication, and the important influence they will exert in directing their trade into Lake Erie, and thence to the City of New York, will be found in an interesting letter furnished to the committee, by one of the directors of the company, which is annexed to this report, and is recommended to the attention of the Common Council as a document of much impor-ed that the state should subscribe to portions of stock

tance.

4. The preservation of the trade of these great inland districts, by connecting them closely with this city by means of cheap and rapid channels of communication, has become an object of the deepest solicitude to the landholders of New York, and every person interested in its permanent prosperity.

The past growth, and in truth the very existence of this metropolis, are wholly owing to the facilities of communication it possesses with the agricultural population of the interior. The Erie Canal opened a channel of intercourse during seven months of the year, between the port of New York and inland districts containing little more than a million of inhabitants, and yet within ten years from its completion, the assessed value of the landed property of the city, was augmented from 52 to 114 millions. The completion of the proposed road, will bring into constant connection with the city of New York an increased amount of territory, already containing three and destined within six years to number more than six millions of inhabitants; while the impulse im parted to the agricultural prosperity of those inland

come common carriers. But the committee recommended the incorporation of companies, whenever individu. als should see fit to risk their property in constructing rail roads, reserving, however, the right, which is reserved in all other acts of incorparation, to repeal or modify the charters. The committee also recommendin this and all the other great leading routes, whereby the public at large might participate, to a certain extent, in their pecuniary profits, (if any,) and at the same time secure the economical management resulting from the vigilant attention of individual proprietors.

The annual message of the Governor to the Legislature at the opening of the session in that year, after stating that the construction of rail roads in various parts of the state would "become eminently promotive of the public good," but that " many generations must pass away before the numerous improvements worthy of the enterprise of the state, could be undertaken by the public means alone," recommended that companies of individual proprietors be incorporated with power to construct them, reserving, however, to the Legislature, the right secured in all the recent acts of incorporation, to take possession of the roads or public property, on equitable terms.

The Legislature accordingly, in the year 1832, chartered a company for the purpose of making the propos ed road, (subject to the reservations recommended by the Governor,) with leave to issue capital stock to the

amount of $10,000,000, requiring them to expend incorporated, possess sufficient means and resources $200,000 before April, 1837; to finish one quarter of to complete the road with the energy and despatch the work before April, 1842; one half before April, which the public interest requires. The Committee, in 1847; and the whole before April, 1852; and authoris prosecuting this inquiry, have personally examined the ing them to receive donations of lands to aid in officers, directors, and books of the Company, and the construction of the work. By an amendment, ob- from that personal inspection, they have ascertained that tained in 1833, the company were empowered to organ- $1,000,000, has been regularly subscribed to the stock ize themselves, on receiving subscriptions of stock for and it now is held by individuals greatly interested in one million of dollars. That amount was duly sub-the permanent prosperity of the city, and fully deterscribed, and is now holden principally by merchants, mined to spare no effort to insure the speedy compleland holders, and other inhabitants of this city, deeply tion of the road. The concerns of the Company are interested in its permanent prosperity, and anxious to managed by 17 directors, fourteen of whom, to wit:complete the proposed work with all practicable des- James G. King, the President, Eleazer Lord, the Vice patch. President, Peter G. Stuyvesant, John G. Coster, John In order to ascertain how far the public interest Rathbone, junior, Goold Hoyt, Samuel B. Ruggles, J. would be promoted by a subscription to the stock, on Green Pearson, Elihu Townsend, Peter Harmony, the part of the State, the Legislature in May 1824, au- Stephen Whitney, James Boorman, John Duer, and thorized the route to be surveyed at the public expense. Michael Burnham, reside in this city, and are well In the mean time, the Directors of the Company have known to their fellow citizens,and the remaining three, been actively employed in making the inquiries and in- to wit: Jeremiah H. Pearson, George D. Wickham, vestigations necessary to the prosecution of their ob and Joshua Whitney, reside in the counties along the ject, adopting measures calculated to secure the con-route, and equally command the confidence of the infidence of capitalists, and obtaining donations towards habitants of that part of the State. their work from large proprietors on the route; and they have met with such success, and such encouraging assurances that they are confident of being enabled to commence the road during the ensuing season, and they believe that in case the Legislature should authorise a subscription by the State, for a portion of the stock, or a loan of its credit to the company, they can complete a single track of their road over the whole route within five years.

The committee have also satisfied themselves, by personal inspection, that the first instalment required on the million of dollars, heretofore subscribed to the stock, has been regularly paid in cash, and that it is now duly deposited upon interest, with the New York Life Insurance and Trust Company, subject to the joint order of the President and Vice President of the New York and Erie Rail Road Company.

It was not necessary, nor would it have been at all The expense of the whole work, as estimated by Judge prudent or expedient, for the directors to have proceedWright, including the graduation for a double track ed in the actual construction of the road, until the throughout on solid earth embankments, and laying route should have been surveyed, and it was also dedown a single track ready for use from the Hudson Ri- sirable, that the survey should be finished, which had ver to Lake Erie, will not exceed $4,762,000. The been ordered by the state, in order more perfectly to graduation of more than one half of the line does not secure and confirm the confidence of the large capitalexceed $4,000 per mile. The whole route is embracists, whose co-operation was absolutely necessary in the ed in six large divisions, to wit:

The First or Hudson River Division extending 73) miles from a point on the Hudson River, near the south ern extremity of Rockland county, (distant 24 miles north of the City Hall of New York,) to a point in the Deer-park Gap of the Shawangunk mountain near the west line of Orange county, dividing the waters of the Hudson from those of the Delaware.

The Second, or Delaware Division, extending 115 miles from the point last mentioned, through the valley of the Delaware and its tributaries, to a point near Bettsburgh in Chenango county, dividing the waters of the Delaware from those of the Susquehanna.

The Third, or Susquehanna Division, extending from the point last mentioned, 163 miles along the valley of the Susquehanna and its branches, to a point near the west line of Steuben county, dividing the waters of the Susquehanna from those of the Genessee.

The Fourth, or Genessee Division, extending from the point last mentioned, 37 miles across the valley of the Genessee; to a point near the east line of Cattaraugus county, dividing the waters of the Genessee from those of the Allegheny.

The Fifth, or Allegheny Division, extending from the point last mentioned, 83 miles along the valley of the Allegheny and its tributaries, (situated at the northern extremity of the great valley of the Ohio,) to the head of the inclined plane, near Lake Erie.

The Sixth, or Lake Erie Division, comprehending the short and rapid descent to the shore of the lake, including the inclined plane, and two branches of the road, one to the harbor of Dunkirk, 8 miles, and one to Portland, 9 miles.

6. The execution of this most valuable and necessary work, being thus shown to be free from physical difficulties, and capable of being completed at a moderate expense, the question then arises, of much importance to the public, and one which the Committee deemed it their duty fully to examine, whether the company now

prosecution of so great an enterprise.

The very favorable results ascertained by Judge Wright, and by his report to the Secretary of State, presented about the 1st of this month, a copy of which is hereunto subjoined, have entirely confirmed the belief previously entertained, that the work is perfectly feasible, and that it will be profitable not only to the community, but to the stockholders, who may embark their funds in its construction. The committee are assured, that the directors intend forthwith to open books for private subscriptions, for the additional amount of two millions, and that they entertain the most perfect confidence, that by means of the subscriptions already obtained,and the assurances of valuable donations of lands along the route, tendered to them by the inhabitants (all but unanimously) along the whole route, and of their zealous and hearty co-operation, recently and repeatedly, and at all times expressed in their town and county conventions, the company will be enabled to commence the actual execution of the work during the ensuing season, and nearly two years before the time allowed for that purpose, in the charter; and that in case the state shall loan its credit, or subscribe for the stock to an amount not exceeding one third of the cost of the road, the company can complete the whole from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, within five years — And the committee are further satisfied, that even if the state shall decline in any mode to assist the company, and they shall be left to their own unaided resources, they can within two years complete the second or Delaware division of the road, and thereby divert to this city, through the Delaware and Hudson Canal, a large portion of the exports now passing out of this state, down the Susquehanna River:-and it is moreover confidently believed, that the productiveness of that division, by demonstrating the value of the whole work, will sustain the credit of the stock, and enable the di rectors to extend the road without delay to Lake Erie.

The inquiry then arises as to the mode in which it