BRIDGING THE HUDSON AT POUGHKEEPSIE, FOR A SHORT DIRECT THROUGH LINE, FROM New England to the Coal Fields AND FROM THE f • WEST TO THE EAST, FOR : AN ALL RAIL ROUTE, SAVING One Hundred Miles in Distance OVER PRESENT LINES, AND Eightv Miles over any other Proposed Route. I M TP i POUGHKEEPSIE : EAGLE PRINTING HOUSE. 1871. """'#ii!!!l!l -%;-sÍ:spSs^: ««m " "^' " a r THE EEOEOSEE HTJESOH EXVEE BEIEO-E, i»0"U"0-iiic2;sF3iB, nr.'Z'., ConDecting New England and the East with the Coal Fields of Pennsylvania and the West, For Kailwat and Wagon Traffic. Length of Water Span, 2,430 feet. Land Approaches, 1,080 feet. Height above Water Line, 130 feet. ■> -■ ■ ■■ --i#';"' ■■ . } ■■ - ■■ ; ■ JV :,>.s y 1 ;_. . j, .^: , -■ . ^ NEWENGUND andtheIRON ORE FIELDSofthe EAST totheCOALREGIONS of PENNSYLVANIA ;hmepsm bridge route connecting springfield ^hartford ytithscranton^ eastonbyduíect througnrr.cœ ONE HUNDRED MILES SHORTER THAN PRESENT THROUGH R.R.ROUTES^EIGHTY MI LES SHORTER THAN ANYOTHER ONE PROPOSED. t SiiDgiiig the 3(u0aoa AT FOlC!IIKEEI>j»lE, X, Y., FOR A SHORT, DIREI IHROOCfl RÎ1LWÂÏ ROÜTE FROM îhe Coííl îîelOs lo AND FROM. The East to the West, COXNECTING lIO!«luii, Proviilencc, Worcester, Spriiijtlield, Hartrord, Watcrbiiry, the Iron Ore and ¡TIarble Rcsioiis of Diitehcss Coanly, Poughkeepsic, and the HUDSON RIVER, AVitli {¡»eranlon, Easion, tlie Delaware River, the Coal and Oil Fields, Harrishnrg, Pittsburg, and the AVcst, BY A ROUTE SAVIXG FROM EIGHTY TO ONE HUNDRED MILES IN DISTANCE. ^RClTJ:VIEîsrT. Railroads form to-day tlie greatest and most important moans of com¬ munication between the diflerent parts of the country ; and their usefulness, extent and iiifluenoe in developing the resources of the nation increase in a more ra]iid ratio than those of any other in¬ terest. Whatever obstacle is in their way must be overcome. Croat Rivers were once regarded as the most valuable avenues of trade and travel; all great cities were located on them, and their navigation constituted the internal commerce of the eountry. Now they are secondary to the iron track, and though their freedom should be assured, they cannot be longer left as barriers to tlic great land lines which cross them. Rridj^eii are no longer looked upon as hindrances to free navigation. Modern engineering has taught us how the two great highway.-^, by water and by land, can each be made use of without inter¬ ruption by the other. All-Rail Routes are fast taking the preference over routes where part of the travel goes by rail and part by water, and this is es¬ pecially true of lines cai ryiiig heavy freight. It pays even to go many miles further, to save unloading and reloading freight and ferry delays. Distance is the next consideration to liandling. If one route is shorter than another between tlie same jioints, that route can aftord to carry cheaper, and so control the liusiness. It follows, there¬ fore, that ihe shurtesi cdl-i ail route has advantages over every other, which are certain to make it successful in the coiupetitiou for patrona.ge. Albany is only si.x miles south of Troy, yet the Albany Bridge has reaped an unprecedented revenue, because it saves this si.x miles in distance. The Hudaon River is one of the great natural boundaries dividing the United States into grand divisions or sections. The Nctv England Slate.-;, lying east of the Hudson contains one seventh ot the whole population of the conntry, and control more than, one- half the manvfacluriiKj of the nation. These States are the most active and most wealthy, and their business interests and capital are nearly equal to those of all the rest of the Union. Till- Xircnt Crossing Plafv« on the Ilinlson over which now passes Ileal ly all the injelily stieaiiis of trade and travel between this great section ol'eumitry, and the wider and more rapidly growing west are but two. one at Albany and Troy, the other at New York, 150 miles apart. Two thirds of tiie people of New England are south of Albany, and all of them are north of New York. Tllf Only BrlelgCN are at Albany and Troy. Four fifths of the people east ol'the llnd.son, and nineteen-twentieths of the people west of it are sooth of the Albany Bridge, and the greater portion ol travel and freight carriage between them must therefore—if it takes the only all-rail route now open—make a long journey to the northward of its natural course, increasing the expense and enhancing the ]iricc of all articles e.xchaiiged, without any corres- liondiiig coni]ieiisatioii. The Conimcrt'lai liilereNlx of New England, Pennsylvania and the West demand that a .Minni.K. niiiSCT tiikougii-roüte with acon- tinuily of tracks across the Hudson, to carry to the east the mil¬ lions ok tons ok co.ri. eoiisiinied there, and to return to the west the products of their (:iíK.\T .m.inl K.cc i L ring DtSTiiiCTS, shall immedi¬ ately be established. This ITlicltlie Cliuiinol, or highway of trade, from natural circum- stanees and geological lormalion, will centre more advantageously at the City ok Pot ciiikkki'stE than at any other point on the river, and at no other jdace is the project as feasible, (if feasible at all at any other point.) or can it be accomplished at so little cost. Poughkeepsic is Just half way between tiie two great crossings— Alliany and New York—and half-way between Springfield and llai tlbrd on the east, and Scranton and Easton on tlie west, on a direct line from Boston to the coal field of Pennsylvania and to Pittsburg, and on the same parallel as Cleveland, Chicago and Omaha. The ri\er is narrow at this point, the banks bold and rocky, rising Iroiii 110 to 130 feet. The approaches by rallón both sides arc easy and tlirough a rich country, making it not only the crossing place for the great Natunil Middle lioute, but the proper place Ibr the proposed Bridge to span the Hudson. The Di§tanec between the centre of the coal region of Pennsylvania and the centre of the Manufacturing District of Now England is from 80 to 125 inilc.s shorter by this than by any other route now open, and the same saving in distance will be effected over any other all-rail route from every large city east of the Hudson to any point west. 7 Freigut of all kinds from New England west, or from the Coal 6elds east, must now go by one of two routes—by way of Albany, 100 to 125 miles further than necessary, or by way of New York, where it must be unloaded, ferried across the river, and loaded again on the cars before it can proceed. A Bridge at Poughkeepsie would open a new all-rail route many miles shorter than by way of Albany or New York. Railroads are now bnilt that nearly complete the connections over this route. The proposed bridge and a link of nine miles, already projected.are all that are required to make the line continuous. By the.se roads the saving in distance is from 2i) to 30 per cent., and the distance will be made still shorter tjy new proposed lines by the time the bridge is built. Tbc Pougbkccpsic Bridge tlien, will establish the shortest, and hence quickest and cheapest through-route, between two sections of country that ship more freight east ami we.-t than any other sections in Amerii a It will furnisli the best and most, convenient crossing over a river that, is crossed l>y more people than anv other on the contiiicrt; and will tlierel'oro accommodate more travel, do more to promote internal commerce, benclit more and greater interests, and p'ly k Inrijer reve ive to sltickln/hlent than any other railroad bridge now built or projected. Carefbl Con»ideriilion is asked of die f.-IIowing detailed report, which presents facts of unusmd sigiiilicaiice. WE CO SPRINCFIEID SGRANTON iim- ^ MAUCH CHUNK' EASTON ALÔANY boston, g>0 ilVJMihViii The (listiiiK-i* f rom l'oiii;'Iike(iisi(> in a diHM t lilt''to the \:iri(ni«- ciiic" lliat will be coii- Dt'C cd by direct thnmi:li Kailroad commiinicalioii on the eoni]>]ction of Tb-' ruuiilikccpsic Uridine. Notf.. —By i'omparini; this map with a standard U. S Map the location of the cities and distances from Poiiiihkcepsic. will he found to be correct. nat ¡»HI. — ' ■ • Lineoflhe only preF<*nt Ihiili' ad Jtoiiie fi«jiuScrantoii and the Coal Fiidds to Sprlngricid, Hartford and New Eiiijland. XOTE.^TIk' ahoic :ir«> air lino «liMtaiioo« mul luiist not be mistaken for RailronJ (listania'S, whicli are pivoii on Uith paai'. 0^ ^ 2 "-Cc 3. COLUNSVILLE^ lmauch GHUJ franklin HOPEWELL '^goshen HARTFC SUßy with New Eii;^laiiil by the proposed Hudson River Bridge at Poiighkeepsie, N. Y. Saving one hundred miles over present through Railroad lines. Kxplaililtioil.—1 and 2 Conneeticut ^Ye^l^'^ll and Poiighkeepsie .and Eastern R lil Roads, to be eomiiloted this season. 3 Poughkeepsie and Western, !) miles proposed and a oornoany organi/.ed to build. 4, (i, 7 8 and 9 Roads already built. 5 proposed short line from the Midland to the Coal Fields. lU proposed Boston, Hartlord and Erie. OxE ITl'xdeei) Miles Saved IN 318 (OR 30 PER CENT) BY Bridging the Hudson at Poughkeepsie, FOR A Direct lliroii;;!! Railroad l^iac from llie Coal Fields and tlic West to .\ew Fiii;laad. Distances. From Scranton, Pa., or tlio Coal Mine.» of thai rcirion to Spriiiir- lieUl, Mass., by way of Alhanv, over the only present all- rail route, 30.5 miles. To Ilartfoial, Conn, 331 " To Posten, Mass., .•. 403 " To Proviilenec, R. 1., 420 " From i?CTanton, Pa., to Spi ir;_'(iel(l, Mass., l.y the way of Poueh- kccpsie, (over Ponuhl ee|>sio and Eastern and Conneeticiit M'estern rotuls on tho east, and roads projected or building on tho west.) 21G miles. To Ilartliird, Conn., ... 209 " To Poston, Ma.ss,, 314 • " To Providence, II. I., 209 " Saving in favor of the Poughkeepsie Prnlge Route to Spring¬ field, Ma.ss 89 miles. To Hartford, Conn. 122 To Poston, Ma.s.s., 89 '• To Providence, R. T 122 " Notk.—The )iro.\imMte cist mee from Seranton to Sp' inglield and Hart¬ ford, being 318 hy All.aej', and 2I2.V hy Ponehkeepsie, is a saving of loôa miles in 318, or 30 per i.'ent. The Distance by Eail antî Water, via Jersey City anii New York. (Indrpendent of the eost and delavs of t.'ans]iortation of freight and pa.ssangcrs.) from tlie Coal iiehis to Springliehl is 09 miles, and to Hart- lord 51 miles farther than the hy Poughkeepsie Pridge Route, and with the completion of the Poston, Hai tford and Erie Railroad, a still greater and most important saving in distanee to Hartford, Providcirce, South¬ ern Connecticut and Rliode Island will be elVeeted. BRIDGING THE HUDSON, AT Ir*OLig'lakeepsie, FOR A CENTRAL TRUNK LINE FROM NEW ENGLAND TO THE COAL FIELDS AND FROM THE EAST TO THE WEST. So great have become the Eailwaj- interests of the country, and so completely has the carrying trade been monopolized by them, that inland rivers will no longer be permitted to break important railroad connections between great centres. The present strifes for commercial dominion, and the eager grasp¬ ing for the tratïic and travel to prominent points, must also lead to more direct through-routes,and those that are not depend- dent upon ferrying freight and passengers across water courses, and liable to interrujition from ice during the winter months. That the great Manufacturing irtei-ests of New England, the iMining interests of Pennsylvania, co nprising its Coal, Oil and Iron, and the fast-developing ^Mineral wealth of Eastern New York, with the vast Business and Agricultural Industries, cen¬ tering on a line ft'om Boston and Providence to Pittsburgh, THROUCH Springfield, Hartford, Poughkeepsie, Scranton and Easton, are not sufficiently provided for by the present railroad facilities, and that the difficulties of transportation across the Hudson arc aflcctiiig seriously the ccmmticial interests of the East and West is plainly ajiparent. The.se facts having cost the iMatiufacturing intere.sts of Con¬ necticut and ilassachusetts alone millions of dollars during the past five years, the people are now awake to their interests, and are looking to the 12 Bridging of the Hudson at some ceiitral poiut, to accommodate tlie vastly increasing traffic between New England and the West. The large consumption of the Coal, Oil and Iron products of Pennsjd- vania by the East, its dejiendence upon the West for the supply of the main staples of subsistence, and in return the demand in the West for the manufactured products of the New England States, are each year growing greater, and the demand more imjierative. That the vast Coal interests of Pennsylvania must soon establish direct communication with the large Manufacturing- districts of New England is not only certain, but equallj- so is it that the extensive Iron Ore deposits in the -vi¬ cinity of Poughkeepsie on the east, and the Coal that lies so near it on the west, will very soon make a union at some central point on the Hudson. That the Erie, Midland, Rondout & Oswego, and other Railroad Companies on the w est w ill soon seek dhect connection with New York on the east side of the river, (thereby saving the enormou8expen.se of transhipment or re-handling of freight, and ferry delays, at Jersey City,) seems also equally certain. With a view to establish this means of communication, so urgently needed, "Tlie Pouglikeepsie Bridge Company" has been organized under a Charter granted by the Legislature of the State of New York, and is proceeding earnestly w ith the preliminary work. The Hudson River country presents but Three Natural Channels East and West through which must eventually flow the products of Pennsyl¬ vania and the West to the inventive and consuming population of New England. Through the Mohawk Valley and Albany is one, by the way of Jersey City is another—while through the valleys east and west of POUGHKEEPSIE IS THE MIDDLE CHANNEL. The whole surface of the western shore, from Albany to 13 Jersey City, does not ñnnish another opening where railroad construction and connection, east and west, is as practicable as at this point, or where a Bridge Structure Is so feasible, and can be biiilt at so little cost. It recpiires but a glance at the map, or a knowledge of the geogi-aphy of this section of the country, to convince the public judgment that there is but this one point between Albany and New York, where all these inter¬ ests, from natural circumstances and geological formations, can most advantageouslj- centre, and that is at The City of Poughkeepsie. This city is not only midway between NewYork and Albany, but half-way on a direct hue from Hartford and Springfield on the east, to Scranton on the west. It is the most populous citj- on the Hudson, between New York and Albany, having a population of more than 21 thoTisand, and is rajDidly increas¬ ing in inhabitants and manufacturing wealth ; and while it is surrounded by the gi-eatHematite IionOre regions,and the richest Agricultural district in the State, it is in close proximity to the Coal fields, and will soon (on the completion of nine miles of projected road) be in direct railroad communication with them, connecting with the IVallkill Valley Eailroad within nine miles. The Midland and Oswego at the Pine Bush Branch, within twenty-two miles. The N. Y. and Erie within thirty-six miles, and the Delaware & Hudson Canal within fiftj^-seven miles. It lies on a direct line from Boston to Pittsburgh, and the west ; and lying on or near this line (as will be seen by refemng to the accompanying map,) are the cities of Spriogfield, Hartford, "Worcester, "Waterbury, Poughkeepsie, the Iron Ore regions and Mining districts of Ancram, Copake, North East, Salisbury, the Dover Marble Quarries, and the Ancram Lead Mines on the east : while on the west are Middletown, Scranton, Easton, Reading, Harrisburg, the Anthracite and Bituminous Coal fields, the Oil districts, and the Iron Manufacturing interests of Pennsylvania. Direct Route East and West. A line drawn directly west from Po'keepsie will pass through Chicago and Omaha, and very close to Cleveland, Sandusky, and Toledo, while Cincinnati and St. Louis lie to the south of it. No great western cities lie north of the line but Detroit !Milwaukie and St. Paul ; and to reach these by rail, one must go around the south side of Lake Erie, which is south of the line. If a railroad could be built due we.st from Pough- keepsie, therefore, it would be the most direct route for the stream of travel east and west. Every mile north or south of this city, or of the direct line east and west, that a passenger on his way west goes before crossing the Hudson, is just so much out of the way, and adds accord¬ ingly to the length of the route, the time consumed in the passage, and the expense of carrying. Distance Saved by the Poug-hkeepsie Bridge Route. There are now three great lines between New York and the West—the Pennsylvania Central, the Erie, and the New York Central. The first two are compelled to transport passengers across the Hudson by firry, and must with our present engi¬ neering facilities continue to do so. The tliird—the only all- rail route—has its bridge at Alb,any, 75 miles north of the jioints aimed at, and every car that runs over it mu.st not only run that To miles northward to no purjiose, but somewhere on its way must and does turn southward again for an ei¡ual distance. The same is true of the roads terminating at JersevCity. There is now no all-rail route for coal from the mines of Pennsylvania to the East but the roundabout one by way of Al¬ bany, from SO to I'i") miles longer than the route through Poughkee]>sie. From Scranton. Pa., and the Cloal mines of that region, to that part of Massachusetts centering about Sjiringileld, and of Connecticut centering about Hartford, by the w.vy of .\lb.\xy, over pre.sent railroad lines, the proximate distance is 318 miles. (XoTF.. —The nctiiiil clistiinoe to Havtfnrd by this, the naly all-rail route, is 3jl miles, to Sjiriugtielil d(l.), to Boston -103, and to Providence 421 miles.) 15 By the way of Ponglikeepsie, over the Conuecticut IVestern, and Poughkeepsie & Eastern Railroads on the east, and roads jirojected and building on the west, it will be 216 miles—a SAVING IN FAVOR OF THE POUGHKEEPSIE BRIDGE ROUTE OF MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED MILES IN 318, OR MORE THAN THIRTY PER CENT. The saving in distance bj- this route over the one by Jersey City and New York—independent of the cost and delays of transhijiiuent of freight and ferriage of passengers, is, xo Hartford 50 miles, axd Springfield 69 miles. This same important saving in distance not only affects every part of the country on the line from Boston and ProG- dence to Pittsburgh, but proportionately the whole of New England and the West. These facts alone are suflScient proof of the necessity for a bridge at Poughkeepsie, for a direct througii Mtdlle Rmte ; aaJ with New E iglaud, the headquar¬ ters of manufacturing in this country, using millions of tons of coal, it becomes an immediate imperative necessity. Poughkeepsie is also the only present and prospective Railroad Centre from the East to the West, between New York and Albany. A line drawn from Boston to the Coal fields not only jiasses through Poughkeepsie, but the railroads already built or in progress are on this hue. It is the only 2Joiut on the Hudson where railroads on either side of the river are concentrating, making direct Railroad Connections. The Poughkeeiisie i Eastern, and Connecticut Western on the east, to be conijileted this summer, will make through direct connection with all points east, and all the various lines intersecting them on the East, as follows : The Hudson River RR. to New York; The Harlem RR. to New York; The Housatonic to Danbiiry, Norwalk and Bridge- jiort, on the south, and to Eastern Mass., on the north ; The IG Nangatack to AVaterbury, New Haven and Northampton ; New Haven, Hartford & Springfield to Boston ; New London & Northern ; Connecticut River ; Norwich & AA'orcester; Fitch- bnrg & AVorcester; Providence & AA'orcester ; Boston & Provi¬ dence; and lines to the north. All of which, as feeders, must necessarily contribute largely to the business of this line, and afford to its connecting roads on the west, a means of distri¬ buting coal and freight through every corner of the New England states. Boston, Hartford and Erie Sail Road. The organization of a Company of Poughkeepsie capitalists is projected to build the link of the Hartford & Erie RR. ft'om Hopewell to Poughkeepsie—thus establishing another line from the Bridge to the East and to New York by the Harlem RR. AATien this road is completed entire, it will give another through line from the Bridge to the East, shortening the dis¬ tance materially to Southern Connecticut and Rhode Island. On the. West of the Hudson. The Poughkeepsie & AA'estern, now projected to the AA'allkill A^alley RR. (0 miles), and to the N. Y. and Oswego Alidland Branch, at Pine Bush (18 miles), wiU establish direct through routes (by ferry across the river, until the^completion of the Bridge) to all points west. I'rom these points, railroads are all complete to Scranton, Easton, and the coal region. The Bequest and AVallkill Ahilley RR., which is an extension of theAA'.V. RR. south, makes almost a straight line from Easton, which will be another outlet of the Lehigh region to Poughkeepsie and the east. On this route, between Alauch Chunk and the Hudson, the gradients are low, making it a most favorable line for heavy traffic. The completion of birt 18 miles of road to Pine Bush, makes not only a direct connection with The N. Y. & Oswego Midland RR., and connecting roads (all of a uniform guage), to the Coal Fields and the AA'est, but to Northern New York, Oswego, the Lakes, and to Buffalo by the way of Auburn, thus opening a new ute from the Hudson and the East to the AA'est. 17 A road is also projected, and survej-s are being made, fron» Ellenville (Branch of Midland) to Poughkeepsie. This road will run almost direct from the Delaware and Hudson Canal to the Bridge, on an easy gi-ade, (passing through a gorge in the mountains to the southeast of Paltz Point), bringing the Dela¬ ware & Hudson Canal to the Bridge and tide water in twenty- four miles. The above roads will bring the products of both the great Anthracite and Bituminous coal regions to the whole Eastern States, by a better route, and one that is, on an average, one hundred miles shorter t/ian atnj Other that exists. The farther important connections on the west are The New York & Erie RR. and its connections to various points The Delaware, Lackawana & Western, and its Coal branches ; and The Delaware River. The feasibilitj' of the Poughkeepsie Bridge project and the lirospect of its speedy completion, has led to new lines being established from the Coal regions to connect with it ; and an organization is already projected for nearly a direct route through "Wilkesbarre, the Delaware Valley, and Port Jervis, to Poughkeepsie. The completion of the Wallkill Valley Eailroad this season to Bondout will also give the Rondout and Oswego Rail Road direct communication with this point. It requires only the completion of the Bridge and the short hnk of the Pough¬ keepsie and Western road, to enable these three great lines, the ERIE (AND COAL BRANCHES,) OSWEGO MIDLAND, ANDRONDOUT&OSWEGO to make direct through connection to the East and by the Hudson 18 River, or N. Y.& Harlem RRs. to XewYork city, without tranship¬ ment or handling of ft-eight. At no other point on the Hud- sou can they accomphsh this without constructing many miles of railroad and expending large sums for the approaches to the river. Engineering" Advantages at Po'keepsie. It is not only true that Poughkeepsie is the most cenlral and riMia'iiienI point for the location of the Bridge, but siuweys made by competent engineers show that the engineer¬ ing advantages in favor of_this point make Its Construction here perfectly Practicable, and much easier and cheaper than at other locations. Tue Point sei.ected for the Stri cti re is near the present Ferry Dock, and at the intersection of the Poughkeepsie & Eastern and Hudson River Railroads. The bluffs here, that nature seems to have formed for the purpose, rise to the height of 110 feet on the cast shore and 130 on the west. Beyond this height the hills graduallj-recede to a level plain. The proposed elevation of the Bridge above high-water mark is 130 feet. This height will not only place if' above the tallest masts of our river vessels, but the nature of the location is such that wind cannot affect it. This elevation is also most favorable for the Railroad lines run¬ ning East and M'est, as the approaches will be on a level with the Bridge. Besides this, the track of the Hudson River Railroad is higher here than at any other place, thus enabling trains to be switched from it to the Bridge without overcom¬ ing a heavy grade. The distance across the river at this point is 2,4-'20 foot, or í'iO ti'Ot less than half a mile; and with the land approaches, the entire length of the Bridge will be three thousand four hundred (3,400) feet. The bank on either side is solid rock, affording the best foundation for towers, and the best anchorage for cables, if a Suspension Bridge be decided on, as is most hkely. The bottom of the river is rocky, and the depth averages but 50 feet, so that 19 pier can be built, if fcjund necessary, without difficulty, and with¬ out impeding navigation. It is proposed to construct a double deck Bridge, accommo¬ dating wagon travel and foot passengers below, and railroad trains above. The Interests of the City of New York Are especially involved in the construction of this Bridge, and the connection with it of the Midland and other hew lines to the West. The terminus of leading railroads at Jersey City is building up a "new New York" on the west of the Hudson, affecting seriously the commercial interests of the IMetropolis. Wise men see this now, and declare that "as all roads lead to New York, so must their termini for freight and passengers be there, and the method nearest, suue-st and mo.st practic.able, is the spanning of the river at Poughkeepsie." On every ton of coal now consumed in New York, the con¬ sumer pays an extra charge for once re-shipping, extra hand¬ ling, transportation and storage, and for the waste occasioned by rehandling, which is estimated at 100 pounds to a ton. On the millions of tons used in New York city annually, this be¬ comes an important item of expense. This Bridge will establish a short, feasiljle all-i"ail route from the Coal mines directly into the heart of the city, and cars can be loaded at the mines and unloaded into delivery carts in the city—thus effecting a saving to every consumer of coal. (Scranton, and the entire northern Coal district is many miles nearer tide-water at Poughkeep¬ sie than at New York. Ample dock room and facilities can be had at Poughkeepsie at a nominal price compared with Jersey City, and the water is deep enough (öO feet) to float the largest steamers. ) So also does the MARVELOUS GROWTH OF THE FREIGHTING BUSINESS between the East and the West make it imperative that more RR. lines be at once established. In 18(10, the railroad ton¬ nage of the State of New York rvas 2,107,787. In 1809, it was 5,.')1:4,094—an increase of 204 per cent. In 1870, it was 9,457,- 000—an enormous increase from the year before. In 1800, the 20 canal tonnage was 4,050,214:; in 1869, it was 5,859,080—an increase of 26 per cent. The roads at present carrying the freights of the Continent to and from the city of NewYork and the East, are overcrowed. Note.—During the last month (August, 1871.) the grain receipts alone at Boston, over the Boston A: Albany Kuad, have averaged a inillion of bushels a week ; and the Press of Bos¬ ton complain of great want of railroad facilities with the West, and say that it is impossible for the present roads to do the business. By the construction of the Bridge at this point—and an additional through route by the Connecticut Western, Pough- keepsie & Eastern, and the Midland, to Oswego, Buflalo, and the Lakes, is immediately' established between the east and the west. The completion of the Hartford AErie line on the east to this point and other connecting lines on the west, will immediately follow —all of which will tend to quicken transportation and lessen the rates of freight. As the above arguments in favor of bridging the Hudson in connection with the roads terminating at Poughkeepsie, seem to be sufficient, it only remains to answer the question— What will it Cost? Will it pay as an invest¬ ment? And what Interests will Build it? A detailed estimate of the cost of the Bridge is now being made by capable engineers. For a Suspension Bridge of one centre pier and two jjiers on land, the total cost of the enter¬ prise is approximated at two and a half millions of dollars ($2,500,000). (The cost of an iron truss bridge will be much less.) lu comparison with the cost of other similar structures, this estimate seems to be a safe one. The Niagara Suspension Bridge cost four hundred thousand dol¬ lars, (and is leased for ninety-nine years to the great Western Railway at a yearly rent of $45,000. ), The iron truss RR. bridge at Parkersburgh, Va., just completed, is one mile in length, more than double the length of the span here, is ninety feet above the water, cost one million of dollars, and was constrncted in eighteen months. This bridge was built by railroad companies, that had less financial inducements for its construction than are presented to either one of the seven great roads, (viz : Poughkeej)sie & Eastern, Connecticut West¬ ern, Hartford & Erie, Rondout & Oswego, Oswego & Midland, New York & Erie, and Hudson River,) for the building of the JPo»ghkeepsie Bridge. (There could also be added to the 21 above not only the roads ft-om Springfield and Hartford to Boston and Frovidence and their connections, but those to the west of the Hudson leading to the Coal fields and the West.) If it jjays for these two Companies to build such a bridge at such a point, will it not pay for the score of Companies so largely interested, to build this one? and wiU not the all-important consideration of direct communication from the Coal fields to New England be of interest enough to the States of Massachu¬ setts, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania, to make it a subject for State aid ? H aU these resources fail, which is far from being probable, it is believed that it can be shown by the most convincing argu¬ ments, that the project will be sufficiently remunerative to induce private enterprise to at once provide the means ? The Bridge as an Investment. The same consideration which controls in the location of railroads, viz : Traffic, must also be considered in the location of the Hudson River Bridge. The principal sources from which the Bridge Company will derive its revenue, are the transportation of passengers in trains, wagon and foot travel, coal, iron, general merchandise, and hve stock. The approaches to the Bridge, on both sides, wül be through a wealthy Agri¬ cultural district, thickly populated. On one side is a rapidly gi'owing city, of 21 thousand inhabitants, and on the other thriving villages. The traffic across the river at the present time is largely remunerative to a Steam Ferry Company. An estimate of tolls, based on the Ferry receipts and the in- critable increase of business and pleasure travel, demonstrates a large and constantly increasing income from this source, that would follow the erection of the Bridge. This consideration alone throws the balance entirely in favor of the Poughkeepsie location rather than any other on the river, even independ¬ ent of her railroad connections. The Estimate of COAL TRAFFIC and REVENUE FROM THE SAME. The item of Coal demands particular attention. The distribution through the populous counti-y reached by the Pough¬ keepsie & Eastern, Connecticut Western, and the Boston^ 22 Hartford & Erie Railroads, is more than two millions tons per annum. The quantity of Coal consumed in the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, in 1870, was 3,100,000 tons ; which, by existing means of communication with the mines, was subjected first to railroad or canal, then to river, sound or ocean transportation, before reaching its place of consumption—causing a loss of from 100 to 150 pounds, or fr'om 5 to 8 tP cent, a ton by handling. The above is also true of the large amount of Coal used in I he manu¬ facturing districts of New Hampshire and Maine, much of which would come over this line. The cost of once ro.shipping Coal is estimated by Coal Com- jianies as follows : Boating charges per ton for short distances, 32e. Hoisting and loading in cars 24c. Loss by handling, 35c. Total cost, 91c. a loss annually to the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, of more than two and a half millions of dol¬ lars, one half of which can be saved by having a through direct Railroad route. As the cost of transporting Coal by RR. is from 1J to 11 cents per ton per mile, and the country on the line from Boston and Providence to Poughkeepsie and Scranton will be reached by the Poughkeejisie Bridge route, from 80 to 100 miles shorter than any other, this saving in freight will also reduce the cost of a ton of coal at least ifl, cfi'ecting a saving annuallj' of one hun¬ dred thousand dollars to Springfield, Hartford, and every other city in the East, using one hundred thousand tons of coal. Every manufacturing cit}' in New England of thirty thousand people consumes on an average one hundred thousand tons of coal each year ; and not only are tlie cities increasing in population, but more perceptible is the increase in the consumption of coal and other products of Pennsylvania and the "West. Facts gathered in the investigation of this subject make it conclusive that the Coal Traffic alone, at mod¬ erate tolls, will make a Bridge at this point a better paying investment than any railway line in the State. t 23 Hematite and Magnetic Iron Ores, and Revenue from the Same. The Ii'on Ore beds in the TÍcinity of Ponghkeepsie, on the Railroad lines terminating here, are practically inex- hanstible, and second to no other mining districts in the Atlantic states. They are now fitted for an annual production of A MILLION OF TONS of qiiai'tz, which, with the increased facili¬ ties for transportation across the river, will be largely .aug¬ mented. The building of this Bridge assures the location on the Hudson here, of the heaviest Iron and Steel interest east of Pittsliurgh. AVith inexhaustible quantities of superior quality of Hematite Ores lying on the Ponghkeepsie & Eastern, and also on the Ponghkeepsie & Hopewell roads ; and the famous Magnetic veins on the Boston, Hartford & Erie ER., near Brewster's, this is the natural j^oint for the Iron interest to look to for the establi.shment of manufactories of Iron and Steel. This last manufacture, just in its infancy in this country, must speedily become in its pi'oportions one of vast magnitude ; and as the ores of this region are pronounced by experts peculiarlj' adapted for making steel, there can be no better point for the location of these manufactures than here, in connection with and proximity to the Bridge. The extensive Marlile Quarries at Dover are being largely worked, and will be to a greater extent as transportation facilities are oflered. The demand west of the Hudson for the superior ^Marble of these quaiTies wiU be veiw large with Bridge connection at this 2ilace. It is safe to say that Dutchess county, with the extensive business of Poughkeejisie, with her large Iron, IMarble, Lead, and rich Agricultural interests, wiU furnish more tonnage for the Bridge and connecting roads, than would any three counties on the line of the river. General Freight, and Revenue from the Same. From statistics obtained from ofiicial sources, it is estimated that about one and a half million tons of through freight, con¬ sisting mainly of manufactures, gi'ain, fioui", wool, cotton, oil. 24 and live stock, are annually transported between New England and the Western States, a large proportion of which is subjected to the expense and delay of ferriage and transhipment—a seri¬ ous loss, that would be avoided by the completion of this addi¬ tional continuous^line of Railroad. Principal Sources of Revenue. Taking the statistics of the present traffic as a basis on which to estimate the probable business of this Bridge when completed, it may be reasonably expected that its revenue wiU be about as follows : 1,500,000 tons of coal for Eastern consump¬ tion, ff 20c. "if* ton, .... $300,000 300,000 tons of coal for New York city and River counties, tl 20c. 1;^ ton, . . 00,000 [Note. —The freight tariff for coal over the bridge at Al¬ bany is FIFTY CENTS per toD, and $3 to $5 per car for general merchandise. The consnmpdon of coal in the New England States is estimated at 4,.5llt),0(K) tons, and forNewYork audBrooklyn cities, 3,0tK),(X)0.] 93,600 carloads general merchantlise, live stock, grain, oil, manufactured articles, iron and iron ores, fî $3 If car, 280,800 Wails and RR. passengers, . . . 109,840 Tolls from wagon and passenger traffic, 45,000 $795,640 Deduct 5 Ifc. for operating and other expenses, repairs, &c., ...... 39,782 Leaving a net profit of .... $755,885 Notwithstanding the above favorable showing, the profits of one year amouutingtomore than one-fourth of the'total cost of the Bridge, no one who has given the subject careftil investigation doubts the accuracy of the estimates, while the rates of toll are placed below the average charges of other bridges. Neverthe¬ less, if the above estimates are reduced to one-half, or even one- third the amounts mentioned, there still remains a large and remunerative profit upon the outlay required. In the Engineer's Report, made in 1867, of the probable business of the Highland Suspension Bridge Company, the estimate for Bridge tolls is^$l,000,000. Deducting $39,782 for operating expenses, leaves a revenue of $960,218. The esti- 25 mates of the probable business of the Poughkeepsie Bridge are made three yeai's later, and from statistics from oflScial sources, and from which it is fair to suppose that the business of the Poughkeepsie Bridge Company will far exceed the estimates of the Highland Suspension Bridge Company. It is a fact that may here be stated, that while gieat bridges over navigable waters are the most valuable feature of the engineering of our time, it is also notable that they pay enor¬ mous dividends to stockholders, and that no bridge stock is in the market. The Commercial Interests Involved. In every quarter the greatest activity prevails in the en¬ deavor to establish new and more direct channels for railway conveyance. Vfrginia has made a free gift of more than three millions of dollars, expended on the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail¬ road; the Canadian Parliament has moved for an invest¬ ment of six millions sterling in an inter-colonial railway; Port- laud has put three milhons into western railroad enterprises for the benefit of that city; Boston and the State of Massa¬ chusetts have advanced over fifty millions for railway con¬ struction; Baltimore has given eight millions to the Baltimore and Ohio road; the Pennsylvania Central Road, having extend¬ ed its leases and facilities for a permanent grasp of the Pacific traffic, is advancing two millions of dollars to place steamships on the Atlantic, to reach Liverpool and compete for the Euro¬ pean trade. Do not the (îommercial interests of Massachusetts, Con¬ necticut and Rhode Island, imperatively demand the imme¬ diate construction of this Bridge, for an outlet from the Coal region directly to their doors, practicable at all seasons of the year, and an additional link between the Eastern and Western States, affording facilities for cheap and quick transportation? And with the Bridge a certainty, will not the immediate com¬ pletion of the Boston, Hartford & Erie RaUroad, to connect with it, follow? and thus solve the diflScult problem of that unfortunate enterprise so delvr to them. Such is the judgment of many of their wisest men, and that to delay the completion of these ju-ojects is to injuriously affect the material prosperity of 26 not only those States but the whole of New England. At no previous time has so feasible a project for securing a gi'cat MIDDLE THROUGH DIRECT HIGHWAY with a continuity of trucks, across the Hudson, and one that promises so safe and profitable an investment, been under consideration ; and the encouragement which it receives will lead its friends to press immediately forward with the work. REPORT OF ENGINEERS. OFFICE OF POUGHKEEPSIE & EASTERN RAILROAD CO., No. IG Market Street, PoiTGHKEEPSIE, N. Y., Makch 5, 1871. Hon. n. G. Eastm.an, Mayor City of Pouglikeepsie. Si}- :—Since our interview regarding the practic.ability of Bridging tlie Hudson River at or near this city, I have given the subject careful consideration and examination, and am en¬ tirely convinced of tlie feasibility of the project, and from es¬ timates proximately prepared, 1 have have no hesitation in saying that either a Suspension or Truss Bridge can be con¬ structed, at a cost for the former not exceeding .$2,800,000, and the latter not exceeding $1,600,000. By reference to State Maps it will be seen that an interior line of Railway, passing through this City from East to West on the line of the proposed Bridge would be at least 85 to 100 miles shorter between the Coal Fields of Pennsylvania and the great interior Manufacturing interests of New England than any of those now in operation, and that in point of distance the future even, can produce no rival to this great thoroughfare between the points suggested. The finishing of the Pougli¬ keepsie and Eastern Railroad to the Connecticut State line, where it will form a close connection with the Connecticut Western Railroad, extending to Hartford and Springfield, which will be an accomplished fact within twelve months from this date, will open a line over which the manuflactured and other products of New England can reach the Hudson. With a Bridge at this point, and the further construction of a Road of 9 miles in length immediately upon the West side of the 28 Kiver there will be completed a net work of Railway connec¬ tions, extending from New England on the east, to the Coal Fields of Pennsylvania on the west, and to the Lakes and Northern New York via the Erie, Midland, Rondout and Oswego and other lines now in process of construction. From these connections,providing the Hudson is bridged, large freight and passenger receipts can safely be calculated upon, on which for all New England there would be a saving of at least 100 cents on every ton of Miscellaneous Freight, and a like amount on every ton of Coal consumed upon, and along the line of the proposed route. The saving of transportation upou the item of Coal alone to New England would be sufficient within five years to reim¬ burse them for building the Bridge Such being the fact it is safe to assume that material assistance can be had from this quarter to aid in its construction, and when finisned, its stock, I verily believe, will be the best paying in the state. The gradients via the proposed Bridge line are lower than that of any other route, having the same direction, thus en- enabling the hauling of heavy freight trains, which is a point of immense value to your enterprise. Yours, Respectfully, P. P. DICKINSON, Chief Engineer P. ANTHONY, County Judge, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. MATTHEW VASSAK, Vassar & Co., New York City atid Pough¬ keepsie, N. Y. POÖGHEiPSIE BRIDGE Hon. OHAHI.ES WHEATON, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 82 WILLIAM A. DAVIIÎS, Presideut Farmers and Manufacturers' Bank, PougUkeepsie, N. Y. »lOHX P. ADKIANCE, Adriauce, Platt & Co., Buckeye Mower and Reaper Manufacturers, New York CMty and Poughkeepsie, N, Y. «JOHN 1. PIjATT, Isaac Piatt & Sons, Publishers, PougUkeepsie, N. Y. OLIVER H. BOOTH, Vassar & Co., New York City and PougU¬ keepsie, N. Y. OEORGE K. GAYLORD, Gaylord, Vail & Doty, Shipping Mer¬ chants, PougUkeepsie and New York City. Col. GEORGE PARKER, J. G. Parker & Son, Flour and Grain Merchants, PougUkeepsie, N. Y. ISAAC W. WHITE, President Eureka Mower Co., PougUkeepsie, N. Y. Goil. ALFRED B. S.MITH, Post Master, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. HENRY I). VARICK, President Poughkeepsie Sarings Bank, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. POMEROY P. DICKINSON, Civil Engineer. Superintendent of Poughkeepsie and Eastern Rail Road. HUDSON TAYLOR, Retired Merchant, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. GEORGE P. PELTON, C. M. & G. P. Pelton & Co., Carpet and Pin Manufacturers, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. EDWARD STORM, Manufacturer Carriage Material and Trimmings, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. «JAMES G. WOOD, Wood & Tittamsr, Druggists, Poughkeepsie, N. T 33 AAKON IXNIS, (íift'i)rd, Sliermaii & Iiinis, Xew York City and Pough- kcepsie, N. Y. ^ AVALTKK VAX IvLKEC'K, Van Kleeck & Co., Merchants, PougU- keepsie, X. Y. JA.MES COELINGWOOL>, ColILngwoodi- Co, Lumber and Coal, Dealers, Poughkeepsie, X. Y. sJAMES MELKEIX, Mulrein & Bro., Plumbing Material, Poughkeep¬ sie, X. Y. OEOKGE COKXAVELL, Cornwell & Elting, Merchants, Poughkeep¬ sie, X. Y. CHAULES KIUCHXEK, Merchant, Poughkeepsie, X. Y. Hon. MAUK D. AVILBEK, President Poughkeepsie City Rail Road, Poughkeepsie. X. A". GEORGE COKLIES, Retired Merchant, Poughkeepsie, X. Y. IÎOBERT SLEE, Retired Merchant, Poughkeepsie, X. Y. ABRAAI AVRIGHT, Retired Merchant, Poughkeepsie, X. T. / Hon. CH.VRLES AV. SAVIFT, Attorney, Poughkeep.sie, X. Y. CHARLES H. ROBERTS, Retired Merchant, Highland, X. Y. L-VAVREXCE C. R.VPELJE, Merchant, Hopewell Junction, X. T AXXIXG SAI ITH, Shipper and Forwarder, Highland, X. Y^. Hon. A BR A AI HASBROUCK, Merchant, Highland, X. Y. OfHcei's and Committees of the Co. OKFICKllS. Preskhnt, lou.v F. WlNSLow. Vict-Presidfitl, IIaiívkv G. Eastman. Treasurer, GkorCtE Innis. Secretara, . R(jbeut F. Wilkinson. EX ECUTlV E CO.M MEI^rE F. .íüiiN F. W'inslow, IIakvky G. Eastman, J. M. Touc'EY, Charles Wheaton, IIoMEH A. Nelson, Geohoe P. Pelton, Isaac W. White. FI.XANCE COMMITTEK. John F. Winsloiv, Geokoe Innis, William A. Davies, Matthew Vassar, Jr, .J. 0. Whiteiioise, Charles W. Swift. AUDITING CO.M MITTEE. George R Gaylord, Oliver II. Booth, George Parker, Hlilson Taylor, Aaron I.vnis.