Chief Engineer's Report of the Survey of the 
 Greenville & French Broad Railroad 
 
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 Unitozmty of Jftortb Carolina 
 
 Collection of j£ottf) Catoliniana 
 
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 of tl?e Qllaeis of 1889 
 
 
CHIEF ENGINEER'S REPORT 
 
 Of the late Survey of the 
 
 Qreenville & French Broad Railroad 
 
 FROM BUTT MOUNTAIN GAP TO SPARTANBURG. 
 
 Asheville, July 29, 1874. 
 
 To tho President and Directors of the Spartan 
 burg and Asherille. and Greenville and French 
 Broad Railroad Companies: 
 
 Gente'kmex :— -In compliance with 
 ;>,>.\ order to survey the route for your 
 road from Butt Mountain Gap to 
 Spartanburg' A party was organ- 
 ised and put in the field On the 15th 
 (if May. 
 
 Beginning at Butt Mountain Gap, 
 the line was run as far as the School 
 House Gap, near Mrs. McMinn's a 
 distance of about two miles, nearly 
 upon the line of Major McCalla'sin 
 1859. 
 
 From the School House Gap to the 
 Revis Gap, beyond Green River, 
 considerable deviation was made 
 from his line, and as the running was 
 unsatisfactory on account of its in- 
 directness, and being anxious to reach 
 the more important points of the line 
 beyond the Saluda Mountain; I traced 
 Major McCalla's old route, varying 
 but little from it as far as Howard's 
 Gap in the Saluda Mountain-, a dis- 
 tance of twelve and a quarter miles. 
 
 From Howard's Gap a line was run 
 upon the southern face of Tryon 
 Mountain to Thompson's Gap at the 
 eastern end of the mountain, and 
 thence to Columbus, a distance of 
 five and eight tenth miles. Leaving 
 
 Columbus at the terminus of Peak 
 street, the line crosses a prong of 
 White Oak Creek, on Mr. Denton's 
 farm, passing near the house, and 
 thence over the spurs of Dishroom 
 Mountain, crossing the Cowpen Ridge 
 at the intersection of the Mill's Gap 
 and Sandy Plains roads, and falls 
 into the Columbus and Spartansburg 
 road near Morrison's house on the 
 ridge leading to Jackson's upper 
 bridge on North Pacolet, and follow- 
 ing the Spartanburg road a short dis- 
 tance, falls into the old route sur- 
 veyed by Major McCalla near Mr. 
 Anderson's house, from which place 
 to Spartanburg very little deviation 
 was made from his line,, except at 
 New Prospect church. 
 
 I was induced to run this line by 
 Major McCalla's reommendation, 
 made to the Company in 1859, of a 
 temporary track on the south side o 
 Tryon, where he assumed that with a 
 distance of six miles he could over- 
 come the difference between How- 
 ard's and Thompson's Gaps — seven 
 hundred and six feet — at a cost of 
 ten thousand dollars per mile, and re- 
 lieve the company of the burden of 
 building the line adopted between 
 these two points, which passes around 
 the northern sides of Tryon and 
 
:i 
 
 Chief Engineer's Report. 
 
 White Oak Mountains, a distance of 
 eleven and one quarter miles at a 
 cost of seventy one thousand dol- 
 lars per .mile. 
 
 I foi|nd the difference in elevation 
 of the gaps seven hundred and six 
 feet, but the distance unfortunately 
 was but four and three quarter miles 
 requiring uniform grade of one hun- 
 dred and twenty two feet per mile to 
 Oolumbus, assuming a cut of about 
 sixty feet at Howard's gap. The con- 
 sideration of this grade whioh on ac- 
 count of the curvature of the line 
 would have required probably one 
 hundred and forty feet per mile upon 
 the straight portion of the line, to al- 
 low for a proper reduction upon the 
 curves, involving an embankment of 
 seventy feet on the lowest ground of 
 Thompson's gap and long approaches, 
 and the expensive crossings at the 
 heads of Skyweka and Horse creeks 
 and probably a short tunnel through 
 the dividing ridge between them, led 
 to the examination of a line plainly 
 indicated by the topography of the 
 country, presenting a hope of a more 
 favorable descent of the Saluda Moun- 
 tain. This line as seen, passes How- 
 ard's Gap with eighteen feet cutting 
 at the summit, and turning to the 
 right upon the slopes of the Warrior 
 mountain, descends at the average 
 rate of eighty seven feet per mile, 
 to ;th6 North Pacolet River which it 
 crosses at a distance of four and a 
 quarter miles from the Gap, with the 
 grade sixty feet above the water. 
 From this point turning to the base 
 of Melrose Mountain and leaving the 
 immediate valley of the Pacolet, the 
 line descending at the rate of eighty 
 
 feet per mile for five continuous miles 
 presents few features of mountain 
 work, and continuing three miles far- 
 ther with an undulating grade crosses 
 the South Carolina line near the 
 Block House and falls into the How- 
 ard's gap road at a point half a mile 
 beyond, where terminates the North 
 Pacolet division twelve and a fourth 
 miles in length. 
 
 The crossing of Vaughn's Creek is 
 the most serious obstacle on this di- 
 vision. By increasing the cut at 
 Howard's Gap and lengthening the 
 line a little, a low crossing of Pacolet 
 may be obtained with better curva- 
 ture, and the grade from Howard's 
 Gap reduced to eighty feet. Such a 
 change, .which should be made, in- 
 stead of increasing the estimate of this 
 division would reduce it, as the ra- 
 vines would be crossed nearer their 
 heads decreasing the embankment 
 which is in excess, and throwing out 
 the high crossing of Pacolet. 
 
 Leaving the terminus of the North 
 Pacolet division the line passes over 
 the summit of Bird's Mountain with 
 a cut of thiry four feet, and following 
 the Howard's Gap Road for a little 
 more than two and a half miles, di- 
 verges to the right at Perry Davis' 
 and crossing to the left of the road 
 at the Glade Old Field, continues on 
 that side leaving Dr. Landrum's 
 house a quarter of a mile to the right, 
 and crosses South Pacolet at an ele- 
 vation of sixteen feet above the wa- 
 ter. Leaving Pacolet the line is 
 still on the left of the Howard's Gap 
 road until it reaches Motloes Creek, 
 before crossing which, it passes to 
 the right and crossing Dean's mill- 
 
C-p 3 
 
 Chief Engineer's Report. 
 
 3 
 
 pond touches the road again nearly a 
 mile beyond, whence diverging to the 
 right it passes round Windmill hill, 
 and does not reach the Howard's Gap 
 road until within one fourth of a mile 
 of Calvary Church, from which point 
 to Mr. Camps it follows the road and 
 near his house passes to the right and 
 descends to Lawson's Fork, crossing 
 it fifteen feet above the water, and 
 passing Camp Branch nearly a mile 
 beyond at a height of thirty-eight 
 feet above the water, falls into the 
 Howard's Gap road at a point about 
 four miles above Spartanburg, where 
 it also connects with the- line from 
 Columbus, and continuing along the 
 Howard's Gap road connects with the 
 track of the Air Line R. R. Companyi 
 about one and three quarter miles 
 from their depot, where terminates 
 the South Carolina division, twenty 
 three and four tenth miles in length. 
 This division as shown by the esti- 
 mates, presents very light work and 
 will be improved on location. 
 
 A line leaving this and following 
 the ridge to a crossing of South Paco- 
 let farther down the stream, might be 
 shorter and give more general facili- 
 ties to the local traffic of the country 
 adjoining it, is worthy examination. 
 
 I present herewith an estimate for 
 grading of both these lines, with the 
 cost also of the whole line from Ashe- 
 ville to Spartanburg. This estimate 
 is for the first class work as shown by 
 the figures. The cost of grading from 
 Ashville to Butt Mountain Gap was 
 ascertained by this party last fall. A 
 comparison of the lines from Howard's 
 Gap to Spartanburg show the line by 
 ( 'olumbus to be one and eight tenth 
 
 r> 
 
 33^^ 
 
 miles shorter, but costing thirty three 
 thousand dollars more — whilst its 
 grades are one hundred and twenty 
 two feet, and the other eighty feet 
 per mile. 
 
 I have no hesitation in recommend- 
 ing the line by Warrior Mountain and 
 North Pacolet. By putting in sub- 
 stantial trestles at the various cross- 
 ings where embankments and costly 
 masonry have been estimated, the 
 cost may be reduced over one hun- 
 dred thousand dollars. Reserving the 
 Green River division for a future ex- 
 amination, I assume Maj. McCalla's 
 estimate of it, deducting his probable 
 allowance for iron. I hope with other 
 grades to reduce his distance without 
 increasing our cost. 
 
 All the estimates have been made 
 for a road bed of sixteen feet in cuts 
 and twelve feet on embankments, 
 with curvature adapted to the ordin- 
 ary guage. 
 
 Should we adopt for the present, a 
 narrow gauge, the estimate for gra- 
 ding will be considerably reduced, 
 while the difference in the cost of iron 
 would save to the company about 
 seventeen hundred and fifty dollars 
 per mile — or one hundred and thirty 
 five thousand six hundred dollars, be- 
 sides the saving in cost of rolling- 
 stock and subsequent operating ex* 
 penses. 
 
 This survey of more than one hun- 
 dred miles of line, including trial lines, 
 was executed in two months, and I 
 acknowledge here the faithful ser- 
 vices of each member of the party. 
 The immediate charge of the survey 
 was committed to Capt. R. M. Clay- 
 ton, to whom I am indebted for the 
 
 Microfilmed 
 SOLiNET/ASERL PROJECT 
 
Chief Engineer's Report ■, 
 
 dispatch and efficiency of the work. 
 I acknowledge here also the Valua- 
 ble services of Mr. William Camp, 
 who freely gave us his time and 
 knowledge of the country from North 
 Faeolet to Spartanburg, and also on 
 the lower Imp by New Prospect 
 church; also the services of Mr. E. 
 Clayton who was with "the party du- 
 ring the whole survey, contributing 
 to the facility of our operations in the 
 field and in camp, by his acquintance 
 with the people and knowledge of the 
 country through which we passed. 
 
 It is important to secure the right 
 of way for the line before its final lo- 
 cation. . ., I 
 
 The estimated cost of grading, 
 ready for the track of the entire line 
 iron: Asheville to Spartansburg - . 
 adopting the North Pacolet division 
 from Howard's Gap to the South 
 Carolina line, and using the trestles 
 recommended and assuming no re- 
 duction of Major McCalla's estimate 
 of the Green river division, is eight 
 hundred and sixty-five thousand two 
 hundred and fifty nine dollars. 
 
 Should the consolidated company 
 determine to grade at once the S. C. 
 division, and should the N. C. R. R. 
 Company let to contract their line 
 from Old Fort to Paint Rock, which 
 we earnestly hope they soon will do, 
 we can make the subscription of Bun- 
 combe and Henderson counties avail- 
 able for the grading of the upper 
 French Broad division from Asheville 
 to Butt Mountain, bringing the equip- 
 ment of the line over the W. N. C. R. 
 Road, and thus reduce the gap in 
 
 the Connection by rail with Spartan 1 
 burg, to a distance of twenty four 
 miles 1 — a gap that could not long con- 
 front the earnest united efforts of the 
 friends of this great enterprise. 
 
 Respectfully your obedient servant, 
 T. Coleman, 
 Chief Engineer, G. & F. B. R. R. Co. 
 
 ESTIMATE 'OF LINE FROM ASHEV1T.1.;: 
 
 TO SPARTANBURG, BY WAT OF 
 
 COLUMBUS. 
 
 rPI'EE TRENCH BROAD DIYISION 
 
 Fro:n Asheville to Butt mountain gap, 
 375_i miles: grading, 'bridging and 
 masonry % 160,00(1 00 
 
 Average cost per mile 5. 103 40 
 
 GREEN RIVER DIVISION 
 
 From Butt mountain gap to Howard 
 gap. 12*4 miles; grading, masonrv 
 
 and bridging .' ". 309. 501 ) t k i 
 
 Average cost per mile 22,000 Oil 
 
 TRTON MOUNTAIN DIVISION" 
 
 From Howard's gap to Columbus, 6 
 miles; grading, bridging and ma- 
 sonry 343.080 00 
 
 Average cost per mile. . : 57*280 00 
 
 PACOLET DIVISION 
 
 7rom Columbus to Spartanburg. 2S 
 miles: grading, masonrv and bridg- 
 ing...." *. '. . 238,076 00 
 
 Average cost per mile 8.502 71 
 
 Total §1,000,756 00 
 
 ESTIMATE OF COST FROM ASHEVIIUK 
 
 TO SPARTANBURG BY WARRIOR 
 
 AND NORTH PACOLET LINE. 
 
 UPPER FRENCH BROAD DIVISION 
 
 From Asheville to Butt mountain gap. 
 27?4 miles: grading bridging and 
 masonry ' $ 450,000 09 
 
 Average cost per mile 5. 405 40 
 
 GREEN RIVER DIVISION 
 
 From Butt mountain gap to Howard's 
 gap, 1234 miles; grading, masonry 
 and bridging 269.500 no 
 
 Average cost per mile 22.000 00 
 
 NORTH PACOLET DIVISION 
 
 From Howard's gap to Bird's mountain, 
 12>4 miles; grading, masonrv and 
 bridging " 458.082 00 
 
 Average cost per mile 39.394 46 
 
 SOUTH CAROLINA DIVISION 
 
 From Bird's mountain to Spartanburg. 
 23.4 miles: grading, masonry and 
 bridging ..'. 89,073 00 
 
 Average cost per nine 3,844 57 
 
 Total % 967.545 00 
 
 Amount deducted for substitution of 
 trestles 102.205 00 
 
 Total cost $ 805.280 00 
 
 Henderson County Ad ^erUser Print. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
 00042071612 
 
 FOR USE ONLY IN 
 THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION