| From the Clarksville, Tenn. Jeffersonian |
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| February 20, 1861 |
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| A Trip to the Tennessee River |
| On Saturday last, in company with the
President and all the Directors, and some of the officers, of the
Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Rail Road Company, together with
a small number of invited guests, we made an excursion to the
Tennessee River by Rail Road. The party embarked between thirty and
forty persons, and made up as pleasant a crowd as we have been in for
many a day. The train, under charge of Capt. Rob. M. Reynolds, left
the depot here about 10 A. M., and proceeded along with much
deliberation -- giving the excursion ample opportunity to examine the
country through which the road ran, which to many of them was a
perfect terre incognito. |
| The country between the Cumberland and
Tennessee Rivers, about forty-three miles in extent, is by no means an
inviting one, though it contains much valuable and productive land,
and vast quantities of excellent timber. The surface is ??dely
undulating and broken, and the ??? of constructing the road through
it, was exceedingly heavy. But the energy of the company, and the
skill of its engineers, have triumphed??? the obstacl3es of nature;
and the road is an accomplished fact. It is substantially built -- the
bridges and trestling are made strong and the grades are easy. |
| About 11 o'clock the locomotive whistled
to "breaks down" upon the banks of the Tennessee River. The
river being at a very high stage -- higher indeed, than has been known
since 1847, it presented a grand appearance -- the back water
extending along the sides of the track for a long distance. Boats were
provided for those of the excursionists. who desired to cross to the
other side and about one half went over to the city of Danville,
a institution which sprang into existence contemporaneously with
the construction of the road. Though not yet over-run with population,
??? is quite a flourishing and growing ???? on the bank of the river,
and at one end of the long bridge, will doubtless go on to the
accomplishment of a high destiny. It is already a free city, having
formally "seceded from the county of Benton, to which it belongs,
has a steam revenue cutter called the "Alfred Robb," and is
protected by an Iron cannon presented, we believe, by the President of
the road. The fact that they have a ten pin alley already in the
"full tide of successful operation," is indicative of the
determination of her citizens to keep pace with the march of
civilization. So much for Danville. |
| The progress of the work upon the bridge
piers is at present stopped by the extraordinary freshet in the river,
but will be resumed as soon as the waters recede, which will doubtless
be in two or three days. Several of the piers are finished, and are
executed in Maxwell, Saulpan & Co. best style of masonry, which is
about as much as could well be said in the way of praise. The timber
is all on the ground, framed, and ready to go up as soon as the river
falls. |
| The track, which is being laid from Paris
toward the river, is now within eight and a half miles of the bank,
and is advancing at the rate of half a mile per day. Under no possible
circumstance is it expected that the completion of the track will be
deferred longer than the 15th of March, and the probabilities are that
it will be accomplished at an earlier day. The day it is finished ????
will be opened, a new route from Louisville to Memphis, shorter than
any other, and six or eight hours quicker in time. The bridge of
course will not be finished as early as this ???, but the company will
put in a Steam Ferry, which will cause but a few moments delay. |
| After taking a general look at matters and
things, the excursionists entered the cars and returned for
Clarksville, which they reached between four and five o'clock, having
spent a most agreeable day. |
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