Staunton Spectator

Railroad West of Staunton.

We have recently passed along the location of the Central Railroad West of this place, and were pleased to observe the state of forwardness in the work. The grading from this place to Panther Gap, 35 miles, is on most of the sections ready for the rails. The building of the bridge over the Calf Pasture River, at Goshen, Rockbridge county, is commenced; the bridge immediately at Staunton is also in progress with a full force under Messrs Burnett & Co.; this part of the work we understand will be passed by a temporary structure until completed. The heavy work at the summit section thirteen miles West of Staunton-is the only part of the grading which causes delay, but this section is to be completed by April next, and the cars will run through to Panther Gap by the first of June.

The location in the mountains is of easy gradients, gentle curvatures and highly picturesque: Entering at Buffalo Gap it sweeps around the end of Little Mountain on a graceful curve at an elevation of several feet over the Turnpike below; thence it is suspended along the Northern side of the mountain for three miles when it reaches the summit ridge at the dividing of the waters; the summit is passed by a cut of forty feet deep and the line gradually descends, skirting along the base of the mountain for a distance of eight or ten miles till it comes out fairly upon the level of Bell's Valley, which it follows with the courses of the waters to Panther Gap. It pursues in this line the track which tradition tells the Buffaloes— Col. Benton's "Nature's Engineers"—used for centuries in passing to and from the Valley to the West.