New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-12-27
Trade ans. Travel OF the Great Valley
No IL Correspondence of The Tribune.


South stlsbo,o'. Mass. NJ
Trade and Travel OF the Great Valley
No IL Correspondence of The Tribune.
WHEELING, Dec. 2. 1874
The increased facilities of transit from th'
seaboard to the Ohio River afforded by the Bal
tmore and Ohio Railroad, cannot fail strongly
TO impress the mind Of any one who has cros'eo
theAlleghany Mountains, before that great work
was completed to Its present terminus. Leaving
Baltimore in the morning, you are set down in
this city on the evening Of the following day
making the travelling time about thirty .sx hours.
The entirs distance is three hundred miles, com
prising one huadred and seventy miles OF rail
road and one hundred and thirty miles of staging
The Baltimore end Ohio Railroad is, under
every point of view, magnificent work. Orr
einally designed to connect The mighty rivers
which intersect the Mississippi Valley with the
Atlantic Ocean, it has heen pushed forward In
the face of difficulties at times lnsurmoantasic,
with an undaunted resolution and u wise fore
cast that challenge the highest admiration
About one half the entire route by which ;his
wild region is alone access bic to railway, has
already been accomplished, In the general re-
connoisance of the country between Cumberland
and the Ohio River, which has been made with
reference to the extension Of tho road. various
routes have received the attention OF the able
engineers employed by the Company; but all Of
them designed 10 reach the Ohio at some point
between Wheeling and the mouth of the Little
Kenhawa, toithout touching the Stale OF Penn
syipania. The length OF these several routes
some Of which require the use OF the territory OF
the two States oi Maryland md Virginia and
Others the use of the latter alone, varies from
one hundred and eighty-six and quarter miles
to two hundred and twenty three mi'es. Con-
sderipg the length of the route and the nature
Of the country otugh which 1t passes, this en-.
terprise may be said to be second in magnitude
TO 70 other of the kind either in this country or
Europe.
The business operations OF tho road during
the year ending on tho Goth September last have
been Of highly satisfactory character. The
increase of travel upon the preceding year has
been thirty-six per cent; while the aggregate
increased cost Of transporting passengers Goes
not exceed FIVE hundred doliars. In the trans.
portation of merchandise and agricultural pro-
ducts, the augmentation has also been very con
siderable. For system and economy II the man.
agement, this road is probably not surpassed ty
any similar work i'll this or any other country
the net earnings for the last year, over and above
all expenses, amoupt to the sun of S346,946 0S,
being nearly FIVE per cent. upon the capital In
vested.
Within few weeks the Maryland and New
York Iron and Coal Company have completed q
railway extending ftom Cumberland to Mouu1
Savage, distance of a little more than nint
miles, at cost of about eighteen thousand dol
lars per nile. This Association, which employ
a capital of moro than million of dollars and Il
distinguished for It's liberal and eDterprsinG
spirit, has recently entered into contract WIKI
the Railroad Company for tha transportation
from, the mines to Baltimore, of fifty thoassnc
tons of Coal, Railroad Iron, &c. per annum, fol
the nextsfye years. The coal of the Ale ghaDJ
region, / may here remark, has been tested ii
great variety of ways, and has been found Il
possess qualities which for The purposes of com
Insrce aud the useful arts generally, us well a
well as for the warming OF houses, render 1t de
cidedly preferable to tne anthracite Goals now
commonly in use. In pursuance of The arrange
ment Just referred TO, the Railroad Company ha
constructed number of engines weighing orel
twenty tons each and cosl cars of an improved
styls, being made in cylindrical form Of shee
iron which has been found TO make til lighte
and cheaper carriage than wood. The heavy
improved engines, are capable of drawing over
level and straight road, eieoen hundred tons
and over grades eighty-,wo and a halt feet tt
the mile, with curvatures of one thousand fee
radius, about one hundred and seventy .fre ions
at a speed of eight miles per hour.
The history Of this road affords conclusive
proof of the feasibility OF adapting railways
particularly those of great length, to all the pur
poses of commerce. The steadincss and uni
formity of their operations in all seasons OF th'
year, together with the greatly superior velocity
easily maintained without injury to the way
have already given TO the Railroads decided
preference over Canals both in the United States
and in Europe as thoroughfsres for hurthen. Il
NAV indeed we'll DO doubted whether u canal OF
any considerable length will hereafter be con-
structed in this country.
The merchants OF your city ought at once TO
turn their attention to this work as channel o.
communication with the Great West. AT pre-
seat the extraordinary charge fox carrying both
passengers and merchandise between New York
and Phlladelphia operates almost like an Embar'
90 upon the trade of the Valley OF the Ohio III
the early part of the Spr ng. During the las.
Summer the writer was shown By a gentleman
of your city, who possesses great practical e1pe
rience in matters of THIS kind, plan for estao
l,shing line Of s Gamers, 10 be furnished with
Enccson's Propellers, TO run between New-Yosk
and Baltimore in connection with the Railroad.
for the transportation Of both passengers and