The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-11-04
THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD.

A correspondent Of the Journal Of Commerce,
writing from Pittsburgh, gives the annexed ac-
count of the extent progress, and character, Of
the great Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
From Baltimore, we took the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad to Paramount a village on the
left bank of the MonOngahea, about 80 miles
south of Pittsburgh, and just 800 miles from
Baltimore For years this road had been COM
pleted to Cumberland, I79 miles from Balti-
more. Within a few weeks it has been opened
to Paramount. We found the scenery through
which it passes, from Cumberland to Fair
mount (some l24 miles, to be remarkably fine.
The road runs up the valley of the Potomac
some SO miles, then up the valley Of Savage
Creek then it passes over to the - Glades " or
intervening table lands then it deseends into
the valley Of the Cheat River, where there is
some stnpendous" scenery, and tunnel Of
mile in length thence it passes over into Ty-
CARTS Valley which it descends to tho point
where the "Tygart's Valley River" and tho
South Branch" unite and form the Monon-
gahela few miles above Paramount Next
year the road will be completed to Wheeling,
some 70 miles from FairmouDt-making its
whole length, from Baltimore to the Ohio, 377
miles And certainly it will not be possible to
find q road in the United States which passes
through 80 much fine scenery. Ii will become
one Of the iayorite routes from the East to the
West From Wheeling, n railroad communi-
cation with Cincinnati will soon be completed
A branch from this road, commencing near
"Fetterman's," 20 miles east of Paramount, will
soon be made to Parkersburg, on the Ohio,
whence railroad will be made to Cincinnati.
This will, il am not mistaken, be the most
direct, and consequently the shortest, route from
New York to the "Queen of the West" Moth
ing has 70 much astonished me rs the number
of railroads now making in the upper part of
the Great Valley"-in Western Pennsylvania,
Western Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana,
and Illinois | had no conception Of their num-
her, or of the advanced state of several which
are now making. 1t is indeed wonderful.
EGyprAs LEGENDs.-Whe walking along
the banks of the river, we shot a small, beauti-
ful bird, called siksak by the Arabs, concerning
which the Egyptian peasants have curious
legend, pretending, that when the crocodile, in
fine, calm, sunny days, ascends out a the river
TO sleep upon some sandy islet, this bird always
keeps near, and if danger approach, takes care
to awaken him by his sharp note. They add
another particular, which, however fabulous II
may be, has prevailed in Egyp, from the age of
IIerodotus down TO the present day and seems
to be- founded on the physical structure Of the
bird. The siksak, which is undoubtedly the
trochius Of Ilerodotus, is armed at the point Of
each shoulder of the wings with small sharp
horn, like the talons OF all eagle. the use OF which
the Arabs, with their babitual ingenuity, ex-
plains as follows The crocodile, they say, be
ing at times tormented by noxlous kind OF
vermin, which creep into his throat and suck
his blood, lies down on the sand, and instructive
ly opens his mouth. The crocodile, forgetting
the presence OF his friend, sometimes closes has
mouth and imprisons him, upon which the six
SAX, which is purposely armed for the occasion,
lifts up its wings, and prcking the tender sides
sf his throat with his sharp horns, quickly pro
cures itself safe return 10 upper air. What
ever may be thought OF this legend, It Is very
certain that the crocodile is rarely seen unal-
tended by one or more OF these birds, which
seem to approach him iearlessly, and to stand
quite within his reach upon the sand.-St.
Johns Egypt and .Nabia Library Of IraOei