Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-09-15
CENTRAL OHIO RAIL ROAD.
President suliivan's Report.
TnE QUESTION: % oAeuE.

THE QUESTION OF GAGUE.
The reference we have made to the benefits of
which we may avail ourselves in continuous
guage to Pittsburgh, deserves passing eXplana-
ton. Within given diStance--one under which
the machinery of Road will not be permitted to
pass too far, or be too long absent from the super
vlSSon of its proprietary-here is doubtless great
advantage in continuity of guage; but we believe
the experience of Roads in operation, demonstrates
it mistake to suppose that this plan of inter
changing the use of machinery over long lines,
owned by various interests and under different de-
greeS of vigilance and responsibility could 40
otherwise than work more Inconvenience and loss
than the labor and expense of transferring at given
intervals, not only passengers but trelghtS. we
think, then that the advantage of a continuous
guage Tor long lines owned by different interests is
only ideal, even where there is nothing IN clrcum-
stances to make 1t Objectionable. But When this
idea is carried through an extended territory, where
the gu0ge of every other RoadiS different from the
one adopted, the fancy becomes tutLGcy OF
fatal character. Roads i'll the valley of the MlSSis-
Sippi which are projected and built without refer
ence to local trade, or with principal reliance
upon through trade, will be failures. And when
Road aiming to be great Though route interSects
repeatedly the local lines of country, having all
different guage, which at the same time may be
intersected by rival line with coincident guage,
tits likly toprove thatthe hundred tributary streams
are sacrificed for the sake of retaining unwasted
the comparatively feeble waters of the fountain
from which il starts. The dangers of such an iso
lation are beginning already, we understand, to
be felt by two Roads in Ohio that commenced
building withthe Pennsylvania and Indiana guage,
which are identical.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF OUR ROAD.
Every additional development in the rapidly
changing character of the business relations OF the
country have only induced additional confidence
| in the strength of our position, and addltlonal
satisfaction with the location of the Genital Omo
Road.
The intense activity and interest which the
minds of our people manifest at this time IN pub
lie works have already developed all the projects
| of Railroads for Ohio which are likely 10 be in
Dictated for many years TO come, and more lhan can
be built at this time. But amidst them ALI between
a fortunate combination of circumstances and the
| topography of the country north and south oil our
line there is no Road yet projected, nor likely TO
be, that will abstract any important portion oil our
| local trade; whilst for through business our geo.
graphical position is such as to leave us without
| an even handed competitor. We are aware that
rival interests have endeavored to depreclate the
value of our geOgra phlcal poStlt ny a reference
to the grades and curvature to which we shall be
subjected for about thirty miles through the coun-
| ty of Belmont. The comparison OF Roads oy thelr
maximum grades is very fallaclous way oil ludg :
ing of value. frequent succession oil grades oi
60 feet to the mile over stretch OF line Oh W. ou
or 100 miles in extent is certainly much more OBJ
iectionable than the occurrance OF grade OF 10
feet to the mile at the passage OF single summit
in a long line of Road, especially if large por-
ton of the balance of the Road is teoet or Pract-
cally so. The measure OF objection upon the
score of grades, if they be workable at all with
single engine is not the inclination of any partlcu-
lar plane so much as their frequency oil occurrence
and their dISDOStiOn-their relation to each other
In view of this the distinguished Engineer, MI.
La;robe, introduced into the location OF the Balt-
more and Ohio Road maximum grades OF ZIG feet
10 the mile, instead of 50 feet 10 the mile, with
less favorable ''dispoStion.'' In the matter OF
curves we have no portion OF our line, between
GAINESVILLE and the Ohio River, with such stringent
curvature as some that exists upon the ROAD De-
tween GAINESVILLE and Newark, and yet the latter
portion of the Road we have run, under schedule
at 80 miles per hour.
We have no hesitancy in expressing the belief
that in alignment and grades our road and Its al
iliate lines enthusiastically, westward and
northweStery, may claim at least an equality with
the best lines radiating from Pittsburgh and Vince
ling, or branching from the Baltimore and ONO
Road; whilst in linecl distance, with the exceP-
tiun of the ParkerSburgh route between Baltl
more and Cincinnati, will be part OF the shortest
line of communication between Washington,
Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York, IN thS
East, and the Capitols of Ohio, Indiana and Mis-
ISouri, and the cities of Cincinnati, Louisville
and ST. Louis, in the West. With reference even
to the ParkerSbuTgh route from Baltimore, we be-
lieve thatth superiority of the Central line west
of GAINESVILLE, through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois,
in point of grades and curvature, over the route
through the more broken region in the vicinity oil
the Ohio River, together with an exemption tTom
the delay to which travel will be exposed in trans
fer through the city of Cincinnati, from the cas-
tern and western lines, and a like exemption from
the expense of transferring freighs, will make the
great Central Ioute the favore line OF travel be-
tween St. LOUIS and Baltimore and Washington.
As preparatory for this result, an unbrOken chain
of Railroads for the whole route is partly built or
in process Of construction, and will be soon COM
plete. Taking up the line OF our connections at
Columbus, the Columbus and Xenia Road, by the
fundamentally of the Xenia and Dayton Road,
will be practically extended to Dayton. The
Dayton and Western Railroad is in operation 10
the Indiana State line. From there the Indiana
CentTal-(with which the Dayton and Western
is consolidated)-will be complete to indianapolis
IN the coming month of October. From Indian
apolls TO Tene Haute the Road is in successful
operation. From TelTe Haute 10 Alton on the
Mississippi, within 25 miles of st. Louis, the
whole line is under contract. For the conStruc-
ton of road from Teue Haute to St.Louis direct,
another Company is organized; but with some
legislative distinctions thrown in their way, by
what is called illinois policy, they are yet de-
layed in their work. From Indianapolis another
magnificent chain of Roads, stretching to st. Jo-
SephS on the Missouri, and all of which, except
about 37mileS, is either built or under contract,
lies under this 40h parallel of North latitude
along which the Central Ohio and the Indiana
Central Railways are laid.
These several interests we indicate as constitu-
ting the GRAND CENTRAL TRUNK LINE, which ia
king into consideration either peTfectneSS of rea-
ton to the east and west business of the country,
fertility of soil, density of population or its afflu
ence of general trade, is not now equalled in the
Valley of the Mississippi, and will never be SAL
passed.
1t is needless TO tax your patience with a list
of the Roads destined TO be tributary to this great
Arterial Line; but glance at the map of Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, with the various roads converg
ing upon the Central Route, will show the pro-
| DFiatv OF he 6pF w m n nd OF
our tunnels and masonry with q view TO double
track,
| COMPETING ROADS.
1.-THE guage of the "Stsubenvllc and Indiana
Road' be altered to the Ohio guage, which is said
10 be in view-it is probable that an arrangement
would be made for dispensing with the construc-
ton of their Road, as Contemplated by that Com
| many. hetween Newark and Columbus. ThiS be-