The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1853-10-15
Correspondence Of Tie Cecil Wig.
Letter FROM Wheeling.
WHEELING, Va, Sept. 3

WHEELING, VA, Sept. 80.
Mr.. EDrToR:-One of the fist things
that strikes the attention of the stranger
here is the great Wire Suspension
Bridge across the Ohio, or from the
Virginia side to Zaine Island: the other
bridge connecting the Ohio side to the
Island was built several years before
and is of wood The main channel Of
the river is on the Wheeling side. |
suppose it to be >uperIluous to say much
about the wire suspension part OF tins
now great thoroughtare, as almost every
person has read of the suit entered by
citizens of the State OF PENNSYLVANIA
against the Bridge Co., for o5structing
the navigation Of the river. On the
merits or dement's Of this case | have
nothing to say, but at the present stage
of water the bridge is far above the tall
est smoke stack. The span is SAID to be
/ he longest known, being 1910 feet from
tower to tower, and the length Of the
wires that suspend Il are 1880 feet.
The DETECTION at a Temperature H. de-
grres is 6SA feet, the brldg" is l53! Fl.
above low water MARI and is computed
to resist a pressure of 291 tom, equal to
an army Of 1000 men, at one time.
The cost Of this magnificent superStruc-
lure was Si66, 900
There are many extensive manurac-
tnrprs here Of glass, mails, wrought lroM,
toundrvs and E,aChlnc shops. Sw"nv s.
Son manufacturers of flint AMI cut glass
turn out annually 49, 300 packages est
mated at 100000: Berwick s Co.
manufacture annually Of window glass,
mineral water bottles, and vais, to the
amount Of 5l25,O 900, while the iron
product reaches over $500, 900.
Vh's is but two branches Of manHfac-
turc, there Is also a large amount Of
capital invested in the river trade which
is none Of the smallest iterl5 Of the bust
ness operations OF this place, ard the
Mumber OF buildings going Mp at this
time, particularly ware houses, rXcrrda
anything have met with IN my travels
if they build long at this rate they will
have to move some where else l0 get
ground to build on.
rival in the shape Of parkSburgh a
thriving town 81 miles below this, on
,hr Ohio river. They hasc applied for
"A charter to build rail road to ntersect
the B. s. @. Road, at or near Paramount,
" that means shorten the distance to
Baltimore, and boats can in low stages
of water run 10 that place when they
cannot run up to Wheeling.
The hills or mountains rlS" very bluff
Immediately behind this clty to the
height ofsiX hundred and iort feet above
exhaustable VEINS Of hitumous coal, com
lnencing on level with the river; and
for many feet the earth is composed of
sand and loan, then % feet in depth of
good building sand stone, then stratum
ot sand and loan, then 81 feet in depth
a vein of coal, then another OF slate,
sand and loan, then SO feet lime stone,
and so on, alternate layers of sand, loan,
lime stone, and COAL but as you APP
proach the top or surface of the earth
the coal becomes quite inferior and not
. worth the trouble and cost of mining, a
few years ago an Artezian was sunk IN
this place in search OF salt, and after
passing through sandstone, iron ore,
slate and coal, they struck on vein OF
coal $50 feet below the bed of the river
some II feet in depth, in quality fal
superior to any found previously in all
that coal region, but mas much as the y
were not after coal and there was an
abundant supply more convenient,
suppose that it will not be worked for
some time to come.
| have met with persons here from
nearly all the Western States and have
heard so much about the quality Of the
lands, the enterprise of the West, thei
crops, their rail roads, their everything
on the go-ahead principal, that | have
got quite a western fever; but | think
for the present shall 90 from here t.
Richmond or Norfolk where you may
expect 10 hear from me. G.