Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-01-14
Ma. PRrs1DEsr:-

the respectable company now assembled some &C
count of the circumstances under which was orig
mattel theIgreat work, the completion Of which
we are this daYmet to celebrate.
deem the present suitable occasion to maxi.
some reference to these circumstances while the
are still within the memory of some of us.
Before the idea of opening communication
by Railroad between the chesapeake Bay and thu
navigable rivers ofthe West, had been conceived
the proposed ChesapeaS" and Ohio canal was look
ed to bp the citizens of Baltimore as the onl'
available means by whichthey could hope to draw
back to their city portion of then Western traa'i
which had qeen distracted from them by the pub
lie works of Pennsylvania and New York. an
they naturally felt deep interest in the success
that work The anticipations they had formed o.
its benefits were disSipated upon the pubhcatlo'
Of Gen. Bernard's estimates of It's cost; ann np
1epresentations OF the dimcnities that lay IN lt'
way in the scarcity of water and the high eieva
tons which it unavoidably must be carried over
these satisfied the people of Baltimore that 1t ccuE
not be relied upon as affording any benefit !"
them. -N...-
Previous 20 this, no Railroad had been con-
structed either in Europe in this country Tor tn
general conveyance of passengers and produce he
tween distant points. -e-
few Railroads had been constructed IN hu
rope for local purposes, such Us the conVeyahc
of coal aud other heavy articles from the mines I
places of production TO nayigable water. And nm
ill the opening of the Liverpnol and MancheSt1'
Railroad in the year 1880, the utmost speed i
travel attained by locomotives, did not exceed 81
miles an hour, and the question had not been de
cided, whether stationary steam engines, or hon
nower would be preferable.
In the latter part of July 1925, when the Che:
peake and Ohio Canal began - be considered .,
failure as an efficient means of connecting the trad
of the Atlantic with the West, Philip E. Thorn
in connection with myself, with the assistance ~
VIM. Brown, of Liverpool, and Evan Thomas
the "ity OF Baltimore, who was at that time Ia
England, obtained much information as to tie OF
Grafton Of the Railroad in that country. tw;
then concluded to invite twenty-five of the mo
Influential Merchants of the city of Baltimore wi
some other citize! S, 10 meet at my house on Ii
18th of February 1927. At this meeting the il
formation obtained by US was laid before them
and, after muchd scuSSon, it was concluded to I
fer the facts thus communicated for further invest
CATION, and Philip {. Thomas, Benjamin C. How
ard, Georle Browr, Talbot Jones, Joseph w. Pa.
terson, Evan Thomas and John VS.. McNIah,
were appointed a committee to obtain all the III
formation in their power aid report as soon POI
sible.
Tie report of the committee being submitted
succeeding meeting was unanimously adopte.
anil large edition of it, in pamphlet form, VI
published for distribution. The pamphlet W..
entitled proceedings of sunGry citizens of Bal,
more convened for the purpose of deyising II"
most efficient means of improving the intercour,
between this city and the Western States.
On mature consideration Of the subject it W
resolved that measures be taken to construct Rail
road with double track between the city of Balir
more aud some suitable point on the Ohio river, L
the most eligible ronte: and that charter inco;
porating company TO execute the work be
tainel as early as possible.
| Il feeling of general favor towards the measu,
was at oLce awakened, and an application to Il
Legislature ofAIaryland for chnrerNas drawn
byJ. ". L. M'Mahon, ESQ.,, and through his exc
tons charter was promptly granted. The pr
posed amount ofsiock having been taken, the COZ
Pany was organized, and Engineers were engage
10 examine the country over which the Road shou
pass. These Engineers having made the necesSa,
surveys. reported route which they represent,
to be he best and :he grading and construction
the road was commenced on the 4tlI of July, 1872
And had It not been delayed by the obstacl.
thrown III its way by the Chesapeake and Oh.
Canal Company, it would have been completed
IL IS than ten years froEl the time ofits commrnc,
meat.
1t should not be forgotten that to the citizens %
Baltimore belongs the credit of being the first l.
the Union TO organize an ASSOCIATION and obtain
charter for the construction of Railroad adapte
Tor general trade and transportation.
The Company being organized, and considern
the undertaking in which they were about 10 EN-
bark as one of great national Importance, nppler.
TO Congress for an appropriation aid l. i'll press.
ing the work forward. William Patterson, myself.
and Ross Winans, (who had exhibited TO the Boari
of Directors an important invention Ire had con
r;ved for reducing the friction upon Railroad CARS,
and to whom the country is also indebted for tn
invention and adoption OF the machinery nppIica
BILE to the practicable of eight-wLeel cars: an
also his great i'll coal burning engines,
and is now turning out two week:) were depu.
tsed to present Memorial, dated the 2sth of jan
uary, 1928, (Which now hold in my handl and give
such explanations as wee required. 10
RAIL ROAD MEMORIAL
To the Senate HOME Of Representatives of Tie United
StgteS in oHgJeSy dSseLn6itd.
The memorial OF the President aud Dill ecors OF the Bal
and Ohio Rail Road company
respectfully represents: s7-
That your nemOTiGsts engaged ia the construction
OF TaiToad with least two sets OF tracts rom the
city Baltimore TO the Ohio river the entire expense O.
which, according TO the best founded upon the
dy acquired here not exceed twenty thousand dollars
per mile liuvo.ve total expenditure of between
six millions OF dollars. OTis sum- million
OF dollars has subscribed by the State Of Maryland
,eeify0 nj RaIfi, md
been Obtained by individual subscriptions coDsu
ting tOge Their capital OF four millions OF dollars.
The entire district between Baltimore and the Ohio NV
beSn carefully examined by competent oeeTs OF the
United States corps OF Typographical eneerE detailed
for this service; having been satisfactorily
eersincd that intermediate country Affords great
Abilities Construction OF the osed road TO
its completion not only certainty practicable but fat
difficult than at first supposed, surveys iof the
immedIaely, and about twenty-five mites OF
line under contract, and In rapid OF
completion ~ Z. =.
al ne time 70 meori lists embaIked In this enter