Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-05-06
Monongahela and aavenswood ItaiIrOrd.

z LIE ioiloWlhg extract p0m aclrchlaf ac'
comranying tHe Charter authorizing this
Railroad will perused BY ourreaders with
no small amour, Of INTEREST,"
"Access 10 the Ohio at poiit, low enough
down 10 secure uninterrupted navigation up
to it, 10 compete with State. works, and to
connect, or nearly connect, with railroads Of
Kentucky at The mouth Of Big Sandy River,
has long been denied. to the eastern cilies,-
Hitherto the Jealousy Of the State has guard.
ed her limits from the invasion,o of roads lea.
ding from any point on the Ohio below Par
kersburg, and passing out Of her northwes-
tern boundary TO the markets of another
State, as this does. But now the Leglslai
ture offers 10 Philadelphia, New York, and
Boston, by means Of the central Pennsylva.
MIA road and the road provided in this act,
access 10 the Ohio at Ravenswood, point
forty miles lower down than il has permit
led the roads Of Baltimore to come, below all
serious obstacles 10 navigation, in their most
direct and nearest practicable route to Gin.
cinnati and St. Louis, only twenty-lhree
miles above The terminus Of the James Riv.
er and Kanawha Improvement, and seventy
from the terminus Of the Central road at the
mouth Of Big Sandy, and in the direct
course 10 both Of The latter points. If q
company wished 10 build road from the
terminus Of this road on the Pennsylvania
line, to the mouth Of the Big Sandy River,
nature would compel them to adopt the
route of the Mouongahela and Ravenswood
road so far as it goes. Policy would recon-
mend itas being in direct line both for Gin.
cnnati and the West, and the mouth Of Big
Sandy and the illimitable Southwest. Be-
sides there is not more favorable spot on
the Ohio for Bridging Than RavenswoOd.-
To connect this place with the mouth Of
Big Sandy, there remains but link about
seventy miles, through a country rich and
level, and already loudly demanding to build
The road with its own money. There is ev.
cry assurance that charter to build this
road will be obtained at an early day.
The construction oflhis road offers TO Phi
ladelphia all,he advantages which Baltimore
proposed for herself when she sought SO
jealousy the mere right 10 buildit. Phila-
delphia already has, leading from the CEN
trail road, road either in contemplation or
construction, to Union,own. A few miles
would connect this with the Penns, lvania
line where i. crosses the Monongahela.-
From this point TO Rayen,wood, the distance
is about one hundred and fifty miles. The
grades Of a road on this line would be
less than those OH, either the Baltimore, and
Ohio or Northwestern roads. From across
the Ohio at Ravenswood, direct line for
Cincinnati would fall iuto the Hillsborough
road in sixteen miles, near Pomeroy. Thus
Philadelphia would have completed strait
line road to Cincinnati. As it is, Phiadel-
phia has access TO Cincinnati by the way Of
the Hempfsld road to Wheeling, thence
down the river to Marietta to Pomeroy ;
while by diverging from the central Penn.
sylyania road, and going b. Uniontown and
Ravenswood to Pomeroy, she would have a
direct route upon the hypolhenuse Of right
angle triangle, Of which her roads now pur-
sue the two legs. Thus viewing. this as
straight line through route 10 Cincinnati, it
i. the most direct which Philadelphia and
New York can get, and nearer than any which
they now have, By one hundred miles.
By this route and its river terminus, she
can command the river trade. The heavy
products Of the Great West must con,inn
to be transported mainly by water. Gen.
orally, the lower down the terminus Of q
road is on western river better; because, as
in this case, the products Of the upper river
can float as chiefly 10 Ravenswood as TO stop
either at Wheeling or Parkersbu's, aud uarl-
gationup tits particularly favorable, be-
cause it is just where the oadlwould strike
the Ohio, seeking either Cincinnati or Big
Sandy; and up,to this point navigation from
the west is good, while at this point it is
generally seriously INSTRUCTED. Two miles
above Ravenswood is Bufington's Island,
dreaded as the most serious obstacle in the
navigation Of the Ohio. For one third OIL
year, boats can &c, this high and no higher,
and are compelled 10 transship, unload OF re-
turn. Al one lime las, winter there were
twenty. seven steamers all aground or de-
layed at this point; and that loo when there
was water enough below for the line boats,
the largest boats navigating our rivers. Nos
is this an unfrequent occurrence either in
or summer. Large wharf boats between
this place and the Island are employed con
s,anlly in receiving and storing the freight
Of boats obslruc,ed here in. their progress
OF the freight destined for points above,
within the last year, almost one-iouslh hal
undergone break Of bulk at this place. i