Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1854-05-16


VIRGINIA. AND TNIETEAL nRRoyEArEaTs.
The prosecution Of lhs survey on The line CT the |
Alexand ria, Loudonn aud Hampshire Railroad neon
nection with surveys of other roads 10 the West has
induced US examine into tie advantages leiy TO
result TO Virginia from their eom2Sctfon, which |
we have done to slight ests1. and With most
gratifying results. Penetrating, as we are in
formed the above road does this valuable co9'-heies
of hampshire county, and terminating at oT meas
Westenport at tie mouth Of Georges Creek IA MA
ryland the rich mines of thai region will be pIoug"'
nearer to tide water Mt AIexsndcia by seventy n!es
than at Baltimore by way Of the Baltimore an1 ONO
Railroad and if our recollection Of the able TeFoF!
Mr. Manning, Chief Engineer Of the first Ransa road
be correct, over much lighter grades.
The utmost capacity Of tbs Baltimore road, even
with a double track, is are informed about
q million Of tons annually, l supply utterly 'na'e-
quac 10 the demand. even present prices, no" eA
listing for this most valuable coal, and we may GER
tainly congratulate ourselves in the anticipation al
successful rival cntirely within the limits OF the state
of Virginia, to the monopoly nov enjoyed O.? 'aeCit
of Baltimore, AMI especially by the Baltimore anu
Ohio Railroad of this lucrative branch OF commerce.
We have Jeen assured on the best authority mat
the coal deposits CT Hampshire county are IN every
respect at least equal to these adjacent TO them III
Mar, land and especially that the vein which
Greek Valley, appears in hampshire county even
more advantageousy situated for working, and only
needing convenience of access TO market 10 induce
the commencement OF operations on n large scale:
But important as we are convinced this traffic viii
be, it becomes of secondary importance wher we
consider the fact that by tie proposed connection OF
the Alexandria and Hampshire Road, with ;he Con-
nelsvilIe Railroad process of construction by
means of the Moutevue Railroad the city OF AleEan-
dria viii have n complete laiir0ad connection with
the cities of Wheeling and Pi,tSburg from fifty TO
eighty miles shorter than BY any other route what
ever connecting those cities with the tide watess of
the Atlantic. From report Of the President Of the
Montcvuc Company, and from recent report to ths
Legislature of Pennsylvania, VIC gain the following
/ facts:
Z" From Pittsburr TO Baltimore by tie Central
! PENNSYLVANIA road and the Baltimore aud SUsquc-
/ hanna road, the distance is $50 miles. From Fits
burg TO Baltimore by tie CJurclIsville and Nonteyue
road to Piedmont thence 10y the Baltimore nnl Ohio
! Railroad the distance is 3I5 miles From PjttsbTrg
by the Councils lille and Monteyue road to Piedmont
/ thence by the Alexandria, EuudOun and Hampshire
! road. by the Manassas Gap road, to alexandria,
/ the distance will lie 3l2 miles, From IltsburS To
Washington CITY by the C0Hrellsyillc and MOntcyuc
road to Piedmont thence hY the A., l. and Hampshire
road. the distance will c less than BOG miles. And,
from Pttsburg by the line Of the ConncIlsvillc and
MOntevuc roads, and the line of the Alexandria and
Wtstcrnpurt road, through he Manassas Gap the
distance will liz nss than $50 to the great NoriEerni
and Southern Railroad line " ch crosses the ucdi
States diaron,ly, and extends from Watcrvillc, inI
Maine to Mobile in Aah"na, and is connected with
numerous railroads in the southern States lying east
Of the Mississippi.
Abandoning the attempt 10 make Richmcud a
great commercial CITY, the Virginia Legislature has
recently authorized railroad to be constructed from
| Richmond to York river. This railroad isNdcsigned
to established connection between the ccntral im1
proverncnts of Virginia and the harbor Yorktown
that is considered better than am other harbor or
Atlantic front except that ut the city OF New
York. This harbor at Yorktown is SEsIciOTs, decpI
and never probably closed with ice, is Immediately
opposite to the capes ofe Chesapeake bay and has,
therefore, a location aording in that respect, great
| facilities for conducting that great and growing
| commerce now carried on between n very large cXf
tent of the United States and the West indies, MeXI
CO. Central and South America. And this harbor
maY be made accessible from PitsbuTg direct
line Of Railroad passing over the Connclisvillc and
| MCutCvUe route and through Manassas Gap, of not
over III miles in length. And i IlGy not seem OK
travagnut to anticipate th0t such Gvcrue Of trade
may be opened speedily if tic current Of the East In
dies and California trade is turned into the Gulf Of
! Mexico by improvement through Mexico, or into
the Caribbean sea bvan Improvement across the 18TH
/ mus of Daricn Before railroads constructed,
/ commercial cities were built as Richmond, AlcXan-
dTla and Baltimore bullt, Mt the head OF naYIgG
ton that the length of the usual line OF trade, then
! yersed by slow moving wagons might be short
one But now, when transportation lard is rapid,
cheap and certain, it maY not be eNtrayagant To- sup
pose that business may prefer railroads con-
sruced TO those harhOrs that are nearest To the ocean
|
"There is pcrhaps no county in the State, Of the
same extent, Somerset, Pa 1928 square mes) con-
taining greater amount OF mineral wealth. Stone
coal Of excellent quality Is found tirr7ng hort this
county, in veins varying in thickness from three,
six nine AMI twelve feet, all more less Liiumi-
nous. Limestone exists to equal extent, and iron
ore of excellent quality IS found, les extensively but
embracing, it is believed Lcarly O"cLals of her ter
ritory and wherever iron els found 5he sore Goa!
and limestone for fuel and tux invariably found
in jrxtaposion.
These minerals have been extensively Developed
and used in the manufacturing pig and bar iroa, cast
inrs nails &C. some fifteen twenty iron uTk5.
forgcs furnaces, and factories, along the ChcSnut
ridge and Laurel hill in saii county, producing
thousands of tons annually; but the great difficulty
and expense of transportation have, heretofore pre-
scented Il most serious obstacle to the manufacture
of iron in this otherwise favored region"
These facts seem to indicate brilliant future for
Virginia seapors, and successful! and useful COM
petition with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. .
We will eadcavor TO renew this subject in future
number.