Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-02-15
To the editor ctMe AIelauiriq Gas,q..

roe, before the Common Counc ! 4 a..
dria, the last Of which reads .hu. "Ea..r..
That no improvement which tessr,.'
Winchester by any other route than fy 3D..
per's Ferry, ought to commaud toe SYM.
or support Of the people Of Ale1an5r, r
These resolutions look to the dIsc9qr,,ar
Of the proposed extension Of the " ,pr.s.
X ilrosd u Strasburg, and prop3.e
Winchester a connection with Ai-x,pt,. BE-.
llarper's Ferry. Do not propose :, en-.
into the merits of the claims OF either ay,.
only | may say, that Winchester nu,,.
to complain, for Alexandra formerly g,t
the agricultural trade Of the valley ,g.. p
the Potomac, nearly 10 toe source. o,
S Shenandoah, and that Winchester If.s
trade off from that town by oocaia,
Railroad. 1t inflicted q severe blow
her interests, aud now, By strcuuou.s,
tons, she has 10 some measure ra,,5
that trade, and she should not be blamajf.
striving to keep it. 0ne Of these res Iu
looks to o connection with Central Penn.
vsnia, by way Of lIagerstown and l.r
Ferry. There is little doubt but tts, p.
road connection between these two ,.
will be made, aud that, probably. bet y. zee
long. The business men Of New Y,r.
locking to a connection with ;h, Nj.
river, ty way Of the Great NlfcY u.
Virginia. They propose To enter "a.
ton. on the Delaware river, then follow
valley through Pennsylvania, Maryjaa.
Virginia, into Tennessee. This line
only wants the filing up Of some esp.
IIagerstowr u Harper's Ferry. from Is
chester to Strasburg. and u lev other Nae.
and it is said will be u very superior no.
respects grade-the general aspect Oh, p.
valley is moderately uniulatng, Oh. st..
favorable.
But there is another aspect hat q c,,,
ton with llarper's Ferry Will assume.
appears to me t. present stronger cl.n..
consideration thar either OF these. L,v
be of great advantage to the cry au.
country through which the road pa..t.
mean the certainty Of obtaining q .ha-
the coal trade. By the Baltimore a'lU.
Railroad, the coal fields will be D. 4.
nearer to Alexandria than to Bllim.r. f..
with q far better grade. IL would aa,
fere with the trade II thai company.
now use the article Of coal t. oil ur A.
trains, so az to keep them foil ut al I.-
east of Cumberland, and there can b.
enough had TO do this for any au.un
motive power thar company can put.
the road, and still not be able to cons.
that may be had. The increasing iela
for the article will require more m..a.
conveyance than l. now ]securei, 0T "
for a long time to come. Persons Qu.r.
BILE to such q connection, have often g.
that the Baltimore and Oh.O CGmpar
not favor q diversion ot the coal u.
Alexandria; that it will prefer taki0.
Baltimore. Ii that company could ear
that would be offered them, then there o..
he a show of reason for such an arguHe,
that We know il not the case. IL w"u
lesson their business, it would 90
much more profit to them. II they h,'a
motive power enough to convey 10" ~
coal cars from l~Iarper'- Ferry to ~
fields, aud return them loaded, they 70
for n fair compensation, allow the e.
and cars to pass ~ and return ioldrl
would be so much gain to them. Rs
Companies are beginning 10 see, a..
soon understand, that an exclusive ~
policy is not their true ]lntere't; tnat '..
ersl good should he consulted, that ,a
lett q pursue its own course, aud not D.
PEELED to any lire. The officers OF %.
timore aud Ohio Railroad CrmparH
fayorably upon such q connection. 10"
in it advantages to them, and will, ds..
reciproeate these advantages. WY
they DOty
Examine another proposition in q.
to the above, and see if it is not w.T'
consideration. As the Manassa- g..
pany have a charter 10 Harper fgui
pose that company should unite whit.
timore and Ohio company, and
third track from llarper's Ferry to-
fields, they Will soon have two tracs.
selves then let the middle track
exclusively for passenger trains, 80!
outside tracks for burden tralns-Jne
each way-tbis would prevent aay lh..
collision, aud then one set OF tram
not interfere with all, should de'e'u.''
place. AT bridges, tunnels, and g.'
ces, where the grading for a 'hfl
would be expensive, use two. IL +,
senger trains use the track on whth
trains 70 the same way, for that - T
lance. This would allow of an r~-
tInnage being conveyci-there T. n
mating its amount--and might be r
used by both companies. tn, R'I''- =
road, Of Pennsylvania, nov annu"
VeyS more han two million tyu-
yearly, besides IT'S passenger and ..
den trains, on r road with NO track
still increasing, and have not near
rts limit. With three tracks, the ..
might be nearly, or quite, doubled "
would be no waiting for other ua'b'
iug-s continuous line Of engines a.'
might be employed
Suppose, again, that q road was m''.
near the mouth Of the South Bran.
Potomac, up the valley OF Pat e.-oh'
and ~ tDDnelllng rhe knobIg Oh
west ID Frankfort, reach Plc!gIrh. "
route. TITS would cut % ah.U'
and make Piedmont but lIj nle' ~
exandria. Cumberland Is lG2 uI "a
Jog these two centres Of the coal '.' M
average rather lees by this line TO-.
pected length Of the \ xardria, +.
and Hampshire line q PIeim,nt y
road would only reach the latte
Then, again, the grade v uli u
superior, that from 80 To 60 yer e..
tonnage could be conveyed on H. .
same expense of motive power, "a.
latter road, with the grade they b"
cd as their maximum Hire the--