Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-05-15
EXcUnsloN CoRREsroNDENoE.


EXCURSION CORREsPONDENCE
Bditimore and Ohio Railroad LIS Western Con
asotions-0r origin Of the ROaa-Ldying the
FIRST Stone-TAe first SectiOn-Resuhs- |
Capital LaBssted = Equipments Capacity,
De
BALTMORE, May z 1860.
The BaltimO's and Ohio Railroad was sptly
spoken of by Gov. Chase in speech at the
great Opening Celebrations of 1857, as the
"AMERIcAx CENTRAL LIxE" Commencing at
the East in the cities of Washington and Balr
timore, it spans the Alleghanies, and grasps the
Ohio with one iron hand at Wheeling and the
other at Petersburg. At Wheeling cOunec.
tions are made with the Central Ohio Railroad
and Wheeling Division of the Cleveland and
Pittsburgh, and at ParkersbuTg with the MARI
eta and Cincinnati Railroad. The Ohio and
Mississippi Road brings st. Louis into direct
line with the Baltimore and Ohio, and forms
the shortest route between that city and the
seaboard. To give. some iGea Of the extent
of railroad connections the Baltimore and Ohis
Railroad Company regard as specially imPOr-
tant, we append list of the Roads with which
they made arrangements to have their Exeur-
sien tickets hOnOred, viz: Central Ohio, Mari
eta d Cincinnati, Little Miami, Columbus &
Hsnis, Ohio and Mississippi, Terre Haute,
Alton & st. Louis, Terre Haute & Richmond,
Indiana Central and Dayton & Western, Co.
Iumbus & Indianapolis, indianapolis & Gin
cinnati, Louisville d Nashville, Kentucky Gem
trail, JeFersonville, Cleveland, Pittsburgh d
wheeling, Louisville & Frankfort, and Franks
fort & Lexington, Louisville, New Albany q
Chicago, Lafayette d Indianapolis, Cincinnati
d Chicago, Cairo & Columbus Memphis d
Ohio, Great Western, Peru & Indiansp-
olis, Illinois Central, LogsnsPSrt Peoria
and Burlington, Peoria, OquaWkG d
Burlington, Quincy d Toledo, Hannibal
d ST. Joseph, st. Louis & Iron Mountain,
Norh Missouri, Pacific, Michigan Central,
Mississippi Central, Memphis & Charleston,
and Cleveland & Pittsburgh. Also with the
u s. Mail Line Steamers between Cincinnati,
Louisville and Mamphis, and Mount Vernon
Steamers. The railway lines embraced ex-
tend over 5000 miles in the aggregate, mainly
IN the vast basin of the Lakes, the Ohio tbs
Mississippi, and the Missouri.
The American Central Line is emphatically
Baltimore work Seated on that noble ocean
estuary, Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore early felt
the necessity Of direct railway tj the Westem
people and trade The first to agitate the sub
iect were an opulent Quaker merchant Mr.
Paihp E. Thomas, and Mr.. Geo. Brown, son Of
another distinguished merchant perpetual
charter was obtained, and the great work Of
connecting the Chesapeake with the Ohio was
commenced with imposing ceremonies on the
,F T,lv 1929 The venerable Gharlas
Carroll, of CauOllton, then over 80 years of
age, laid the first st1ne. The definite location
Of the road was soon begun, but the enter
prise progressed so slowly, that in May 1880,
only the first section Of II miles, from Balh
more to Ellieott's Mills, was put in operation
It was the first railroad in our country, and al
most in the world Cars ran daily, and their
performances were the marvel of the age. The
safety and utility Of railroads we're demon
strated, and an Envoy from the Emperor of
Russia, after personal eIaminat on of the
first section Of the Baltimore and Ohio road,
reported fsvorably. The result was the con-
struetion of railroads in Russia, and the em-
ploymeTlt Of Themas WinAns, now the Balti~
more millionaire, to equip snd work the gigantic
Moscow and st. Petersburg Railway.
In August, 1884, the Baltimore and Wash
inpton Railroad was opened with q celebration,
President Jackson being an invited guest
The Central Line terminated at Cumberland
for some years, and did not penetrate the
Alleghanies until 1852. It was then that
the splendid engineering genius of Ben
jamin H. Latrobe, aided by the financial eRer-
~ Of President Swami, achieved the grand
success of converting seemingly impasSabls
mountain way into the mighty artery of steam
trade and travel.
The capital invested in the Baltimore and
Ohio Road is thirty-two millions Of dollars -
The total length of road owned and worked
by the Company is 745 miles, the main line
from Baltimore to Wheeling being 379. The
number Of tunnels between Baltimore and
Wheeling is IA; total length of tunneliny H.
G9A feet; number Of bridges 1856; total length
of bridging l5,OSs feet. The equipments of
the rosd are perfect and on 6 gigantic scale.
In 1857, the number of locomotives reached
235. Of which I75 we're of the first class,
weighing en- average Of 30 tons each. without
their tenders. The passenger cars numbered
I24, tonnage cars Of all kinds S.66s, making
grand total Of more than 600 engines and
cars, fully adequate to the production Of an
annual revenue Of more than $1,000 600. In
some years the groas income has nearly or quite
reached S., ,000, 600. The officers and employ
ees Of the Road in 1857 numbered 4,960.-
This force has been considerably reduced in
these days Of railroad Tetrenchment The
business capacity Of the road is immense In
Is57fthe freight was s95, ,4Ol tons, and Il has
been estimated that in an emergency requiring
II, this road could transport from Ohio to Bal.
timors within thirty hOuB an army Of 10000
men, With all their munitions, without exhaust
ing the resources Of the road. Such, in brief,
"a tbe American Central Line. 1t is an sndu-
ring monument TO Baltimore energy, h6erality,
and genius. President J. W. Garrett, and
Transportafion Master W. P. Smith, are now
the colossal men Of the colossal enterprise.
II.