Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-03-20
BaItimore and Ohio RaiIroaa.

We copy from the Laporte Journal the follow
ing in reference TO this great national thorough
fare:
science in the nineteenth century, nothing claims
greater interest in the Great West than the Bal
timora and Ohio Railroad.
Its directness, its completeness arrangement,
its picturesouey sublime scenery, already histori-
cal, its location, running through the Capital of
our great Union to Baltimore, and by its connec-
tons to Philadelphia, New York and Boston. all
address themselves TO the man Of business or the
pleasure seeker, with peculiar amptness.
The historian, Hon. George Bancroft, at an en-
tertainment at Cincinnati, in 1857, said:
How would Madison, who loved the Union
with such singleness of affection that, after DEATH
the word might have been imprinted on his heart;
how would Madison have been gladdened could
he have lived to see these daysi And Washing
ton, who, when he last came to the West, crossed
the mountains by fatigne marches, bivouacing in
the wilderness, and then slowly padding his way
on the Ohio, how would he have exulted could
be but have seen his great and cherished idea Of
an international highway carried out with per
lection and convenience which surpasses
the powers of his century TO imagineg How
Young America is fulfilling that destiny which
her fathers manifestly designed for her; she
more and more subdues nature and gives free
8
will be united in peace and commerce, and liberty
be owned as the birthright Of every nation on the
earth"
Appleton's book of Great Railway Celebra-
tons. says of the scenery:
Cheat river is a rapid mountain stream, Of
dark coffee cOlored water, which is supposed TO
take its hue from the forests of laurel, hemlock
and black spruce in which t has its rise Our
road crossed the stream at the foot of Cranberry
grade by viaduct This is composed of two
noble spans of iron, rooted in on abutments, and
pier OF solid freestOne taken from a neighboring
quarry. Arrived at this point we fairly entered
] the Cheat River Valley" which presents by FAR
I the grandest and most boldly picturesque scenery
to be found on the line of this road If indeed il Is
not the finest series of railroad views on our con
tinent.
"The European travellers in our party were as
much enraptured by it as were those of us who
have never visited the mountains. lakes and
glens of Scotia or Switzerland. For several miles
we ran along the steep mountain side, clinging,
it were, 90 the gigantic cliffs our cars like great
cages suspended-though upon the safest and
most solid OF beds-midway, as 1t were, between
heaven and earth. At one moment the view was
confined to our immediate locality hemmed IN
every side. rs we were by the towering mountain
spurs. AT the next. slight curve in the road
opened 10 view fine sketches of the deep valley,
with the dark river flowing along its bottom. and
GLORIOUS views Of the forest covered slopes de-
sceD2AS from the peaks 10 the waters edge.
Amazed at the grandeur Of the ever-varying
scenegy of this region, French gentleman is said
TO have exclaimed in ecstacy, 'MagRihqHe! ZeTe
is nOosing ike us in France"
We may add that the line of connections be
tween this city and the Baltimore and Ohio-con
sisting of the Indiana Central. the Columbus aud
Xenia and Central Ohio Railroads-carries the
passenger through the populous and fertile belt
traversed by the old National Road. This fact
gives a special significance and propriety in the
designation of the line Great National Route"