The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-10-24
IMPORTANT TO POTTER /! f!
Buffalo & Washington Railroad.
From the Buffalo Daily Courier.


nearly south one hundred and ten miles to
Emporium, point on the Philadelphia ana
Erie Railroad, is one of the most important,
as it will complete the chain OF railway COM
muuication directly connecting Buffalo with
Washington. Baltimore and Philadelphia
The completion of this short line of road con-
meeting with roads already in successful oper-
alton wildly this route, make the distance to
Philadelphia via the Philadelphia & Erie Rail
way 4O7 miles, to Baltimore via Harrisburg
3s5 miles, and to washington 425 miles.
1t has for it's northwestern terminus the
most important commercial city on the great
chain of laks, and for its southwestern termini
Washington and the great commercial cities
of Baltimore and Philadelphia connecting tn e
lakes with the ocean at three important points
These connections will give to the Buffalo and
Washington Railway superior advantages for
both through freight and passengers, either
way.
Buffalo is already an important railway Gen.
tre, and the gateway for large share of the
immense commerce of the lakes, as more than
fifty per cent. of eastward movement of the
surplus products of the Great West and North
West pass through it. These surplus produc-
tions are being annually augmented, keeping
pace with its increased growth in population
which is equal to ffty-fve per cent in each
deckade 1t is already an important point
for iron manufacture, and IS destined soon to
be one of the most important in this country
Here the coal, the iron and the limestone can
meet each other more economically than in
any other city in the Union. These advan-
tages alone should insure the building Of the
road. Ia addition to these advantages, this
line of railway passes through or near large
lumber districts, oil territory, and immense
coal fields much greater Ia extent than the
coal fields of Great Rritain. Thus in view of
the smelling works for smelling iron an copper
steel works, cutlery and hardware works, that
are springing up like magic all over the West
and Northwest and Canada West gives prom =
ise of large freight tonnage, indepen dent OF
the through freight and passenger business.
All these works require COAL which is now
supplied from both the East and the West
The shipments of bitumnous coal from Erie
and Cleveland to lake ports, East and West,
are nearly six hundred thousand tons annual
ly, and the quantity is being augmented every
year. OF the coast-wise shipments Of btu
minous coal from these cities about 275, ,00O
IL. 3
Milwaukee and Chicago 1000 to $4,000 tons
for Buffalo, and the remainder to other United
States ports and Canada. The imports ofcoal
into Buffalo by Canal from the East are now
annually about 100 900 tons Of which 5000
tons are of the bituminous variety, used for
blacksmith purposes, besides which the yearly
receipts by rail are upwards of l00,000 tons.
OF the yearly receipts of bituminous Goa, from
Cleveland and Erie from 80, 600 to 10, 600 tons
are sent eastward by Canal for supplying the
Gas Companies in the cities along its line, and
10000 to 40, 900 tons are consumed for domeS-
tic and manufacturing purposes at Buffalo
The coal trade of the lakes has more than
doubled during the last ten years, ard will be
more than trebeled by the year 1874.
The consumption of bituminous coal in
Buffalo by the Gas Campany, the Smelling
Furnaces and the Rolling Mills is about TO-
600 tons annually. The consumption of btu
ninous coal for gas in the cities of New York
Brooklyn. Jersey City, Williamsburg, ,Hoboken
ard the cities on the Hudson river and the
Erie Canal is about 500, 900 tons annually. 1t
is believed that very considerable portion
of the demand for bituminous coal, both for
anthracite coal for the West, can be more
cheaply supplied through the line of the Buff
falo and Washington Railway than from any
other point.
This road penetrates the coal regions of
Pennsylvania. Emporium is about twenty
miles within the Northern limits of the great
coal basin and all around it, North, South,
East and West are worked or workable veins
ofbituminous coal in generous profusion.
The following letter from Gideon J. Ball
Esq, of Erie, Pa, under date of September l3
1865, 10 William wallace Esq, Engineer in
Chief of the Buffalo and Washington Railway
will show the extent the coal fields of Penn
sylyania ard their Importance to the Buffalo
and Washington line of Railway, as well as
the city of Buffalo
Fam requested to express apinion whether
in my judgment reliable supply ST Bitumin-
Gus coal can be found In Pennsylvania at a
point or points within easy reach of Buffalo.
Practical proofs generally settle doubts en-
tertained on any given subject on this they
must exert equal influence In reply there
fore beg to assure you, that the counties of
Mexican, Elk aud Cameron, abound in btu
minous coal, 1t is of superior quality for
gas, for steam generating, for blacksmiths'
use, for locomotive fuel, and for the manufac-
ture of iron. It is used exclusively by the