Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-11-06
RAILROADS IN MARYLAND.

The people of Maryland only partially real
ne, as yet, the splendid development that
awaits the State at the hands of foreign capt
taists and by the aid of foreign enterprise, if
not by their own. Whilst we are moving along
with comparative quictncss, slow, as il would
seem, to comprehend the great future that is
opening up for the State, the eyes of outsiders
are eagerly scanning our natural advantages,
our capabilities for the production of wealth,
the extension of farming and trade operations;
and unless certain of our own people bcstr
themselves, they will find, ere long, that others
more discerning, have seized upon the strong
points, and will be doing what should be done
by native capital and enterprise. The District
of Columbia is a fair illustration of this, to
some extent, to-day; almost every paying nm
dcrtaking, such a. hcrse railroads, lines Of
steamers. &c, being IN the hands of sharp
sighted earnest workers, who have made their
appearance there. from other sections, since
the war; men who, taking Washington, Alex
andria and Georgetown at their very worst.
and when property was deemed hopclcssly
deprecated, have inspired all those communi-
soon such centres of trade and commerce as
IA the past was never dreamed of by the easy
gong set who nodded an Il slept over their fine
natural advantage.
4 correspondent of the PittSburg Comm0-
ciai, writing from Washington, first devotes
considerable space in late letter to the re-
markabe success Of the horse rail roads cs-
tablished since the war, and comments after
wards on other projects for communicating
more extensively with all points According
TO this exhibit it is i'll contemplation to extend
the Acquia Creek ,oirUld, which runs by
Fredericksburg. and which has so long stuck
fast sixty miles away from Washington, to the
latter city; next, to build a railroad down the
Peninsula. "to open up communication with
Lower Mary!and. a project mentioned some
time ago in connection with the alleged plan
to establish an eXtcnsivcnayy yard in the lower
part Of Calvert county. Aud speaking of the
railroad advantages already possessed by our
city, and the efficiency of their management.
this writer says:
"A Branch of the Baltimore ana Ohio Rail
road unites Washington with Baltimore.
baltimore is well provided with railroads
running in all directions. This Branch Road
between here and Baltimore has done an
immense business during the war In four
years, including troops, the passengers car
''ned over it have exceeded two millions.
''Besldcs tins immense travel the supplies,
'&c., for the army and the people of this city
Nh.,Hr. ..an rl,. Ill
Il believe that the number of accidents caus-
''ing loss of life have been hut two in that
whole period. This fact seems a grand com.
''phment to the security of the road and the
deficiency of the officers, when we consider
Show appalling has been the loss oflifc by ac-
"cidcnts on other roads, not only during but
since the war
There is still another railroad which de-
''serves attention in this connection. It is the
''new short line to connect Washington with
''the West and Northwest, This road is now
"being accurately surveyed as rapidly as pos
''Sble by full corps of engineers, under
"Messrs. Latrobe and Randolph. When com
'plctcd, it will connect the Washington and
Baltimore depot with the main stem of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at Point of
Crooks, Maryland, some seventy iivem ilcswest
''of Baltimore, and forty-fve miles from Wash
''iugton. Thus Washington will DC brought
'some forty miles nearer the West and North
west than it is at present. and this distance
''wll be much further shortened by the com
''pletion Of the Connellsvillc Railroad. con
meeting Cumberland with Pttsburg, and the
''entlre West and Northwest through Pitts
burg. When done, it is claimed, and mon
good evidence, that this new and important
lime from Washington will be all that is ne
'cessary to establish full railroad facilities to
land from the national capital. and will at
"once obvlate the necessity for the additional
road under the title of an air line between
Washington and the North The work on
1.-THE Connellsyille road is more than half
''done, as its whole length from Pittsburo ia
cumberland is only about one hundred and
"hity miles. The Importance of these two
"newroads is moi fully appreciated bvthe pub
ne. They will form the very shortest posi-
'bIe time between Washington and the great
W est and Northwest, and bring Pittsburg.
with It's vast wealth of iron. coal and general
commerce, and all the country beyond. about
eighty miles nearer the American capital
than at present. As the late decision of the
limited States District Court in favor If tbo
road settles the points in law, we may safely
predict a speedy resumption of labor on the
unfinished end of the road, which, when
completed, will be of such an immense IN
"terest, not only to the people of Pittsburg,
''but to all the West