The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-19
SPEECH OF JNO. W. GARRETT.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The ConneIlsviIle Road, &c.

The regular monthly meeting of the
Directors of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company was held in Balti-
more on the 14th inst. The attendance
of members was unusually large. Full
reports we're made regarding the strike
of some 200 machinists in the employ of
the Company at the Mount Clair shops.
Board fully sustained the action of the
Masters of Machinery and Mechanics in
the premises.
J. W. Garrett, Esq, President of the
Company, stated that the survey for
the route from Point of Rocks, via Bla-
densburg, to Washington, had been COM
pleted, by which a saving of distance
Gas compared by the route by Relay
House) of forty-six miles could be effect.
ed, and also that the location of the
line from Point of Rocks directly into
the city of Washington, in the vicinity
of the present station of the Company,
was nearly perfected, and that, by this
line, the distance would be but forty
two miles, thus securing reduction of
the distance from the West, and all in
termediate points, of forty-nine miles. :"
The engineer, by the unanimous ac-
ton of the Board, was authorized to
close the contract at once for the ditn-
cult part of the line upon Summit cut
through PARIS Ridge, so that the work
of this important enterprise will be i'm
mediately commenced.
A resolution was adopted, requesting
the President to cause an examination OF
the road between Baltimore and Cum
berland, on the Western line of Mary
land, to be made, to show where the To-
cation of the same can be altered advan-
tageously, so as to dispense with unnec-
essary curves, and that such work and
alterations be progressed with as rapidly
as may be deemed necessary.
After the regular business had been
transacted, President Garrett addressed
the Board, severely censuring the ac-
tion of the Mayor of Baltimore in refer
ence to his opposition to the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, and his action In ia
vor of parallel road from Baltimore to
Cumberland Mr.. Garrett presents an
array of facts and statistics, showing
the utter uselessness of the proposed
road, its cost &c, which is unanswera-
BILE.
Mr.. Garrett then takes up the action
of the Mayor of Baltimore against the
Connellsvilie Road, and endeavors to
show that the completion of the Con-
nellsville Road to Cumberland will fur
nish communication between Baltimore
and Pittsburg as short and convenient
as by any other possible route, 1t will
be fifty two miles less than the distance
from Baltimore to Wheeling, and only
seven miles longer than the Western
Maryland Road which the Baltimore
city authorities are inclined to favor
He urges the city OF Baltimore to aid in
the completion of the COnnellsYille road
connecting with the Baltimore and Ohio
Road at Cumberland, rather than to at
tempt the construction of a parallel
route via Hagerstown. The Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company had refused
to purchase the stock held by the city
in the Connellsville Road because all
their available funds were employed in
works of improvement upon their own
line, but the company were exceedingly
desrous of the completion of the Con-
nellsville Road to Cumberland thereby
establishing a short and direct line OF
communication from Baltimore via
Pittsburg with the Northwest.