Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-01-11

route lying southeast of Connellsyiile. We
now propose to refresh the memory Of our
readers as TO the road itself, and its eeanec-
tons
The Pittsburgh and Come llsvile Railroad
BEGINS at the foot Of Grant Street, on the
bank of the Monongahela river, in the city
Of Pittsburgh. II follows the northeast bank
Of that river fourteen miles to the borough of
5lcieesport, where the Youghiogheny uuites
With the Mouougahela Thence the road
follows the valley of the Youghgheny to
ConnellsFilIe, fortyiour and q half miles,
making the whole distance from Pittsburgh
to ConaellsYille ffy-eight and half miles.
This part Of the road has been finished and
/ open 10 the public Tor several years, and is at
this moment doing a large and profitable bu-
siness. 1t has added vastly to the permanent
valuation Of the country through which it
passess, andis Of great benefit to these cities.
Yetit is but local road. The prime OBJ
iect Of the enterprse-a direct connection
with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at the
town Of Cumberland, in Maryland-is still
unaccomplished. The universal financial
crisis which eliminated IN 1857, and which so
seriously affected all railroad enterprises for
several years, compelled a suspension Of OPP
eratons upon this line, except such as were
necessary 10 complete the line between this
city and ConnellsyiIle, and prosecute steadily
the work on the great Sand Patch tunnel In
1861 the completion Of the section between
Turtle Creek and Pittsburgh gives US a CON
tinuous and independent connection by rail
with Connellsyille, and by branch with
Uniontown.
The great controversy, however, is about
that part Of the line lying between Connells-
vile and Cumberland. The length of that
division is ninety miles, and the whole of it,
except about seven miles, lies within our own
State. From Conuelsville the line continues
up the Youghiogheny nearly 25 miles to the
mouths Of Casselman's River, and Laurel
Hill Greek. After ascending the valley Of
the latter stream some three miles, it crosses
the ridge dividing that valley from that Of the
Casselman Here there is a short tunnel
Thence it follows the valley Of the last ma
med stream thirty miles to the great Sand
Patch tunnel, passing south Of the town Of
Somerset, to which branch road, eight miles
in length, and of easy grade, has been loca-
ted The line Of the road crosses the State
line, into Maryland, just at the southwest cor
ner Of Bedford county, and about seven mics
thi side of Cumberland
The highest grade on any part of this road
is seyenty-eight feet to the mile, and that only
on less than three miles on each side of the
summit. From Philadelphia to Myers Mills,
some three miles from the summit, the grade
in no place need exceed twenty six feetto the
mile From the summit to Cumberland,
distance Of tLirly-two miles, down the valley
Of Wills Creek, there is "a continuous de-
sceuding grade. For the greater part Of the
line, where there is any grade at all, It is kept
at OF below % feet. Now that the great tun-
mel, Of which we spoke yesterday, is almost
completed, there is no difficult work ON this
ninety miles Of road from Connellsville to
Cumberland
At Cumberland, as before observed, this
road viii form q junction with the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, rs miles west ofBalti-
more, making the entire distance from Pits
burgh to Baltimore, by this route, 327 miles,
and to Washington, ria the Relay House,
nine miles this side Of Baltimore, $40 miles.
Bat it viii not be necessary to take that
route 10 Washington; for at an earlier day
than this road can possibly be completed. the
'IEgRoPoilTAN RourE, from the Point Of
Rocks, 20 miles west Of Baltimore,) to
Washington. win be finished. The distance.
by this route, from Point Of Rocks to wash
iugton is only 43 miles. This win be 40
miles less than to go round by the Relay
Housa and UU make tie lrAols distance
from Pittsburgh to Washington inst three
hundred miJes-27 miles nearer than to Bal
timora by this route. This shortans the dis
lance between Pittsburgh and Washington
sercaiy.fo1g' miles, as compared with The
present route Of travel, cja Harrisburg and
Baltimore. The trip can be made from city
to city in ten hours, and the traveller avoid
the veTatjous and often expensive delays to
which he IS now subjected,
Cumberland is % miles west Of Harper
Ferry, aud 10l miles east Of Grafton where
the two great branches Of the Baltimore and
Ohio road diverge, one to Wheeling, and the
other to Parke rsburg. From Parkersburg to
Cumberland the distance is 205 miles; from
Wheeling it is POI miles, aud from Pittsburgh
no miles,
Al Pittsburgh This road meets ali tn great
western and northern lines which concentrate
here, as well as our great uatural thorough
fare, the Ohio river. But its most direc. and
important connection at this point viii be
with The CLEVELAND AND MAuoNNG ExrEy-
sios, which viii be tantamouut to an extcn-
sion Of the read to the lakes, 10 tie 8Iissizsip-
pi, and, in short, to the entire continent west
Of PcuasYlyanin. as far as railroads have boen
or shall be extended This Cleveland and
Mahoning E2ansion, Ike the section be-
tween ConneIlsyille and Cumberland, is but
a comparatively short link in the great chain
reaching from the Chesapeake Bay, the Poto-
mac, the National Capital and the seaboard
cities Of the South, TO the vast region Just
spoken Of Th.s additional chain of comma
nieation is now greatly needed, and its noce8-
sity viii be more and more felt as population .
and business increase
Pennsylvania has no right to shut tlis ave
nuc. Itis gift ofthe Creator, not to Penn
sylyauia, and still less toa Pounsylvania cor
poration, bat to al the American peopIe.and !
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