The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1868-05-06

The Newly Proposed RatirOad--Its Prob.
able LocatiOn--- Distance From Point
to POint---GrRde of Road..- Route Short.
ened---TO Saiein---COnnections With
Tide water.
Special Correspondence of Pitts. Commercial.
Much interest having been attached
to the former communications, upon
the recently proposed route for rail
road connecting with Pittsburgh, with
the central portion of the Southern
States, / now propose to enchance it
By making more definite, that which was
previously only intimated, or spoken
in general terms. The proposed route
is as follows: Leaving Pittsburgh
and crossing to the west bank of the
Monongahea river following this bank
South into Marion county, West Vir-
ginia, crossing to the east bank, and
following the east fork or Tygart VAL
ley river, to its source in the Mingo
Flats of Randolph county crossing
table land Elk river grade, which
runs nearly through the Cheat Noun
tains, or as they are here called, the
Bricry Mountains passing through
this gap and down small stream, to
the Greenbrier river crossing to its
Southeast bank, following this bank
Southwest to Anthon's creek. From
this point there is choice of routes,
either taking the course of the river,
to its own junction with the New riv-
er, and then turning Southeast up the
New river to Newbern, or turning
Southeast at Anthon's creek, across
table-laud through a gap in the Ale
gheny mountains, passing down the
left bank of Dauphin's creek to the
James river, following it to the mouth
of Catawba creek, and thence up this
stream to Salem, county seat of Roam
oke county, a station forty miles east
of Newbern, and a town made famil-
lial to the country on account of the
Averill raids during the war.
The distances from point to point
are nearly as follows: From Pitts
burgh to McKecsport, II miles; to
Elizabeth, 8; Monongahela City, 8 !;
Columbia, Z; Fayette City, s; Green
field, ID California, l East and West
Brownsville .; Fredericktown, 8 !;
Millsboro, /; Rice's Landing, 3;
Greensboro and Geneva, IA; Mouth
of Dunkard Creek, 2; Point Marion
at the month of Cheat river, A 4; Penn
sylvania State Line, 2; Jimtown, 4 /;
Granville, 3; Morgantown, 1 Little
Indian Creek, II Buffalo Creek and
junction with the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad, 8; Fairmont,3 to railroad
bridge crossing to cast bank, 4; Graf
ton and junction with Northwest Nir-
ginia and Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road l6; Sandy Creek, 10; Philippi
IS; Buchanan river, emptying on the
west side, l, Middle Fork, also west
side, 3; Leedville, ii; Beverly, II ;
Huntonsville, 10; Warwick Creek,
IA; Randolph county line, Is; across
table land to head of Elk river, 6 ;
through gap or cut in Grcenbrier
Mountain to opposite stream, 5; de-
scending grade to Greenbrier river, 10;
crossing to southeast bank, and run
ming southwest to Thorny creek, 8 {:
Napp creek, 6, (up this stream s mile
is Huntsville, county seat of Pocahon-
tas county J following the river to
county line, l6, in what is called Lit
tie Levels mouth of Anthon's creek,
20; whole distance to this point, 293
miles. From here there is choice of
direction. From here to Covington
and Lewisburg Turnpike, IS; county
line of Greenbrcr and Monroe coun-
ties, IA ; Junction of Greenbricr and
New river, 80; stream very crooked.
From here changing course Southeast
up New river to Parisburg, 35. Big
Stony creek, 2; Little Stony creek, 6 !;
Sinking creek, I; Black creek empty
ing on west side, II; up which it is
near 15 miles to Newbern, or running
direct to railroad, 0 miles, amounting
to 137 miles or whole distance 430
miles from Pittsburg to Newbern.
We will now return to Anthon' 3
Creek, in Greenbrier county. Run
ming Southeast across table land to a
gap in the Allegheny mountains, s ;
through this gap the James River
Canal was intended to pass to the
Ohio River; Dunlaps creek, 6; to
Covington the terminus of the Staun-
ton and Charlottesville Railroad, II;
Cowpasture river, IA; Craig's creek,
10; Catawba 6; Fincastle, county
seat of Bottetourt county, on the Ca
tawba, 10 up said stream, 10; across
table land six miles to Salem whole
distance eighty-seven miles from An
thon's creek to Salem $50 miles, max
ing difference of near fifty miles in
favor of the Salem terminus, and ac-
complishing for commerce all that the
Newborn could, except the "plaster
banks" and mineral springs, in lieu
Of which we make one more con-
nection with the tide water section.
Thus we have, at a glance the max
imum distances by following the devi-
Gus ways of the main water grades.
, To show that this distance may be ma
terially changed, surveys have already
been made from Pitts, via Saw mill
Run, across the country, striking the
Monongahela river twenty miles from
Pittsburgh, at distance of only elev-
en- and three-tenths miles, saving over
eight miles, right in the start. Again
80 N4.z.lztx