Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1868-02-27

Alta late meeting of the Directors Of the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad Company, President
Garrett made some exceedingly interesting
statements, from which we extract the follow
ing paragraphs
This company has steadily pursued the poll
cy of perfecting the Parkersburg branch road.
The twenty-three tunnels on that line are being
arched rapidly, although at enormous cost
The length Of these tunnels is about three and
half miles. Two-thirds Of this difficult work
is already completed and forces sufficiently
large are engaged to insure that the remainder
will be finished within the present calendar
wear. The expenditures in prosecuting this
work continue to be fifty thousand dollars per
month. Arrangements have also been made
to proceed with the construction Of the bridge
to connect the Parkersburg road with the Ma
rietta and Cincinnati road Under these cir
cumstances it was apparent that it was proper
to enter into the proposed arrangements, so as
10 insure to Baltimore and Cincinnati, and the
connected territories and railways west Of Gin
cinnati. the most effective use Of this greatroute
Tie western combinations being formed by
the managers of the New York Central and
PENNSYLVANIA roads are creating the necessity
for alliances on the part of important west
ern lines with the Baltimore and Ohio road.
Geographical relations, with the strong bonds
Of mutual interests, require these alliances.
On the completion of the Metropolitan road.
the passenger from Cincinnati to Washington
using this route will save l26 miles Of travel
compared with the routes via Pittsburg and the
PENNSYLVANIA road, as he can now save by this
route to Baltimore, as compared with the Penn
sylyania line 50 miles. The completion and
thorough working Of these roads cannot fail to
accomplish the most important results.
You will remember that fifty-eight miles OF
that road from Pittsburg to Connellsville have
been constructed, and that but ninety-nine
miles. from Connel lsyile to Cumberland, re-
main to be built. and that much work has been
done upon the Sand Patch tunnel, which IS the
heaviest section of the unfinished line. The
expenditure. however to complete the road will
be large, rs much heavy work is TO be encoun-
tered. Not less than four millions Of dollars
will be required to accomplish the object. The
city Of Baltimore aided the Pittsburg and Con-
neisville road to the extent Of million Of dol
lars by loan Of its stock Upon that million
Of dollars, in consequence Of tie non-comple-
ton Of the road, that company has been unable
to pay the interest 50 that the debt now exists,
with the accumulated interest
There is no point in the West more import
ant for direct connection with the city OF Bal
timore than the city of Pittsburg. The popu-
lation Of that city and its suburbs has swoiien
until it is now estimated at two hundred ana
fifty thousand 1t IS the centre OF an immense
railway business. the Pittsburg and Fort wayne,
the Allegheny Valley, the Cleveland and Pitts
burg and other great roads terminating at
Pittsburg.
Among the most interesting developments
since the decision Of the Supreme Court Of
Pennsylvania has been the efforts Of parties
connected with those roads to arrange for the
ioint use Of the Pittsburg and Connellsville road
in connection with the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road. AL can appreciate its vast importance
and the advantages to Baltimore of that con-
nection, when attention is called 10 the iac'
that whilst tie distance from Httsburg to Phil