The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1869-02-03
The Chcsap cakc 81 ohio Nal'roa"'

| Senate on ms lHollOT W III" :"
Shcrman's Railroad bill 'conmcctlof
with the Chesapeake Il Ohio, "hos'
ultimate tcr,uini arc Norfolk and th'
mouth OF che Big Sandy, gave
statement OF distances and grades
from which we gather that the rou''
from Norfolk to the mouth OF th'
kauawhu is .i9S miles, and that .
miles further will connect il with the
Cincinnati < Marietta Rnilrond; thai
on thi. route there is 4 road in opera
lion from Norfolk to Richmond, LOU
miles, and from Richmond to C0vinS'
Ton, Va. POS miles. and that west OF
! Coviugton some Of the heaviest wor;
has been done, and that measures have
been taken that will probably secure
its completion to ths Ohio in two OF
three years.
The .r:s,les ami alignment of this
route are remarkably easy. Mr.. Will
ley said:
+ Again, these strikin. advantages arc
greatly cnbanccd by the easy grades
and curvaturcs on this road. Coming
sa>t card there is. in I'LL she five hum
drrd and five miles from the Ohio 10
the sea, no grade exceeding twenty
nine and half feet 10 the mile. and
only ten miles reaching that @radr.
From the Ohio river 10 the base Of the
Allegheny mountains, Il distance Of
two hundred miles. there j. no grade
exceeding twenty feet to the mike.
ihc minimum radius OF curvature on
this road is one thousand feet, and of
this only two and II lnlr miles. Sixty
per cent. o. the. road Is straight. Conn
pare these statements with the laciS ~
relation 10 other roads. The maximum
cradle Of Tie New York Il Erie road j.
sixty feet. Of the Pennsylvania Central
iiitv-thrCc feet, Ui the Baltimore
Ohio road Oar hundred and sixteen
feet 10 the mile; and the curvature Of
neither D; these rUad> is % ilvoralic.
believe, rs that of the Chesapeake "
OiiV road. These arr important con
>:dvralioG:. lo"kim" I" speed. 10 safety.
To economy anal to the wear and tear
Of machinery. 1t would seem a> il ma.
iuYr had been IN brnrIirrnt mood
VIXEN she SAM; down the Grand range
OF the .Allr"laEy mountains nj the
ruint where this road is located over
them. and kindly bent the streams ON
either side to the same point. 80 ~ to
afford Il pracIical!r and easy transit "'
the coming tide of commerce ard ""nI-
muHiraiion between lie mighty Na!.
Icy Of DE Mississippi and The sea.
lie also made these remarks on the
several Eastern connections Of This
short central route. and on ;hc'"thcr,
favorable features 81. The country:
From Eirhuuu.i. il ra.icru trrln;m-
Us. Il railroad il already mad" AMI -
NOW in successful operation To Nor
folk. Il distance OF one hundred mics.
mrkin. The distance from Norfolk i"
Tie Ohio III the uuu!h OF The Hi% san.
Nv Ey ,:.is route. live hundred "n,! iiY"
mills. and several mics less 30 Ia"
mouth Of the Grra; kanawha. Prior
10 the rebellion there WAS a:>o mule
and in operation from Richmond 10 Il
place called West Point. on York riv-
~. raiIruid 81; uuiv SOFA" forty mi'rH
in lrn.ih, fnak"H. the dis;anr" from
~" O!::n 10 the Chesapeake only ah"Hi
four hundred and lhirt! "r iUH: hun
drrd aml forty miles. Another line
In, been surveyed with Il fair pros
I.rri al t!!rrc being Il road bui!i on i!
from I'irhmonh /" Newport News. =
distance ct srvruiv.iiTr miles. tiiG- AZ
!rrdiny three outlets by rail from
Richmond 10 ihr chesapeake am! The
Atlantic ocean. At NurIulh the harb"r
j. unsurpassed by any along this cont
nru;. It's depth Of water is twenty.
eight feet, one foot deeper than the
harior at New York. There are also
cXrrl.rn; harhorS IL West Pant and
Nrwlruri News. the former twrniy-Ou"
and ihc latter twenty-five feet depth.
Now. wish Senators would refer t"
the maps of the country. II they vii!
do 30 they will perceive that thi'
Chesapeake l. Ohio roaI, with is CON.
ncriion-. which | have just named
with the Chesapeake bay and the
ocean. lies on IN almost direct line
from the mouth OF the Chesapeake
bay. the center Of the Atlantic coast
toward Cincinnati, st. Louis, and the
eastern lcriaini Of the Pacific railways.
II lies alonG 4 parable! midway be-
tween The r;@nrS of Il northern climate.
50 embarrassing TO railroad operations,
in The winter time. and the humid and
heated atmosphere Of the lower south
crn ialltudr<, so apt to spoi! 50 many
articles of trade and commerce during
the course OF transportation. This
road can never be seriously affected by
HE one or the other OF these bcSct-
mcntS of cheap, safe. and comfortable
travel and transportation.
Mr.. Wiley proposed al amendment
10 Mr. Shcrman'> bill, to charter road
from Washington to connect with this
road 1T 'S;aunton, VA, which would
require the construction Of 60 10 SO
miles OF Lcw road.
Here is route that Offers the short
est road and easiest grades from Gin.
cinnnii T." the sral,u.,,l that Is neccs-
sary on general principles, and that
will afford one more chance against the
general railrond consolidation which is
hrpuinnn1