The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-20
nALrI noRE AND ONO RAILROAD
Interesting Address OF President
Garrett.

The regular monthly meeting of the
board of directors of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company took place on
Wednesday last, at Camden station,
Baltimore, J. w. Garrett, Esq, presi-
dent, in the chair. Upon the presenta-
ton by the committee of finance of
their report recommending the declara-
ton OF the usual Semi-anpuRl dividend
of four per cent. on the main stem, and
five per cent. on the Washington
branch, and the payment of the United
States taxes by the company, the Pre-
sident made some interesting remarks
in relation to the financial condition,
works and business of the Company.
We make some extracts which appear
to be of most interest in this section.
THE OHIO BRIDGES.
A large amount OF preparation has
continued to be made of the work OF
the Ohio river bridges, and tho expen-
ditureS for these structures now exceed
5000, 600. AS the board is aware, an at
tack was made during the last session
of Congress upon the plan for the chan
mel spans of these bridges.
It will be rendered that the bridges
at Bellaire and Parkersburg are being
constructed under an act of Congress
passed in 1852, under which the Steu-
benville bridge, which is used by the
Pennsylvania road and its connections,
was also built. That bridge remains,
and has not been practically attacked
by those who assume that tho naviga-
ton of the river will be interfered with
by the bridges of the Baltimore and
Ohio Company. Under the act of 1862
the water way between the channel
piers is required TO be OF less than
three hundred feet. The SteubenVille
bridge was so imperlectly constructed,
the piers having such Insecure founda-
tions, that in order to maintain them
twenty feet of rip.rappinG on each side
OF each pier was required, so that the
water way has been reduced to 260 in
stead of 300 feet, as required by law.
That bridge was also constructed in q
bend of the river, where the water was
crooked, and where there were serious
difficulties In navigation, irrespective
of the structure itself. The bridges
planned by the Baltimore and Ohio
Company have been located not only
in straight water, but where, for half 81
mile above and below each site, there is
direct current, thus preventing the
difficulties which arise from crooked
water, which exists wherever the river
curves. The Baltimore and Ohio Com
pany also, instead of attempting to place
its piers upon the bottom of the river,
with little or no foundation, has, at
great COst-and thus far under great
difficulties, arising principally from the
frequent rises of the river during the
last season, which destroyed or dnmag-
ed seriously and repeatedly its Golfer
dams constructed its piers with an
average depth of foundation of eleven
feet, thus making them SO substantial
that when constructed the superstruc.
lures can be placed upon the piers and
the bridges be safe without resorting 10
rip-rapping.
Under these circumstances the COM
pany repre scented to the committees OF
the House OF Representatives and the
Senate that it was unjust and unreAson-
able because the Pennsylvania Rail
road Company violated the law, that
the Baltimore and Ohio Company
should not be permitted TO carry out
its plans in strict compliance with the
law, The company also, instead OF
selecting locations where the water was
shallow, selected pools, so as TO give
this additional protection to navigation.
Under these circumstances, after re-
peated presentations of the facts, the
company succeeded in rescuiuE its
rights from the perils which were
threatened.
In this, as in most other cases in.
volving adverse legislation, the efforts
we're inspired chiefly by rival railway
interests. The company is in posi-
ton fortunately to proceed with those
great workS-works which are of vast
importance to the country as well as
to the Baltimore and Ohio railway and
it's connections. It will therefore be
the policy of the company to press this
work vigorously during the approach
ing season.
THE MARIETTA AND CINCINNATI ROAD.
In consequence of its embarrassed
condition this company has continued
to assist the Marietta and Cincinnati
Company. The completion of the arch.
ing OF the twenty-three tunnels on the
Parkersburg branch, and the general
Improvement in the condition OF that
road, combined with the improved con-
dition of the Marietta and Cincinnati
road, under the present vigorous adj
ministration of the affairs of that COM
pany, will enable the Baltimore and
ohio Company to do that which isSS un~
precedented in the history OF travel be-
twixt the East and West. The company |
design establishing line between Bal
timore and Cincinnati via the Parkers- |
burg branch, which will require but
twenty-four hours between the two
cities. This arrangement will COM
mence with our spring schedules, and |
the line cannot fail to command large |
increase of traffic.