Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1869-11-11
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

A correspondent Of the Baltimore Gisctie
furnishes the following graphic picture Of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which will bc
read with interest by most of our readersi o.
The Baltimore aud Ohio Railroad is perhaps
the greatest and most renowned work Of the
age. One cannot but be struck with the vast
ness of the obstacles in the way of its con-
structon, and the completeness with which
they have been surmounted The Alleghanies
have been scaled and pierced with an almost
superhuman genius and engineering skill that
must challenge the admiration Of the world,
and has made this road the most famous In
America, and only equaled in Europe by the
labors at Mt. Cenis. The work on every foot
of the road is of the most permanent descrip-
ton It's bridges and oroSsways and tunnels
are Of elegant design aud durable material, aud
their superstructure of the work substantial,
permanent aud graceful character. In the as
cent and descent Of the mountains there are
grades of llG feet to the mile, which are passed
over with the ease of level plain. There are
tunnels 4, 100 feet long, penetrating solid noun
tains of rock The scenery Of the Alleghanies
is grand, aud it quickens the blood, as with
lightning speed the iron horse carries YOU safe
ly along the edges Of frightful precipices, and
over treSte-work, high in air. Beneath you,
hundreds Of feet, is winding thread Of river.
or a mountain streamlet. A narrow cause
way and an iron rail alone protect You from
the yawDing abyss, yet you are In perfec, safe
ty the skill aud watchfulness Of the officers
Of the train. guarding you from danger.
The grand feature of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad to the travellers is the ease with which
the heavily-laden train passes over the rail-
The iirmness OF the road bed and the excellence
Of the rail combined. render the passage FREQ
from the olting and jar almost universal 10
railroads.
Baltimore aud Ohio Railroad Bridge at Dem
irOod.
At Benwood, four miles below Wheeling,
connection is made with The Central Ohio Rail-
road. The present mode II crossing the river
is on large flats or pontoons, fastened together
one after another, propelled by steamboat.
Inclined planes down either bank OF the river
permit the locomotives 20 draw the cars from
the fats 10 the banks, where they are connected
J or hooked on 10 the through trains, East or
West. The Railroad Company is now con-
structing at great cost a bridge from Benwood
to Bear, the opposite town in Ohio.
: pier bridge, and is already considerably ad-
vanced in construction. The superstructurc
is to be of the Lnville style. after that Of the
new Fairmount bridge at Philadelphia, which
presents the advantages Of elegance with great
} durability. The piers Of this bridge in the bed
of the river. Of which there are four are built
in cassons, or platforms, and are of clean cut
stone-work so that boats can come alongside
! ,..4ac IF
tions or narrowing of the channel or water
way by the stone-work The masonry OF these
piers is simply splendid, or huge blocks Of gra-
mite, bolted with iron in such a manner that
cannot fail to make II secure. The length Of
the bridge between abutments is 3, 100 feet;
total length 4, 100 feet. The waterway |, ,l20
feet The span, or waterway, between the
piers, 34S feet in one channel 2i2 feet In the
other, height Of bridge from low-water mark,
I 90 feet. the same as the suspension bridge at
Wheeling. which enables steamboats, TO pass
aud repass without lowering their stacks, ex-
cept in extraordinary floods in the river, which
do not occur once in twenty years and at
which time steamboats, aud other boats usually
tie up
This bridge is located in straight water,
where, for nearly mile above and below il.
description. steamers rs well as barges aud
RATS. will find no difficulty in passing at any
height Of water Being familiar with this ri
yer in all lis caprices, aud Of the different craft
that ply upon il, | cannot think that this
bridge will obstruct navigation. IL Is contem-
plated TO have this bridge completed, and trains
running over II by the 4tb July next. Ano-
ther bridge Of like construction is being built
at Parkcrsburg. by the same employ, 10 con-
meet with the Marietta and Cincinnati Rail
road.
The Baltimore and Ohio Ralroad Naturally
C6nsideTed.
Geographically speaking, the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad is The most important iron link
in the country Uniting the far West with ths
Atlantic seaboard, unlike all other railroad
communications in the country, IL Is central,
extending its briaerian arms 10 the North the
South, the Valley of the Mississippi, making
4 its last connection with The Pacific Railroad,
the last wonder Of the age, uniting the waters
4 Of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans The Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad has aided largely 10
build mp the commercial importance Of the city
| Of Baltimore, now the fourth commercial city
| in the Union Without it farmers Of one Of
| the most fertile sections Of the country would
not be able % send their crops OF cereals 10 To-
reign markets, and the vast mineral interests
Of iron and coal which now absorb colossal
/ capital, an immense industrial agency, would
/ have remained undeveloped, relying solely on
the small demand for home consumption.
! A peculiar and meritorious feature Of the
working Of this road is its management. Com
! mencing as an experimentin the past, the pre-
sent has demonstrated its great paramountya-
! lue as a means Of communication from the in
/ terror of oar immense domain 10 the seaboard,
a matter Of more than ordinary importance
/ when we take into consideration the yastness
| Of our territory, Connecting the largest internal
/ river with the Atlantic-passiBg through DIFF
| ferent States, has become. from judicious man
1 agement Of It's officers and directors, the great
! highway Of travel second ononein importance
/ 70 any similar enterprise in the world, and has
won for itself the reputation Of being the
/ great Atlantic Railway. Joining now with
/ the great Pacific Railroad it forms almost
I central airline Of continuous iron across the
continent, equally beneficial 70 the commerce
! and industries Of the North, South, East and
West, and can be justly termed national in its
character.
DoEs 1T PAY TO ADvERrIsz The Boston
Journal says that lealing book firm in that
city answers this question as follows: They