Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1869-03-04
rmnortant Railroad Movement


railroad meeting at Newark, in this
State, in the interests of scheme
for a railroad connection between
the South Atlantic seaboard and the
Northern Lakes, via the Chesapeake
and Ohio railroad, and suggested the
appointment of a delegate to repre-
sent our interests in said conven-
ton. The suggestion met win
favor, and the city council appointed
II. M. ONDERDoNK, Esq, our State
Senator, the delegate.
The convention was held last
Wednesday, and its proceedings may
be found elsewhere in our columns.
The attendance was very large, and
important results may be looked for
from its deliberation and action.
This is an important enterprise,
second to none of the vast railroad
schemes now in contemplation, or in
course of construction, and we are
glad to see that its Importance is
being recognized by others than
those Immediately connected with it..
A correspondent of the Cincinnati
Gazette recognizes this fact when he
says:
A person who will take the map
and examine the western part OF
this important route to the seaboard,
and glance at the relation it sustains
to all that part of Ohio to which l
have alluded, will not fail to dis
cover reasons for the agitation of the
business mind on this subject, and
for holding just such convention
as occurred yesterday.
The route by which the connec-
ton with the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad is to be made, if made at all,
is of course to be determined by fu-
ture events. Upon this subject, in
speaking of the convention, the cor
respondent above quoted says:
Four routes may be said to have
been considered; though the one to
Ironton had no representative yes
terday. A serious feature in this
route lies in the fact that it is not as
far East as would be desirable to
strike the Virginia road. 1t may be
said that Ironton, by building nine
miles of additional road, would in
tersect the Scioto & Hooking Valley
road, running from Portsmouth to
Hamden, thus furnishing so much Of
the line at once. But this road is
understood to be under the control
of the Baltimore & Ohio, being, in
deed, now known as the Portsmouth
branch of the Marietta & Cincinnati
road, and it would appear probable
that terms could not be made that
would secure this as a tributary Of
its Virginia rival. There are prob
ably advantages about this route
that did not appear yesterday, and,
if so, of course the people of this To-
cality will not now be idle.
A second route is from Athens to
Pomeroy, thence to Letart, where it
crosses the Ohio, and continues by a
direct line to Charleston, Virginia.
The remaining two routes lie, in
the main, between these two. One
starts at Athens and runs to Pome-
roy, or to a point three or four miles
below, and continues thence down
on the Ohio side of the river to the
mouth of the Kanawha, at or near
Gallipolis, where it crosses the Ohio,
and runs up ON either the right or
left bank of the Kanawha, until
reaching the Virginia road. The
other route is from Hamden, on the
Marietta & Cincinnati road, to CALI
polls, through the valuable iron and
coal fields of Vinton and Gallia
counties. This route was carefully
surveyed and estimates made year
or two ago. Arrangements were
also concluded with the Marietta &
Cincinnati road for the construction
of this branch, but the project suf-
fered sudden collapse by the inter
position of the Baltimore 4 Ohio
road This route would be only
about thirty-eight miles in length
but would involve the construction
ofa road from Straitsville to Ham
den, distance of about forty miles
A good part of the latter distance
was graded several years ago.
From Gallipolis this route, like the
Athens, Pomeroy & Gallipolis line
could select either side of the Kama
wha by which to approach the Vir
ginia road If the left bank of the
river should be chosen, the Virgins
road would be reached at Scary
Creek, distance of between forty
and fifty miles from the Ohio river
The Ironton route is, of course
out of the question, as no one would
entertain, for moment, the idea o
attempting to reach the Kanawh;
valley, from any point north of this
; via Ironton. If they did it woulC
be upon the assumption 'that tn,
longest way round is the shortes
way home" !" Whatever boys may
do, men do not build railroads upol
any such theory.
Thesecond route discussed -''fron
Athens to Pomeroy, thence to LIE
tart" &c.-we consider likewise i'm
practicable. The character of tn,
country will not admit of it. Mr.
GRAVES, when surveying our rout'
to Hamden, two years since, took ;
lookat the topography of that section
and pronounced any scheme for
railroad from any point on the Ka
nawha to any point on the Obi
above the mouth of the Kanawha