Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1869-04-22
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

The regular monthly meeting Of the Board of
Directors of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company took place on Wednesday week, j.
w. Garrett, Esq, in the chair.
Upon the presentation by the Committee on
Finance of their report recommending the dec
laration of the usual semi-annual dividend Of
four per cent on the main stem and five per
cent. on the Washington branch, and the pay
ment Of the United States taxes by the COM
pany, the president made a statement in rela-
ton TO the financial condition Of the company
and the various works of improvement it
has at present in progress. He stated that
upon the Metropolitan branch large forces are
engaged and much work is being performed.
The road from Winchester to Strasburg is I'M
der contract, aud work upon nearly that entire
line is also being vigorously prosecuted. A
large amount of preparation has continued to
be made of the work for the Ohio river bridges,
and the expenditures for these structures now
exceed $500, 600 The completion of the arch
ing Of the twenty-three tunnels on the Park
ersburg branch, and the general improvement
in the condition of that road, combined with
the improved condition of the Marietta and
CINCINNATI road, under the present vigorous
administration of the affairs Of that company,
will enable the Baltimore and Ohio Company
to do that which is unprecedented in the his
tory of travel between the East and Vest
The company design establishing line between
Baltimore and Cincinnati, via the Parkersburg
branch, which will require but twenty-four
hours between the two cities. This arrange
meut will commence with our spring schedules,
and the line cannot fail 10 command large
increase Of traffic. 1t will also be gratifying
to learn that, notwithstanding all the compli-
cations in the West by efforts to cut off the
Baltimore and Ohio road from some of its nat
ural connections, yet, during the past month
of March, with the relations that the company
has been able to maintain, and others which it
has improved, whilst the revenue Of the main
stem and branches in March, 1868, was S7l8,-
49l GO; the revenue for the last month, March,
1867 proved to be 1886, 494 SC; thus show
ing an increase for that month Of S217 ,904 Is.
The work upon the Pittsburg and Connellsvillc
road is progressing satisfactorily, and it is pro-
posed to place, at an early day, all the remain
ing sections under contract. No effort will be
spared to open this invaluable and powerful
line at the earliest practicable PROD. The pro-
gress Of our steamship enterprises has continued
very satisfactorily. The economy in The price
of coal at 50 so per ton, as compared with
New York, aids largely in the success of this
enterprise.
The President then made a statement in ref
ence to a route proposed to be constructed upon
Locust Point, Baltimore. Much objection has
been made by passengers between the national
capital aud Philadelphia and New York to the
delay in passing through the streets of Balt-
more by horse power, as well as to the slow
speed required in approaching Camden and
iCSiutut SNICtt otdtiOio' uV iuSICdciuS Jus
mess of the city adds continuously to the use
of Pratt street, and causes serious difficulties in
transferring cars in the passenger and freight
service between the Philadelphia and Baltimore
and Ohio railroad stations. Those embarrass-
ments in transportation produce also much APP
prehension, although, with the great care ex-
ercised, but few accidents have occurred. In
der these circumstances the company has sought
most carefully for plan which would prove
permanently for the best interests of the COM
munity, and accomplish, in the most cOnve-
nient manner, the rapid transfer demanded by
the public interests. Our engineers and Off
GERS, in conjunction with those of the Pbila-
delphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Company,
have unanimously decided that the true route
will he upon the peninsula Of Locust Point,
where the population is relatively limited, and
WI ere the construction and facilities of the rail-
road will advance the value of property, and
promote the convenience of the people. The
company, for the reasons stated, has secured
the property that will be necessary to accom-
plish the desired object