Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-04-06

iiops. II gnarnlees r,ilfond iiam
tho Reynoldrlle aud i,nthcrbura
dislriui w The northwest corner VI
ClenrHcld county, down the Toby and
up the Clarion, past Ridgway, over 10
aud down Potatoe creek, through Elk
and Mexican, and down the valley of
the Allegheny river TO Olean, there 10
unite with the Pine Creek line for
Buffalo, taking the isolated Bunker
Hill coal field ia It's way. Thus the
splendid ten and twelve-iOot coal beds
Of the Jefferson county Third aud
Fourth Basins, with all their iron ores,
and iron smelted on the ground. and
timber, viii have an outlet into West.
crn New York. But long before this
road is finished through TO its Buffalo
connections it will be pouring lis mil
lions Of tons Of the best biluminous
coal in the world upon the Philndel.
phia and Erie track, at or near Ridge
way, bound Tor Eric.
10 meet the other necessity n siill
less work is guaranteed. The Beaver
river Goals are now kept away from
Erie, because the Atlantic and Great
Western branch of the New York and
Erie Railway is broad gauge. This
road crosses Northwestern Pennsvl-
vania in northeast and southwest
direction. IL intersects the narrow
gauge Philadelphia and Erie road,
running southeast northwest. at Cor
ry. Its coal freight, therefore, passes
behind Erie, or into the Gcnessec
county Of New York, ard can get
round down on TO the lake only after
a det0ur, and even then ~ Dunkirk
The bill provides for n short switch
off of less than thirty miles, before
reaching Cory, down to Erie; or for
a shorter switch off on TO the Phila-
delpha and Erie road, and third
rail upon this latter line down TO Erie.
BY this means Erie becomes a depot
for all the Goals of our western tier Of
counties seeking lake market
3. Finally, the bill opens up the
splendid Pittsburg Bed and Upper
Coal System region Of the Mononga-
hela, TO the Ohio river and Great
Lakes. 1t will start from the south
bank of the Monongahela river, at it's
mouth opposite Pittsburg (wherc it
will be in connection with the Steu-
bcnvile Railroad and other western
branches of the Pennsylvania CcnlraD
and it will ascend the Monongahela
river to New Geneva, near the Vir-
gnia and Pennsylvania State line.
All the way along its line ii will have
the outcrops of the great Pittsburg
Coal Bed 10 the hillsides ovcrhanging
the track Innumerable short incline
planes will receive the fuel from hori-
zontal gangways in the bed, and de-
liver it into schutes upon its sidings.
Up every ravine, short laterals, with
moderate grades, will ascend to the
three workable beds which overlie
the Piltsburg Bed, and which form
with il the Upper Coal Measure Sys-
tenn of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
These beds underlie (abovc water
leveD the whole upper country Of
Greene and Washington counties, aud
constitute perfectly exhaustlcss field
of the richest and purest of bitumiD-
GUS Goals, interstratified with limestone
strata from ten to eighty feet thick
/ There is no predicting the future
wealth Of this section Of the State
when thus brought into connection
with the Ohio river and the lakes.
I A branch road will run TO tho county
seat of Washington for the accommo-
dation ofthe wool and wheat interests
OF that part of the surface the State.
What has been said is quite enough
10 Justify the Legislature IN its ready
acauiescence with the resolutions EN-.
bodied in this bill; and no financial
objection appears TO mar our perfect
satisfaction in the whole affair. The
guarantees it gives the State Treasury
are all that could be wished. Funds
which are unproductive and appropri-
ated for the most productive kind of
expenditure; and even should persons.
! ignorant of the geographical, mineral
illogical and commercial aspects Of the
/ bill, conceive doubts of its securing
the revenues which experienced rail
] road men know to be assured to it by
the history Of transportation 10 the
United States, they must still grant,
that the State secures by il an amount
of future taxable property more than
sufficient to prevent the slightest loss.
The State will have the power at any
time TO levy on the railway system
which guarantees these new works,
whatever may be necdful TO make
good any deficiency, /; develops some
of its choicest districts without tho
outlay Of dollar Of its funds; and
secures its own system Of railroad
improvements against offences from
other systems, in ncighboring States,
competing with its own for the great
markets Of the country, with the
advantage Of holding at present tho
points OF Intersection.