The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-07
= Great Virginia Through Lime of
Railroad.

Among the great internal improvements
now in course of construction must be
rcckoned the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad.
This road, which is to form one of the great
trunk lines between the Eastern Coast and
the Mississippi Valley, will be to Virginia
what the Baltimore and Ohio is to Mary
land, the Pennsylvania Central to Penn
-ylvania. and the Hudson River and Cen
trail railway to New York. 1t is not gene
rally known that Virginia contains within
her borders by far the most feasible and
practicable route for first-class railroad
between the Atlantic seaboard and the
great West. The line now building
on the West Virginia slope of the noun
tains is incomparably the line OF lowest
grades between the East and West. From
the Allegheny summit, near the celebrated
White Sulphur Springs Ito which point the
road is in operation), the grades to the Ohio
nowhere exceed thirty feet to the mile,
while the great bulk are under twenty feet
per mile, or less than those in common use
on our best roads. Similarly, in making
the ascent On the seaboard slope of the
range, the grades are less than those in use
Oh any of the trunk lines to the West, and
admit of being reduced to the maximum Of
the western division. This is q very mani
fest advantage in the important matter of
heavy freights. When we reflect that the
Chesapeake and Ohio line passes through
the great coal-felds of the kanawha valley,
and that it lies along a more temperate belt
of climate, and through very productive
country, its advantages for large traffic and
cheap carriage are apparent.
Several of the English roads, and some
Of our own, are carrying coal at rates less
than one cent per ton per mile, and are
reaping profit therefrom. The Kanawha
mines, Astounding in camel coal, and in the
still more valuable "splint" coal, are 800
miles from Underwater by this railroad. 1t
will be practicable to lay this coal along
aide coastng vessels at seven dollars per
ton, and at New York and points further
east for nine dollars per ton. One hundred
miles east of the coal beds are vast deposits
of superior iron ores, and to unite these two
will ultimately give employment to O vast
amount of railroad rolling stock.
Besides the local traffic it will be observed
that the western termini of the Chesapeake
and Ohio railroad are upon the most
nayigable portion of the Ohio river, and will
have the inland river system for o great
freight cOnnectlOn-
In addition to the river it will have, by
short connecting Lines, access to the great
railroad centres Of the West-Columbus,
Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Louisville
and through them to the cities further
West.
The distance between Chicago and the
magnificent harbor of the Chesapeake over
this new line is less than the present route
hetween Chicago and New York. Washing
ton city is also brought nearer to Cincin-
natl, Louisville, and st. Louis, by. this line
than formerly.
New York capitalists Of some eminence
have recently connected themselves with
this enterprise, among whom are Messrs.
{. P. Huntingdon, Of the Pacific railroad
A. A. Low, William II. Aspinwall, David
Stewart, Jonas G. Clarke, Pliny Fisk, and
William B. Hatch, of New York. Messrs:
FIX & Hatch, the bankers, are the financial
agents Of the company.-Meeo York Conn.,
mcrctal.