Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-03-30
WHEELING s. TOLEDO Rail-.
ROAD.
Official Report of the Surrey.
Route Excellent, Easy and Cheap.

Official Report of the Sursey.
Route Excellent, Easy and Cheap,
Hessrs. J. u. Mclean, j. Dickersoa, &.
and lPal. CImp5eN, Committee.
GENTs-In pursuance ofyour request
have examined and surveyed a line
Or a railway from Wheeling, w. Va.
~ the vallies of Indian Wheeling
:reek, Crabapple, Brushy Fork and Biz
saltwater, to Dennis0n, Ohio, and now
,uOinit a report of its principal charac'
.ristics ana probable cost.
rne survey was commenced al
wheeling Island, at the west end o
lie wire suspension bridge, Themes
rossing the west channel of the Ohit
liver and passing through the village
III kirKwOOd OF South Bridgeport, con
-inuei up Indian Wheeling creek, t
lie Mouth Of Crabapple, which is fol
owed 10 its course, about two mile:
northwest of the village Of New Ath'
EMS. Here the line passes over the
ridge dividing the waters flowing into
che Ohio, and into the Tuscarawas
rivers, and thence follows down the
Brushy Fork branch of the Saltwater
TO its confluence. to, the main stream
near Tippecanoe, from whence the val.
ley of Big Saltwater is followed to a
point about three miles from DennisOn
on the farm of Job Gatchell, when a
low pass in the hills affords the means
of leaving the valley of saltwater and
getting into the ravine of Brooks run,
by which the line is brought directly to
DennisOn. =-. 4-t.f-.,
The distance from the initial point OF
the survey to the crest of the dividing
ridge of Webb's summit, near New
Athens, is tWenty-four and One-tenth
miles, and total rise from high water
mark in the Ohio river at Bridgeport
613 feet. From this point to DennisOn
the distance is twenty-eight and eight
tenth miles, and the descent 40S feet.
The ascent in the valley of Wheeling
creek to the mouth of, Crabapple aver
ages seventeen feet per mile, and i
overcome by grades in no case exceed
ing twenty-six and four-tenths feet per
pile. From the mouth of Crabapple to
the summit, a distance of six and one
tenth miles, the average is greater, but
the grades in no case exceed thirty-nine
md six-tenths feet per mile, and this
rAte of ascent occurs only on about three
niles next the summit. A tunnel,
|, 500 feet in length is necessary at the
summit, piercing the ridge at an ele-
gation of 1872 feet above high water
mark at Bridgeport, and III feet below
che crest of the hill. The tunnel is 10.
.ated at such an elevation that a coal
vein of four and half feet in thick.
less- iraverses the entire eastern ap
proach and about twO-thirds of the
length of the tunnel, so that much ol
che healing can be made in the coal
fhe length of the eastern approach j;
LOO feet ami of the western approacf
! bJO feet. From the tunnel westward
mere is a continually descending grade
of % $40 feet per mile, sustained on tht
sides OF the valley for 81 miles, until the
oottom is reached, after which the
lescent is remarkably easy, and NJ
grade exceeding 13 feet per mile i
necessary until the line reaches the gal
/ 1t Gatehell's about three miles from
] Dennison. At this point it become
necessary to resort to an aScendins
Grade of 81 $40 feet per mile for abOu
| que mile in rising from the valley o
Big saltwater to the submit of thi'
zap which is passed by cut 200 fee
long and r4S feet extreme depths, anG
then q descending grade o 80 clio fee
per mile of about one mile in length
Orings the line into Brooks run, aftel
!. which no grade exceeding Is feet PEI
Enile'is necessary to reach D5nnison
Cne survey terminated at a point on the
tack of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati ant
st. Louis Railway opposite the eating
mouse in Dalnison, 81 $40 miles from
the west end of the suspension bridg q
m Wheeling Island. The passage
from the valley of Saltwater int
Brooks run at GatcheH's eompels thu
introduction at that point of the maxi
mum grades used over the summit be
tween Wheeling creek and Saltwater
lat Webb's. It would be exceedingly
ldesirabie to avoid this, and to contin,
the high grades to one locality, but
to reach the town plat of Dennison be ,
sine qua non of this route, l see no othe
way in which it can be secured. 1t
true the. descent from Gatcheil's sum
NIT to Dennison may be made at
moderate outlay with grales not ex
Iceeding 26 4-10 feet per mile, but tn
! ascent from Saltwater is substantial,
limpracticable without reSOrting +
grades as high as those at Webb's.
In the valley of Wheeling creek
!, lowing to its confined and tortuOus char
, acter, the curvature is considerable, AN
!, in order to obtain proper alignment
is necessary frequently to cross tn
: stream; but after a careful examination
am satisfied no curve of less than 50
. feet radius will be required either /
the valley Of this stream or at any Othe
point between Wheeling and DennisOr
The most difficult points on Wheelin
creek occur at Hardesty's, at Crime
and at Dickey's; eight, ten and fourtee
miles from Wheeling respectively. A
these places, points from the oppOsit
!. sides of the valley interlock in such
manner that no line with curves admi
ejsable on railways can be obtained will
Iout cutting through them, and dee
icuts or short tunnels will be necessar
= under any circumstances, and a fins
: location only can decide which woul
4 be most proper. Ny impression is thu
: four short tunnels from 250 feet to 3;
.Ifeet in length, would be most advisabl
n on the line / have surveyed. Two
! these would be located at Hardesty'
: one ut Crimes and one at Dickey's.
9 The yaJlies of Crabapple, Brush
Fork, and Big Saltwater, are easy, an
, with slight exceptions, afford remark,
: BILE facilities for the construction of
e good line Of road at moderate cost.
y Wheeling Creek, between Bridgepo
: and tine mouth of Crabapple, is crosse
eighteen times, requiring bridges var.
y ing from so to I40 feet in length, an
:, Big saltwater, between Tippecanoean
= Gatchell's, is crossed four times, requi
e inn. hridnos from I1Q To lao foot si,aI