Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-03-30

line, one Of 900 feet ut Adams; one
of 200 feet ut fippecanoe. BY such .
location, the character of the line wouI
be very much improved, the most %
jectiOnabie curves avoided, the laa
damage in several cases materially Ia
minishel, at least two bridges rendere
unnecessary, and some other expensiv
work Obviated. My impression is tina
the advantages to be gained will justif.
| the construction of these tunnels, ia
though this opinion might be modifle,'
by the results of more thorough exam
| nations of the ground. Much will dc
pend ON the fact whether the materi.t
to be excavated is of such nature tina
the tunnels will require arching, an
| perhaps still more on the character
the road you contemplate building. 1.
arching should not be required there l.
probably no doubt O. the prOpriety Oh
adopting the tunnel HueS, and my pres
ient opinion is that arching will noi
be necessary. Should you design road
iinersly to accom- nodate the local traffic
of the country and arching be necessary,
the policy of adopting these tunnel
lines would be very questionable, while
on the other hand if you design road
which shall be able to compete with
other east and west lines for the COM
merce between the northwest and the
lseaboard, you would probably avail
yourselves of the advantages secured
by these improvements without hesi-
tatiOn, even if arching should be re-
quired. ~. .f- ~ s.tf j. tu.. !
Taking your line as whole, it must
be considered good one. The align
ment is equal to that of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, or of the Pan Handle
road between Steubenville and Pitts
burg, and the heaviest grade-52 $40
fe,,t per mile-which occurs on your
line for short distances at two points
only, is of frequent occurrence on both
tho5e roads. AS freight line between
the Ohio river and the northwest, If the
heavy grades at Gatchells could be
avoided, il would possess advantages
over other lines in consequence of hav-
ing only about seven miles of grades
exceeding 26 4-10 feet per mile, and
those confined to one locality-Webb's
Suinmit-where if assistant engines
were employed, trains could be made
up for the entire line with reference to
the low grade of 26 4-10 feet per. mile
exclusively. .-f ..-.tsl5- s~
The coal field traversed by your road
and the faculties for mining and bring
ing the coal to the track, are uaeqtdtted
by those of any other Tine Of railroad in
Ohio. For the entire distance from
Bridgeport to the summit at New
Athens, there is scarcely mile of the
line on which coal of the best quality
cannot with great facility be brought to
the track by gravity alone; and for the
greater part of the distance along
Brushy Fork and Big Saltwater, th'-
supply of excellent coal is almost equal
! ly ample. By your line of road eX-
tended to the Lakes, the iron ore of the
Northwest could be. advantageously
Drought into Ontact with the excellent
coal OF f lstern Ohio, and in view OF
the heavy traific which would proba-
bly, arise on your line, in these an
| kindred articles, taken in Connection
with the expensive work required IL
pass the Gitchell SUN nit, it might,
perha 5, be qIe5tiolei whether the
breaking up ut this point of the general
homogeneOuSneSS of your roa1 Is Ju5ti-
fed by the desire to reach Dennison lii
the manner proposed. A line uniting
Northwestern Ohio and Wheeling, or
the Eastern Ohio coal-tield. avoiding
G4tcheIPs Summit, and passing down
the valley of saltwater, and thence
northwestward, would be very little, il
any, longer, would haye easy grade, be
cheaper, virtually more than two miles
shorter by reason of the dipinished
aseents and 'descents, and would per-
haps possess greater commercial value
than your line through Dennisoa.
Respectfully,
.,r J. BLICKENsDERFER, JR.,
/ March 10, 1871. Civil Engineer