The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-08
GhsGntelti1gsueer
THE RAILROAD TO THE
NORTHWEST.
The Other Side-.A Friendly View OF
the Wheeling Creek Project.

per route for u railroad to the Northwes
may create divisions amongst our people
which may so paralyze our energies as b
prevent us from getting any road. TIL
whole tone and temper of Capt. Cochran
communication in the INTELLIGENCER O
the 9Th, was very well calculated to in
crease and intensity the feeling that pre-
yiOusly existed on that subject. Their,
wasso much misapprehensiOn, and Conse
quenty so much Misrepresentation, in tina
communication, that there seems to mi
70 be an imperative necessity for pointing
out and correcting some of his mistakes.
lie has not advised us where his tunnel
1900, 600 and 200 feet respectively, OF
the llOpedale line, are located. But a!
these are the only tunnels on the line,
suppose one OF them picrces the SUNNI
between Deep Run and Little Shor
Creek, another the summit between LittlI
Short Greek, and the other tho SUNNI
between the waters of Short Creek ant
the wGters Of Saltwater or OOnotton.
1t is the first time that have ever heart
il claimed by any friend Of this line
that the highlands between the river at
the mouth Of Deep Run and Big Shorl
Creek could be passed by tuDneliDg less
than mile, 1t may be true that these
SUBMITS may be passed by tunnels OF 900
and 900 feet, but to do so IL Is very GER
tain that they must be approached by
grades greatly exceeding 100 feet to the
mile
The truth is that no survey making
any pretensiOns to accuracy has ever
been made of the line from the mouth
of Deep Run TO Big Short Creek. All
that is said about its grades and tunnels is
mere guessing by the sAnguine and inter.
rsted friends of this line. am well sat.
isfCd that when this line comes to be
tested by an accurate survey 1t will be
found 80 lar imprActicable as to make the
line by way OF Portland the preferable
line, and that 1t will bG adopted.
Deep Run is six miles from Bridgeport,
and certainly not less than that from any
depot that may BIO adopted on the Island.
II this line Is found practicable and is
adopted, the road must run up tho river
six miles by the side OF the Q. u +. road,
II the Portland line Is adopted, II must
run up the river nine miles. Portland Is
ten miles from the Panhandle road Mt the
mouth Of Cross Creek, where 1t leaves
the river, and from the mouth OF Deep
Kun, thirteen miles. 1t approaches the
Panhandle road It's entire distance until 1t
crosses II, some six or seven miles beyond
IOpCdale. It's average distance from the
Panhandle road will not exceed seven
miles. The Deep Run route passes no
town, village, or local center of trade,
between MartlnsvlllG and lIopGdale, which
hs some 200 or 800 inhabitants. 1t leaves
Mt. Pleasant about three miles to the
west, SmithtlGld about the same distance
to the east, and Little York, about two
miles to tho west
Such line furnishes very meagrc lacil.
tiles for local subscriptions to stock on
the line Of the road.
The flourish of trumpets about 5000.
OOO being subscribed and "pledged" to
ths line Is mere gNsConade and brag.
glOcia. | do not believe that the
storkbOOks OF the company have $780,.
OW OF bona ,fde stock subscribed up.
On them. The other 100000 Is coy.
cred by the convenient phrase "pledgcd."
| understand this matter. Some san.
guinc agent of the line goes to Sandusky
and talks to some two or three gentlemen
there who tell him that they think San.
husky City will subscribe $2O0,OOO or
100000 lie goes from there to WOos.
Ter and somebody tells him there that
probably 100000 or 100000 can be
raised in Wooster. And this is the way
they make up 100000 out of tho $780,.
chi Of their stock. Any company organ
lied for the construction of Il railroad
from Wheeling to Lake Eric must have
acapitAl stock Of not less than 81 ,OOO,'
WO Wheeling certainly cannot take
more than One.fourth Of this sum. The
stock on the other side Of the river will
therefore necessarily control the road.
Therefore the stockholders on the other
side Of the river should decide TO connect
with tho c. & p. r. II. at Portland or
Deep Run, and make the road down the
river to the Island, they can do so in spite
Of lis. NI...
As to binding them by contract, and
calling on the Courts to compel them to
perform IL, | suppose the past experience
Of this city has not been such rs to
make It desirable TO repeat tho experiment.
That railroad from Cleveland TO the
Panhandle road in tho neighborhood Of
nCnnson will be constructed at an early
day, Is as certain as any other future
event. The uOpedale line does not pro.
pose to connect with that road but to cross
at some point between Zoar land Mas.
sOn. The result will be that from the
Panhandle road TO the crossing of the
Cleveland road we have two parallel roads
running close together for Il distance OF
more than twenty miles, competing for q
business that could be done just as well
by one. Tho result cannot fail to be to
reduce the profits, and impair tho value
ofthe stock of both by unnatural and nn'
necessary competition.
The limo by the ravine Of Wheeling
Creek after passing up some twelve or
fifteen miles, presents three separate and
distinct lines. One by way of Harrisville
and Cadiz, one by way Of Athens and one
by way of Flushing As to distance anil
cost Of construction, there is no essential
difference between the Athens and Flush.
Ing routes.
The Harrisyile and Caliz route Is
between three and iDur miles short.
er than either Of the others
But 80 iar us surveys have yet been made
they show heavier grades, and longer
tunnel, on this route than either Of the
others Dickens deriers estimate shows
about million and quarter Of dollars
Ot grading, bridging and preparing ioI
The slperstructure OF frstClass road.
There would be no occasion for 80 heavy
an expenditure In the first construction Of
the road. Tunnels and bridges may be
avoided by little sharper curves, and q
slight increase III the distance, leaving the
line to be Strengthened and improved from
the income Of The road, after 1t Is put In