Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1871-07-08
The metropolitan Road.

On the completion Of the Metropolitan road
from Point Of Rocks, on the Baltimore and
Ohio the distance between Pittsburg and
Washington will be reduced to sol miles, or
81 less than from Pittsburg to Baltimore, and
the time to Washington will be reduced to
twelve hours. The Metropolitan road from
Washington 10 Point Of Rocks is II miles 10
length. and hy cutting of the angle to the Re
ay saves 40 miles. OF the ~ sections, 10 are
completed. and q large force is now employ
cd on the other tweuy-thsee AbOat 5i0O0
ties have already been delivered, and contracts
hayo been made for supplying the whole line
as fast as they can be made.
Starting from thc Point Of Rocks, the first
heavy work is at the Mnuocacy, whore there
Is 90 be an iron bridge 90 feet above the wa
ter. consisting of three spans Of 200 feet each.
On The west side Of the bridge 100000 yards
of cmbaukmcnt have been borrowed from the
side Of the hills, and on the east side Is "a cut Of
4 900 feet, averaging 2j feet in depth Then
comes the Little M0nocacy, with a bridge 20
feet above water, aud wrought iron tFostle doc
feet long At PARIS Ridge, II miles from the
Point Of Rocks, is cut 1000 feet long and
80 feet deep in the middle. At Bucklodgc
Run, one mile from here, there is an embank-
mcut of 20 feet, and an arch of % feet span
At little Seneca, l6 miles from the Feint Of
Rocks, The grade Of the road is log feet above
the water, which is spanued by an iron trestlC
500 feet long. Next this is a cut in the solid
rock, half mile long aud 65 feet deep in the
middle, tapering each way. Eighteen miles
from the Point of Rocks Is heavy cut, 5000
feet in length, and for a quarter Of that dis
lance so feet in depth. Then comes the BIC
Seneca where the track is SO feet above wa
Ter, requiring two spans Of jron Of l25 feet
each
At Rock Creek, 81 miles from Point o
Rocks the track Is Go feet above water, re-
/ quiring an iron bridge Of four spans Of 100 fee
each The point where the road crosses Rocb
Creek is three miles from the Seventh street
turnpike, near Silver Spring. On the section
this side ga miles from Point Of Rocks Their,
/ is a long cut 80 feet deep in the centre, from
which $4,000 cubic yards Of solid rock bavt
been removed aud piled up along the road t,
/ be distributed as ballast for other sectionS.-
7 There is enough TO supply ballast for ten milet
of road. Besides the work above mentioned
I there are three arched bridges Of - feet span
each under cmbaukmcnts 20 feet deep, and
number Of cuts ranging from 20 to 40 feet
Baltimore Sun.
We extract the foregoing from an interesting
description of the Railroad between Cumber
land and Connelsville, completing the lin
fyom Baltimore to Pittsburg. Having beef
favored with an opportunity to SEQ this grea
improvement, and to form an opinion of tn
/ great results to follow, we can testify to tn
high Importance Of the enterprise. Prejudice,
men, who have not themselves spent dolla
in improvements, may grumble at what the,
deem the slow progress Of the metropolitan
Road, but any one who gives attention to tn
magnitude Of the work will see that Presiden
Garrett is moving on calmly and surely-con
queriug, as heretofore, difficulties that to al
ordinary mind seem almost iusurmorntablc
In another year we expect to beablo to maxi
the trip to Washington in 81 hours