The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-01-21
from the st. Clairsviile Gazette
The Competing Railroad Routes

necessity lot SOHte one &' =.
Question vhich of the several hnes pro
posed could be most easily consttuct,
cd and most economically maintained
and worked. and which would, all
things considered, form the best route
to a nroper market, appears to be still a
matter of doubt and inquiry among
many parties interested. This doubt
should exist no longer than is necessary
to obtain all reasonable light on the
subject; for il continued, unnecessarily,
into a wavering and vacillating policy
it may result in a failure to obtain any
road.
To disabuse the public mind OF a
prevalent error, | beg to suggest that
this is not a question whether Bridge
port or Bellaire shall be the river ter
minus, but rather whether the business
interests of the interior woud be best pro-
NOTED by loaded cars going, soithout change
to Pittsburgh, by the Bridgeport route, or
TO Wheeling and Baltimore blythe BelIaire
route. for such would be the legitimate
movement OF trade upon either line
that may be built. By the Pittsburgh
route freight for the seaboard would be
transferred at that city. BY the line
to Baltimore, freights loaded at Flush
ing, or other points on the Belmont
and Toledo Road, could be delivered,
without other transfer, to the ware
houses in Baltimore, or directly upon
the steamship dock for European ship.
ment.
1t is said that the Wheeling interest
has dropped the Hopedale route with
the intention of concentrating effort
upon the Bridgeport and New Athens
line. IF this be So it only indicates that
that city is becoming conscious of the
danger of repeating her CHARACTERISTIC
mistakes, in the past, viz:-to aid rail.
roads for tie benefit Of other interests; and
before she gets through she may dis
cover that help to the Bridgeport line
would be as profound a mistake as the
other threatened to be; for this Bridge
port road, if built, ecouH intercept the
trade ochich Wheeling nop controls, and
throc il into the hands Of Pittsburgh.
But assuming that Wheeling aid
would give the Bridgeport line, stand
ing which it does not now possess, that
fact would narrow the question to t,co
routes. from which to make choice.
Looking then to Wheeling as the OBJ
iective point for the trade OF both lines
as it as, in the judgment of the peo-
ple OF the district of country interested
let us estimate the comparative feast
bility, or value Of the two routes, in the
several points of construction, main
tenance and cost of working-for all
these are questions affecting permanently
not only the stockholders, but the public
using the road. -,
TO simplify the comparison, we will
assume point of junction between the
two lines, in the valley Of Wheeling
Creek, where the Uniontown road
crosses towards the Pike-from which
point, northwesterly, leaving New
Athens ont of the question, the two
lines might be laid upon a common
| route.
From this junction point it is estma-
ted that the distance to Bellaire, by way
of st. Clairsville, is about IA miles. The
line is entirely feasible, would not be
expensive, and could use 5 miles of the
Central Ohio road-thus reducing the
distance to he built to 9 miles. The
distance TO Bridgeport by much more
difficult, and therefore more expensive
route, will be about 10 miles. Waving
the question of greater cost per mile
for the latter line, and assuming an
equal cost per mile for both routes
viz: $4,000 for grading bridging and
track, we have the following figures
Bridgeport line, 10 miles, $4,000 per ~,
mile ,OOO
st. Clairsvilc line, 0 miles, $4,000 per
leo''oV
difference ,.,,..,.....................s2 $4,000
But the difference does not end here.
Assuming that the cost Of maintaining
and working-necessarily perpetual
will, under equal circumstances, always
be in proportion to the length Of line,
and involve a proportionate charge
upon freights and passengers transpor-
ted, on the assumption of Wheeling,
being the objective point, the cost Of
transporting freight and passengers, by
horsepower between Bridgeport and
Wheeling, must be added to the rate by
the Bridgeport route. This would be
not less than Is cents per ton for
freight. Calculating upon the prospec-
tive use of the railroad bridge over the
Ohio at Bellaire, for the St. Clairsville
route, we should have 10 miles of con-
tinuous rail transportation By the lat
ter, against an equal amount of raj
transportation by the former route, and
Cagonaqe across the Ohio superadded.
At 4 cents per ton per mile for rail trans.
portation, the comparative exhibit would
be as follows:
By Bridgeport 70 miles, 4 ccnls-7g cents
Sl.5l
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