Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-11-17
The New Line from the Atlantic
Coast TO the Ohio Valley.


ginia and West Virginia, and has given
the results of his observations in a series
of letters to the New York Tribune
He speaks as follows concerning the
great railroad enterprise now building to
meet the Chesapeake navigation with
that of the Ohio and Miss issippi Rivers
| crossed from the State of Ohio to
the new town of Huntington, which lies
in Cabell County, West Virginia, and is
the western terminus of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Rasiroad, named / suppose af-
ter the President of the railroad, Mr.. c..
p. Huntington; it stands few miles
above the mouth of the Big Sandy, and
its northern limits join the town of Guy
andotte, and are bounded by the Guyan-
dotte River. 1t promises to grow rapid
ly into large and important place, for
it stands at a point on the Ohio which
steamboats, can always reach, even in low
water. 1t is as said the western termi-
nus OF the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
road, and will thus be TO this section
what Buffalo is to the Erie and Central
Roads; the country back of it, both
South and Southwest, is full Of very
rich deposits of coal and iron, through
which the new Lexington and Big Sandy
Railroad is to run; eastward it is connec,
ted with the enormously rich coal fields
of the great Kanawha Valley; and the
Chesapeake and Ohio Company are now
arranging for westward connections for
their road, through Ohio.
The town site, comprises 5000 acres,
which give about four miles of river
front and two miles depth of level bot
tom land, having perfect drainage, not
only to the Ohio, but to creek which
skirts the back Of the town. On this
plateau the Company have laid out fine
broad streets and avenues, which they
are about to pave with the coarse gravel
or single which lines the river bank
and makes an excellent road-bed. They
have already five miles of streets graded,
most of which are so feet wide; they
have graded down the river bank, and
1900 feet Of landing will be paved with
stone this Fall and they have a small
army of men at work upon the machine
shops, which are needed at this end of
their 400 miles of road.
Among the buildings which are now
going up is a round,house, roomy enough
to contain 40 locomotives a brass and
iron foundry, with the necessary pattern
shops; a large blacksmith shop to build
passenger cars; one for painting and up
holstery ; large building for manutac-
turing cars, and one for repairs; dry
ing house for lumber, &c The car-shops
are laid out to be each 800 feet long BY
80 feet span; three transfer tables, which
are more than half completed, occupy
200 feet by 90; and the building for the
manufacture OF freight cars will hold
40 cars at one time. The lumber yard
is to have space FOR 100000 feet OF
lumber, conveniently piled and water
is to be led from springs in the adjoining
hills to large reservoirs. There will be
side-tracks for 1000 cars, and about 26
miles of iron track in the town limits,
of which six are already laid, and in
operations.
The work on the conpany's shop in
Huntington has drawn thither a large
number of mechanics, masons, carpenters,
briek-makers, blacksmiths, as we'll as
teamsters and quarrymen. With so
considerable population of working
men-there must be nearly thousand
men employed now in different ways in
the town building is going on rapidly.
There is already hotel, and second
and larger one is nearly done; there are
stores of various kinds, and there ap-
pears to be busy commerce in town
lots.
When the western division of the Ches-
apeake and Ohio Railroad is completed
as it will be by next year, Huntington
Is likely to become, among other things,
the great coal depot for the lower Ohio
Pittsburg now sends 100000 bushels
of coal down river, past the mouth of
the Kanawha, every gear; but as this
coal goes by river, and is delayed BY
low water in SINNER and by ice in Win
ter, there has been no steady supply for
the cities and towns on the lower Ohio :;
and coal often fuctuates enormously in
price in Cincinnati. | should say that
when the railroad can bring the coal of
the great kanawha Valley to Hunting
ton, there to be stored, and drawn from
as wanted, this traffic wi become more
regular and the supply should be abund-
ant at all times of the year.
Iron ore is found on both sides of the
river; and there are important furnac IS
below-at Ironton on the Ohio side and
at Ashland on the other side. The Lex
ington and Big Sandy Railroad, which