The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-03-31
Wheeling and Toledo RailrOnd'

Wheeling and Toledo RallrO"":
Herewith viii be found n report Of 2 2
survey recently made for the pFoJe aa.,
Wheeling. and Toledo RaiIroa al,,I com ~
mencing at Bridgeport ana pass'Gg up
Indian Wheeling and Grab apple OEeeA,
and down Big Saltwater TO 9ennlson, on
The Pan Handle road. Mr. BlicEensder-
fer very capable engineer, estimates
Tint n road constructed on this line VIII
cost upward Of $4,000 per mile. he
saws that part OF the road lying on Big
Saltwater con BIO built very cheap there
fore, we very reasonably conclude that
that part Of the work between Hardestys
and Patton's will cost $40, 900 per mile.
This survey has demonstrated, what the
friends Of the Bellaire and St. Clairsville
route have always insisted on, viz: thatlt
Is impracticable to build q railway up IN
dian Wheeling Creek, or, rather, that
there is another and far cheaper way Of
reaching the same points. Mr.. Daws0ns
survey, from NeiPs siding TO Indian
Wheeling Creek, byond the lnhrmary
iarm, establishes the fact thatlthat part Of
the road can be built for less than $2O,OOU
per mile, with easier grades than those OIL
the Central Ohio. That is the toughest
part OF the road; beyond the Infirmary the
road will be easy and cheap. :,
The trains now pass up to Wheeling
without any detention, except such as IS
caused by the transfer. When the river
bridge is completed this will be obylated.
WonIdn't IL he better for Wheeling to
throw trains into that city over this
bridge than 10 dump down ireights and
passengers on the Island, to be hauled
over in drays and omnibusses: Our
friends in Wheeling have pledged $780,
900 10 this Bridgeport route. We ask
them TO consider this last proposition:
The road may be built, without tho aid
of Wheeling; with her aid, on this route,
we are certain Of its completion.-BeR-
ARE Independent.
This Is a pretty summary way of deal
ing with Mr.. Observation-Disclosures report.
Mr.. B. himself certainly does not regard
itas demonstrating that it is impractica-
Bile to build railway up Indian Wheel
ing Greek" The survey has shownitprac-
ticable to build q railway up Indian
Wheeling Creek, but it has yet TO be
shown by n survey that the route propOs'
ed by the BellSirc people is practicable al
all. Iftho grades are not insurmountable
very likely the first fifteen miles of the
road could be built more cheaply as to
first cost than along the creek; but rail
roads are built for all time, and the better
their grades the more ChCaply they can
be operated, the greater is their .perma'
nent value and the cheaper they are in
the long run. A road with miles Of grades
OF 40 and 80 feet to the mile, would be
dear Of half the cost o! one Qt 90 fool
grades. We cannot speak with accuracy
of the grades to be encountered by line
starting from the Central Ohio at o short
distance from the river, Us proposed. The
promised survey will show what they ore
but ST. Clairsyille, which Is proposed as Q
point, Is near five hundred feet above tht
starting point Any such rise as this Ii
so short distance, would be a grea
drawback to the permanent value Of thu
road. .
As 1t regards the other suggestion, VIZ
that Wheeling would be the actual ter
minus Of q road coming down to Bellalre
that would depend on circumstances
The running of the trains to and from
this city would DO. entirely at the pleas
urc OF the B. s o. Company. We pre-
sumo the interests of that company and
Of the city would coincide; but obvious
ly the people Of this city are not going
to subscribe q sum, large or small, whert
it would depend wholly on tho pleasure
Of IN outside party whether or not they
would derive any benefit from it. l
Wheeling could have aguarantCC making
her the end Of the route, and securing
the rnnnlng Of all trains to and from thi
point, it might alter the case. Can ouI
Bellaire friends give any assurances Of
this points