The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-02-03
GheQHtellfqe,rter
r,p WHEELING 4 TUSCARA-
VAS VALLEY RAILROAD.
Al, nIickeusderfcrE Survey of the
W. Flushing Route

FlusHluh HN
v,srs. kuao HoIIo.iy' J''o' H'''"'0"S'
ndo0eyS, Committee.
GENTLEMEN In obedience TO Your re-
o,,.t have examined and surveyed .
I"c ' for a railway from . point on Indian
Wheeling Creek, near Patten,s, rid Flush
i"S Ia TippecanOe, on Big Saltwater max
i"; IN connection with former surveys, 0
c @9 line from Bridgeport VM fiusn
inc to Dennison. - ,vu,,.,
W rhe survey commenced near William
Patterns, on Wheeling Creek ut station 4o'
Of my survey made in February iastI H., "
way Of New Athens, and then ascending
,hc main branch Of Wheeling Greek 10 III
s ~" Al lhc village Of Flushing, passes
III" onmmit between the waters OF Wheel
inc Creek and Saltwater at that place, de
.cSSrds The mIIics Of Trail Fork anl
RSrrs Fork to the junction with Big Still
wa n and thence down that stream L
TinrcanOe, where ii connects again will
he Athens line at station ! 1877 oil tina
line.
The distance from Patterns 10 the cresI
Of the ridge at Flushing, is 70j miles
and from Flushing 10 tho junction will
the Athens line ut Tippecanoe, 1871
miles, making the entire distance iron
Patterns 10 Tippecanoc by this line 9G,Gt
miles. The crest Of the ridge at Flush
inr, Is 900 feet above high water mark Ii
The Ohio river al Bridgeport, and the
summit is passed by n tunnel 1900 feel
long, piercing the ridge 1876 feet below the
crest, or 4Gl feet above high water ri
Bridgeport. The tunnel is so located that
abortion Of il is travCrsed by q coal vein
diI feet in thickness. The ascent from
Wheeling Creek TO the Flushing summit
/, overcome by grades in no case exceed.
lnr - feet per mile, but westward into
Trail Fork, there is n continuously de
ccnding grade OF 52,S feet per mile
supported on the sides Of tho valley for
30 miles, after which the farther dc.
scent to TippeCanOe is exceedingly light,
having no grades exceeding 10I feet per
mile. The minimum radius of curvation
IN your line is 0j5 feet, but this Is not
often necessary, the general course Of your
line hcing very direct, and the aggregate
Caryat0n less than usual in this country.
Examinations were made at Closets, on
Wheeling Creek, and at Rogers Mill on
saltwater, to ascertain the propriety OF
cutting of the bends at those places by
tnuncling through the points. At Gosset's
it was found that by making tunnel
1900 IGet long, the distance could be
diminished GlO mile, and two bridges
be avoided. At Rogers tunnel
$3.50 feet in length will reduce the
length Of the line Ia miles,
avoid four bridges, diminish the curvature
about $50 degrees, and at the same time
make the line very direct and divcst 1t Of
the most difficult curves between Patterns
and 'rippecanoc. The propriety of making
these tunnels will depend much on the
character ofihc roady0u propose to build,
anil also on the nature OF the material In
which they are to be excAvated. At
Rogers there Is every Indication that the
tunnel would be located in solid sand
stone rock, requiring no arching or other
Artificial supports, and very favorable for
the work. AT Closets the nature Of the
material was not so apparent. A further
reconnaissance of the country in the vicin.
IIy of Rogers mill is suggested, as from a
PERSONAL examination / am led TO believe
that if the making OF the long tunnel
at point should on further examina.
lion he deemed i1expedient, u favorable
Iinrca be found cutting off a portion of
the extreme point opposite the mill by q
tunnel of about 400 feet long, and thereby
reluCc the distance nearly half mile,
save two bridges, and very much relieve
the intricate curvature at this place.
The bridging on your line is considera.
he, but by no means excessive. On Wheel.
my creek, above Patterns, there is hut one
bridge exceeding fifty feet in length. In
tue vaIlcs of Trail Fork and Boggs' Fork
the brldging is light, those streams being
crossed but three times, hut Big Still water
between the mouth Of BOggsF Fork and
'EiPpecanoc is bridged twelve times. The
oTIuous character Of the valley OF this
stream makes the frequent crossing Of It
IN order to obtain proper alignment, un.
avoldablc, and frequent changes in the
channel 10 save bridging are also ne.
CeSSary.
Combining your line with those por.
lions OF the Athens line on Wheeling
creek below Patterns and in Saltwater
below TippeCanOc, 1t will be found that
the distance from bridgeport TO Flushing
s9ii miles, and from Flushing to DENIM.
son $50 miles, making the entire dis.
lance IRON bridgeport to DcnnisOn UiI.
Flushing 53.4 miles. The grades on
Wheeling creek in no case exceed GO
leet per mile, except for IL miles next
the Flushing summit, where the grade Is
v feet per mile. On the Saltwater slope
'hG grade no where exceeds 1OI feet per
mile except for 80 miles descending
from the summit TO the valley of Trail
Fork, and in crossing the Gatchell sum.
nit, three miles east of Dennison, where
there Is a grade 0l 59S feet per mile
ascending from Saltwater to Gatchcll
aud one Of 800 feet per mile descend.
ing from Gatchell TO Brooks run, each
about one mile in length.
Approximate quantities were calculated
anil an estimate made Of the cost Of the
road from Bridgeport to Dcnnison by
your route, which is herewith submitted
~ detail. This estimate shows the cost
HIgmdllalion, masonry and bridging for
iar entire line, 534 miles long, 10 be
N4SI, I0ST5, being m average Of $27, 73S
rtr mile,
IIshonld be stated that by constructing
I ~, tunnels nj Grimes and ut Adams on
wheeling creek below Patterns, mentioned
lnmy report on the New Athens survey,
AAa those At Closets and ut Rogers rs
mentioned above, the length of your line
TlLI Nc reduced three miles, making the
distance distance from Bridgeport to Dcnnis0n via
, ri,l'IIIng 5O.4 miles, which is identical
Tl''l Tue distance between the same points
Wa Ea New Athens, adopting the tunnel
InSS on that route.
Foramore complete statement of the
considerations bearing on the question Of
constructing the tunnels on your line, rs
wei us Tor Il reference IN tho neculier