The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-01-30
Wheeling and TuscaFaWas Valley
Railroad.

Editors Of the Register:
In looking over your paper of this
date my attention was directed to
communication, signed ky" giving
q history of the Wheeling and Toledo
railroad, its organization, progress and
prospects. Taking for granted its legal
organization under the laws of the
State OF Ohio, and the vigorous effort
on the part Of its officers for its success
let US look at its advantages and the
practicability Of its route to this city as
compared with the proposed Wheeling
and Tuscarawas Valley railroad. The
Wheeling and Lake Erie road either
leaves the Ohio river at Deep run,
having run alongside the Cleveland
and Pittsburgh road five miles, or at
Portland, running with same road nine
miles. If it leaves the river at Deep
run, YOU at once encounter two tunnels
of at least one half mile each, (and it
is said by those conversant with the
grounds that they are nearly three.
| fourths OF mile each) as reported by
| its President. Now taking his
own estimate OF one mile or
$3.50 feet, the cost of making and
arching the same, as given by compe.
tent engineers at one hundred dollars
per foot, would amount to the enor-
| nous sum of $52S,000 for these two
tunnels. By this line it is about nine
! miles to Short Creek, and estimating
the other eight miles at the low cost OF
$4,000 per mile or $4,000, you have
the first nine miles Of your road cost the
enormous sum of $76S, 600 and then you
have only arrived at Short Creek, two
miles above Portland and from your
competitor, the Cleveland and Pitts
burgh road. From Portland to Mingo
it is ten miles, the junction of the Cleve-
land and Pittsburgh and the Panhandle
roads. From Mingo to Bowerstown,
the point OF junction of the Wheeling
and Lake Erie with the Panhandle
road it is about twenty-eight miles, q
give this from recollection J then from
Short Creek you run across and form
one side of triangle, with two com.
petiug roads, with the Cleveland and
Pittsburgh for ten miles on one eide and
the Panhandle for twenty.eight miles on
the other, and all the freight and traffic
within this triangle would not amount,
annually, at very large estimate, to
fifty cars each.
As to the VALLEY railroad now pro-
iecting from Cleveland to Zoar or
Bowerstown," it is all myth; it has no
support in Cleveland, and could not get
nearer than two miles of the present
railroad depot for its passengers, and
nearly the same for it's freight and coal
docks, even if it was reality.
We will now start from Bowerstown
with the Wheeling and Lake Erie
railroad, and we will find that we will
travel almost in speaking distance of
the Panhandle road for twelve miles;
we then come to Zoar and on to Ma
varre, connecting at this place with the
Lake Shore and Tuscarawas Valley
road, and from there to Sandusky City
and Toledo, crossing in our route the
Fort Wayne, Atlantic and Great West
ern, Cleveland, Columbus and Cincin-
natl, and Lake Shore and Michigan
Southern railroads.
Now suppose we want to ship freight
beyond Toledo, where are our alliances?
We have none. The Fort Wayne and
Cleveland and Pittsburgh, being one in
interest, will not prorate with us at
our junction with the Fort Wayne,
because we are competitors from
here. The Cleveland, Columbus and
Chicago will not prorate with us
at our junction with it, because it has
a contract OF running arrangements
with the Lake Shore and Tuscarawas
Valley Railroad, by which each is
bound to protect the others interest.
The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern
Railroads will not prorate with us, be-
ing a party to the same contract with
the Lake Shore and Tuscarawas Valley
road. They will only prorate from the
first point of intersection with their
lines, and the lines with which they
have running arrangements. And if
the fret point of intersection with the
Lake Shore and Tuscarawas Valley
road is at Navarro, that is the point
they would require proate from and
the entire line would be useless as to
revenue to be derived from Northwest
ern freights destined beyond Toledo,
from the fact that the Lake Shore and
Michigan Southern road controls the
only lines from there to Chicago, De-
troit, &C., &c.
Now for comparison with the
Wheeling and Tuscarawas Valley Rail
road. The survey and estimates made by
Mr.. Blickensderier, for grading and
bridging the entire line is about 81 ,2OO,-
600, being only about 1892 900 more
than il cost to build the first nine miles
OF the Wheeling and Lake Erie road.
The president of the Lake Shore and
Tuscarawas Valley road assures us that
we can have the same running arrange
ments and guarantee of our bonds that
they have, if we will connect with them.
This will give us an outlet to the west,
northwest and east, the same as if we
controlled the Columbus and Cleveland,
the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern
and New York Central roads, and viz.
tually brings the New York Central
railroad to this city. As to distances
to various points upon which ky" has
expended 90 much labor, tits so mani
festly a Misrepresentation of facts that
it needs no further notice. More anon.
A. B.
WHEELING. January 90, 1872.