New-York tribune., 1873-12-22
DIRECT LINE TO SEABOARD.
THE MIDDLE TRANSPORTATION ROUTE TO
AND FROM THE WEST.

THE MIDDLE TRANSPORTATION ROUTE IO
AND FROM THE WEST.
ANOTHER GREAT HIGHWAY BETWEEN THE WESTERN
sTATEs AND THE ATLANTIC CITiEs-RICHMOND
TO BECOME TIE SEAPORT OF CINCINNATI
GREAT DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNAL RE-
SOURCES OF THE COUNTRY By THE CHESAPEAKE
AND ONO RAILROAD.
The announcement OF the completion on
December OF the great tunnel OF the Chesapeake ana
Ohio Railroad which passes under the streets OF Rch-
mond az 10 give the trains easy To the docks,
chronicles an event which of farreachiDg importance
That railroad. as ia generally known, forms another
great highway between the Atlantic ports and the West
States and 30 far passengers, mails, and light
freghts concerned, has been in operation since Jan
uaTy OF this The great significance of the open
ing Of this thoroughare the territory OF Virginia
10 that Kentucky and Ohio lies in its servceabeness
short low grade. cbeapy line for the trans
poraton OF freiehts made up OF the staples Of the
westgran. -four pork, cotton, tobacco. etcfrom the
fertile fields OF the great interior valleys to the
harbors of the seacoast whence they may be
cheaply carried TO coast markets or TO other
countries bevOnd seas. BY the opening OF the
tunnel the s clear from seaboard to Internal
navigation and the locomotive can now pass continu-
ously from the steamboats, at Huntington tloO miles
above Cineinnat) TO the wharyes just below Richmond
where vessels may load for any port the Atlantic
minds otherwise eDsrossed, would be re-
garded as an important step toward the solution OF the
great problem OF cheap transportation, with its
associated problems OF national progress taxation, bal
anee Of trade, and migration.
EARLY UNDERTAKINGS.
Though the last completed OF the trunk lines 10 the
West the Chesapeake and Ohio is OF the oldest on
the Continent and in fact. the world It's construction
having been begun 1886, ut about The Same time as
the Baltimore Ohio and Ne York Central From 1924
isi5 the efforts OF Virginia concentrated on the
building OF internal canal to connect the waters OF
the James River with those OF the Kanawha tributary
OF the Ohio, the line OF which was to take advantage OF
favorable series and water gaps In the
Allegheny range so az To pass from the watershed of
the Atlantic to that OF the Ohio BASIN with but single
summit elevation. Gen. Washington employed
upon a survey OF this line before his great military
began, and at later period was pro-
noier and stockhoder in the organization
so convinced he Of the advantages OF the
the through Virginia to the West, that ne selected
and purchased several hne tracts OF land along the
banks OF the Kanawha River The advent OF the rail-
road system put end To construction OF canals as
long internal waterways and lsis the Virginia Cen
tral Railroad, IL then called, which had been
previously extended in westerly direction through
the rich wheat and grass land at the base OF
Blue Ridge. pushed ont independent line
toward the Valley OF Virginia and the Great West. "a
fast could be procured The State Of Virginia
Literally AIDED This aDd other works OF internal i'm
provement aud ia furtheranoe of the general purposes
OF communication had begun State account the
structIOn of aunnel,of nearly mile in length piercing
the summit Of the Blue Ridge, which, together with
few miles %! track either side was Incorporated III
the Virginia Central line under a leasehold and finally
purchased of the State by the present Company.
CROSSING THE BLUE RIDGE
When the war broke out. 1861, the track had been
Hoo tba w To
sons River distance Of 1876 miles from Richmond, the
receipts having been sufficient to meet all expenses and
to pay considerable in dividends TO the sockhod
addition. In 1866 and 1867 the waste Of
repaired and the track extended to Covingon, at the
base of the Allegheny Mounau, 20j miles OF Rich
mond. Ia the earlier year an Important change was
made in the organization, title. and purposes sof the
Company. Prior TO the war the State OF Virginia in
pursuance OF IFS purpose OF establishing great high
way to the West had constituted It's Board of Public
Works corporation and had begun the construction OF
line Of railroad from Covington 20 the Ohio River,
upon which t32i30O0 had been expended chiefly In tun
neling heavy rock excavations the summit of
the mountains. The separation OF the State OF West
Virginia carried with it the public works, and 1t be-
necessary 10 accord in the two states for
the prosec OF the work The necessary legislation
being procured 1906 tine Virginia Central and the Gov
ington and Ohio Railroad Companies consolidated
under the title OF the Chesapeake and Ohio Company.
the work done thc ROAD ~ tne STATE Deng surrcn
dered the corporation. Included in the: work
thus transferred without cost the great tunnel at
the Of the Aeghenes, feet in len 9Th, double
track, which had cost nearly million in gold, besides
another tunnel of similar dimensions half completed.
Originally designed and laid ont onl bold and compre
hensive plan abys engineers with the resources OF
powerful state at their back the line, in the more
rugged portions oi the topography, was determined
and the road ID part bu TO secure direct routes
aud the easiest grades regardless OF first outlay. The
result is series OF stupendous engineering works quite
uncommon in modern railroads, involving large out
lay al the outset securing for road whereon
the cost Of operation is reduced to It's minimum.
CoMPLErSG TIE LINE OHIO.
BY 1869. the new Company had extended the line
further westward TO theWhite Sulphur Springs, of
the celebrated Summer resorts of the South su
ated Just across boundary in West Virginia, 227 miles
from Richmond. To accomplish the last stretch OF %
miles, covering the hardest portion OF the route,
however, it had been found necessary to temporary
track around the incomplete excavations; the
floating debt OF the Company considerably enlarged,
and the credit Of the road then Stood taxed to the
utmost at this OF the enterprise, when the
line had reached the summit of the dividing emnence,
and with 200 miles difficult topography still between
il and the Ohio River, that 1t became necessary to
look for increased capital for the prosecution OF the
enterprise From $l3OO000O TO $l40o0OO0 had already
been expended in building the eastern half OF the lne
and it would require from s60OOOo to $2OOOoO0o add
tional 20 complete the Ohio scale OF thorough
ness and solidty corresponding with its design and
functions Several eminent New-York capitalists and
railroad men, with Mp G. +. Huntington, the very
efficient Vice President OF the Central Pacific Company
at their head, invited te cooperate with the Com
pany After very thorough canvass OF the subject Of
the needs Of and West transportation the advan
tages OF the respect 10 waterne connections at
each end and critical examination Of the work done,
and careful survey OF the projected line to the Ohio
they concluded fayoraby, and entered earnestly upon