New-York tribune., 1873-01-31
RAILWAY PROGRESS.

4 Epw RAILROAD ROUTE TO THE WEST.
a,,,Sc OF THE CHEsAPEAKR AND ONO RAIL
ROAD.
.,ow An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSRl
p,cuuoSp. Va, Jan. 29.-The last rail on
-. r,n,peale and Ohio Railroad was laid to-day the
.oo,ion OF the eastern and western divisions OF the
compete and the course Of the locomotive Is now
80 from the tidal waters OF the James River to the
- ~ NAVIGATION on the Ohio. II is scarcely known
49, the route this road follows is. for the most part
s,.c,l with that great highway constructed across
.n esheny range through the defles of Virginia 10
central Kentucky, of which Gen Washington was one of
.hs surveyors and over which, at later day, Henry
Cyav ana his associates in Congress were wont
IN make their way horseback between
washington City and their homes I'm the Southwest.
T,o chesapeake and Ohio Railroad is the most prom
pen, among the great railroad lines 20 which Virginia,
,nder the rule OF State subscriptions, lent its aid This
-oad was begun in Is56-sOou after the locomotive had
teeu successfully mtroduced-its eastern terminus being
At Richmond, the head Of navigation on the james
River It was extended from time TO time in westerly
direction until the outbreak OF the war, at which time
about 300 miles in operation. second corpora
nOn bad meanwhile been authorized, at the expense
OF the state, 10 construct the western half OF the
line. from Covington to the Ohio River, and large
amount of work had been done thereon including the
excavation Of $500 feet tunnel through the summit OF
the Aueghenies with further heavy work and grading
st other parts OF the line, at total cost OF 20o In
gold value when the beginning of hostities suspended
she construction. In 1867 the whole was consolidated
under corporate head and the property and fran
ehises turned over TO the company, which should
snsh the extension TO the ONO In 1869, Mr. c. p Hunt
ingtOn ". III. tAspinwal A. A. Low, Jonas G.. Clark,
David Stewart and other eminent capitalists in New
York City and vicinity became actively interested in the
enterprise and the work OF construction resumed
with vgor and success. twenty-five miles of the most
limit
she passage of trains to the celebrated White Sulphur
Springs. one OF the most attractive resorts
on the continent. situated on the line
of the poad near the point where It
crosses the main chain OF the mountains. From this
point 70 the Ohio there remained 200 miles TO be con-
aructed. of which about GO miles were through the
rugged chasm OF New River "a continuation of the
Ksnawha) which 10 its course northward has cut
through the several outlying ridges of the mountain
chain BY following the Of this stream and lts
tributary the Greenbrer very direct and equable de-
scent Is made from the summit of the Aeghenes TO the
Ohio so uniform that the average grade is only about
ak feet per mile and grade is encountered ia either
direction exceeding 80 feet per mile The eastern por-
non of the line is also noticeable for the light grades by
which il oyercOmes the elevations ia it's path, which
grades at the three points where they occur
are susceptible Of reduction TO maximum
oi co feet per mile in either direction
The Importance OF this short and light grades in
ne connecting the seabOard aud the great agfIcuua
bas Of the West may better be appreciated by com
par.n Of the existing OF transportation and the
ea, accd OF more and better facilities for exchanging
the products the East and West At the present time the
whole We grooming under the Seyerest distress caused
by the high rates OF freight upon all kinds Of produce
The OF moving wheat oats, corn beef pork and the
Ike from the field the Eastern market far exceeds the
ees' OF production; and every OF transport Is
crowded the extent of its capacity even at the pres
en- nigh During portion OF the year, by means
OF ne navigation products from the area horde ring
on he great Western lakes be sent 10 New FORK via
thr Erie Canal but tenth part of the surplus OF the
western states can be accommodated by this route
Hence appeals 10 Congress to Open at the public eN
pen~e other lines 10 connect the nyer system OF
tbe West with the seabOard.
The enlargement OF the products OF the fertile pastures
and Geld, the West is increased on the one nand by
fhe naturalization OF local railroads throughout the Mis-
s,up Valley which rapidly enlarge the available
FOR cnvatlOn and the other hand 1t Is scarcely nit
fgsted by the efforts OF the four trunk lines OF railroad
which have hitherto Valny strven 10 increase their
carrying capacity to the demands of the West and 10
bring the expenses OF operation within reasonable
limits All of these lines have risen from feeble begin
nngs the transportation OF what In one sense, may
De considered enormous tunnage. and the cOilec
t0n Of enormous revenues. The following VIII show Inc
increase these departments on three OF the trunk
line, 70 the course Of five years: