, 1873-01-26

1NChEAbE uE RAILWAYS IO T6E EAHT.
The opening Of easy and sufficient communi-
cation with the Atlantic seaboard is problem
demanding speedy solution. We arc not in
pressing need Of more railroads West. Some OF
those already built have but precarious exist
ence, and others are being ahangled in course OF
construction. This result is due to the fact that,
during the past decade, nearly every county in
the West has been intersected by railroads,
| having been made to provide additional t1ans-
portaton to the East. The consequence is an
accumulation Of business at Chicago beyond the
carrying capacity OF the Eastward rail and water
routes. Two months ago, the Western
railways converging hero had business
enough offered, for Eastern points, to block the
four trunk lines to the sea, and still lea7e
surplus that would have fully taxed ten addi-
tlona1 through lines to carry. The Chicago l.
Northwestern alone, with it's far-reaching
branches, could have given the Eastern lines all
they could receive. There being no adequate
means Of transfer, orders had to be despatched
throughout the West suspending shipments
until the " blockade" could be raised. This has
not yet been accomplished. Meantime, the un-
conscious farmers Indignantly protest against
the arbitrary conduct Of the railways.
The future is more promising. The recent
completion Of the Chesapeake l. Ohio Railroad
furnishes another connecting link between the
Mississippi Valley, and tide~water. The al1-rail
distance, II ;;as 2ee route, from Chicago to
Richmond, Va. Is s32 :;si1es The relief it zil.
afford us is not likely to b. .5ry spI1eciabl It
simply adds one more to the four great COM
mercial highways, which, with their connecting
network Of Is, 600 miles Of railroad and 10000
miles Of navigable water, cannot promptly han
die the enormous traffic that the prodigious &C.
tivity Of our producing States annually Yields.
Increased transportation is demanded; and graf
flying efforts ere being made to meet the re-
quiremcnts.
The pressure Of trade from the Northwest
forced upon the conservative Baltimore l. Ohio
Railroad the necessity Of securing direct con-
nection with Chicago; and, from point on their
Lake Erie Division, 80 miles north Of Newark,
O., line has been located to this city, dis
tance Of 280 miles. It will hare the double nd
vantage Of low grades and singular directness.
The entire line will shortly be placed under con-
strcction, and will certainly be in operation dur
ing the spring Of 1874.
But the line dostinedto afford the most speedy
and effective relief ia the Canada Southern.
The organization controlling it comprises two
corporations: Tho Canada Southern Railroad
Company, whose road extends from Buffalo
across the international Bridge orer Niagara
River, along the north ehore Of Lake Erie,
through Ontario to Trenton, On the Detroit
River; and the Chicago d. Canada Southern
Railroad Company, whose road will extend from !
Trenton, in direct line, to Chicago. This
route will possess many advantages. The track
will be firmly ballasted, and laid with steel rails
throughout. It will have no grade exceeding Is
feet to the mile, and Til be eingula1ly free from
curves. 96 Per cent OF the road be-
ng on perfectly straight line. It
8il1 hare euperb equipments, and An In
dependent entrance into Chicago. It's easy
trades will enable it to haul train Of fifty |
oaded freight cars from Chicago to Buffalo |
Without "breaking," which road OF heavy
1ades cannot do. It's track will be fast one, |
nd, being much shorter, 1t ought to make con |