The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-02-03
A VIRGINIA TRIUMPH.
COMPLETION OF THE CHESAPEAKE
AND OHIO RAILROAD.

The Waters of the Ohio United With
Enterprise.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad has been
finished. The first train from Richmond
reached the banks of the Ohio on Wednesday
last, and on Saturday the first train eastward
over,he road, through from the Ohio River,
arrived in Richmond, bringing about fifty pas.
sengers, mostly West Vrglnians, and four
loads Of camel coal, the first of the kind ever
received In that city. Thus there is another
through line from the Atlantic to the West,
making the fifth connecting line reaching from
the seaboard 10 ,he Western system, or stleast
its waters. Richmond Is In high spirits over
the event, and is making arrangements for Q
grand celebration, which will probably EN-.
brace an excursion to the Ohio and return,
bringing large delegations from Western
cities to participate In the order Of ceremonies
In the capital of the Old Dominion.
The fact that there are 30 few "throush
llnes," compared to the expanoion OF the rail-
roads In the Mississippi Valley, is owing to the
greater difficulty and cost OF construction,
arising from the rugged, Intervening eleva-
tlon of the AlleghaDies. The Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad has the honor of leading the
of peace nober than Hannibal or Napoleon
ever achieved. Since that time the surplus
produce of the Western States has grown to
such dimensions that existing railr0ads-the
Pennsylvania notably among the most I'M
portant-and the Etle Canal are scarcely able
to accommodate the freight The producer In
the West and the consumer In the East must
kot. otah ,0ffn nf M
possessing all the elements for cheap trans
p0ltatiou.
To 1886 the Louisa Railroad was incorpo-
rated by the Virginia Legislature, Intended to
pass by or near Louisa Courthouse to point
near the eastern base Of the Southwest Noun.
tains, and thence to point In the Valley Of
Virginia. Afterwards the scheme was extend
ed, and the name was changed to the Viz.
ginia Central. The original capital stock Of
the company was gradually Increased by acts
of the Legislature as the extension Of the
road demanded until It has reached the sum
of $l3 100000 Its maximum authorized cap
itsl is $50. 100000 The road was completed to
Louisa Courthouse In about l840. to Gordons-
Vile q few years later. to SLaunton 10 1857,
and 10 Covington In 1850. There, when the
war overlook 1t, 1t was awaiting the compile
tion OF the Covington and Ohio Railroad,
which was being rapidly pushed by the Stale.
At the conclusion Of the war the Virginia
Central Railroad was lett comPiete Wrock.
All of It's bridges and most of Its depot build
ings were destroyed, much OF its trsck torn
up, end that which remained In such condi-
tion that 1t was unsafe 10 run over 1t q train
OF cars; It's engines, coaches and cars worn
out. and lis treasury utterly depleted; the
prospect seemed indeed gloomy. The super.
intendent says that they had ''less than one
hundred dollars in the treasury, and only
twenty miles OF road available for producing
revenue"
In September, 1858, the Legislature granted
q charter 10 the chesapeake and Ohio Com
pany, the Covington and Ohio and the Gen.
trail having been previously consolidated, and,
In 1859. a proposition Of Huntington, Co.,
of New York, was accepted, under which the
work has been extended 10 the Ohio, the
length OF the line to the northwestern bounds
~ oil the State of Kentucky being four hun.
dred and twenty.seven miles. HALF OF this
great railway has been constructed IN less
than three years. There are seven miles and
about one-thlrd Of tunnels on the road. The
road strikes the Ohio at point further west
than any other, and. as We have before stated,
It is proposed that lis eastern terminus shall
not remain at Richmond, but be extended to
Newport News, on the James River, near
Hampton Roads, with branch at YorktoW1,
on the York River, the company desiring to
be able to transfer the freight to the largest
European and coastwise sailing and sieam
vessels The cost Of the work is stated at up
wards of $35, ,000, 900.