, 1874-07-23
RAILROAD NEWS.
breaking Of Ground on tho MiChi-
gan T. Ohio Railway.
A Road 400 Miles Long, and to
Cost S30,000,000.
Miscellaneous Railroad Items,

| Miscellaneous Railroad Items.
M1cH1GAN'& OHIO RAILWAY,
Special corrkspondenet Of 7Ae Chtcago Tribune.
dnASp HAVEN, Mich, July a, 1874,
Tho formal opentug Of tho Michigan l. Ohio
Railway, by tho breaking Of ground, laying OF
first tic. addresses, etc., took place this aftor-
noon. and wns attended BY d largo concourso Of
Interested ctizons aud others who listoned with
oager attention to the romarks made by the eoy-
oral gontlomon who addreaaod them, which wore
received With great enthusiasm Dofore going
Into any details of the inauguration cosomonials,
1t will bo uecossary to give a short
| HISTORY
Of the project In its npipiont stages. Several of
the gontlonaen now connected with tho entcr-
prise seeing tho necessity for the development
Of. and obtaining an outlet for, tho yaht re-
souroos Of this particular section OF tho coun-
try,-with its imnonso bods Of plaster, its
coal aud iron fields, and tho un-
surpassed pineries, with their al
most ondless supply, besides tho
fisheries and tho fruit-region,-a company wna
formed in January, 1871, for the purpose Of do
Gliding upon the direction, etc., In regard to tho
limo. establishing public sentiment In favor Of
the euterpriao, md securing sufficient amount
OF ald to insure It's successful completion. Show
Ing tho imlnpnHo advantages to be gained by the
building OF tho road, only after tho most cou-
.glnelnK a1d steady arguments woro they enabled
the an1 yeying Of tho proposed road. Hnylng suo-
cosafully finished tho surveying, and dotermin-
Ing npon tho line Of tho road, thoy hnve at
lengtn received sufficient aid in lands and
tue road will pass to insure tho completion OF
the road; and to-day, after tho numerous ob-
stacies thak nave had to ho overcome, the work
on the new road was commenced, and the pro-
lminnry ceremonies Of
TIE 1hAuauAArIon
After tho gathering OF tho Directors and
oit officers OF tho railroad. With tho Mayor md
othe5 ta prominent cltlzone, Mr., Jamcs 8: Gibbs,
TUG Mayor to those present, stopped forward,
md at O'clock turned oyos tho first shoyelfu OF
earth for tho laying of the road, amid the great
est enthusiasm. Whom tho workmen had finished
laying tho tio on tho ombankment thrown up
TIC Nev: j. Y. Hickmott. tho congregational
minisier here implorod tho Divino blessing aud
sd e IN tho sslcccssfu carrying on and completion
Mayor j. A, Loggat easd that tho Inauguration
Of thts project WAS Of vast importance both to
lhla city and tho country through which the
road would pasa its bouetits it it wero cnr1ied
to successful completion, were beyond the power
ofelthor htB Or their most sanguine imaginatlons.
31r. James s. Gibbs, tho President of tlo Com
pany, standing upon the tic Tint lad Just been
laid, thanked tho riti2ouH for tho welcome Hun
port they bud given, aud congratulated thom
pletcd, would 80 groatly benolt thom aud their
city in numerous why's. uo would nut speak OF
Wl'at tie Company was doing, or Of its anticpa-
tlona, for fear Of being thought boastful, but
would aHy thlt HAGeyor saM tue completion Of
this lino would see road second in Importance
to noue other on tho Continent.
Tho Secretary Of the Company, DR.. F. ".
Batisick said that, when the Y1st RESOURCES OF
those sections Of tho country should DO deyel- |
oped, this would provo ono OF the most import |
mt enterprises Of tho age.
Several other addresses were made by prom
1nent cltizens. among whom wore Col. ". II. |
Eersy, e1.Asyor q George E. Hubbard Henry |
ris. who welcomed the enterprise aud tenderel /
tholt assistance.
FROM REPORT
subnittea to the boarl Of Directors, 1t Is found
thAt tho Michigan tS Ohio Railroad, OF now do |
cided upon will have ita two terminal points at |
Grand Hayon, Mich, and Mt Portsmouth, on the |
Ohio Liyer,- distance between them boiug |
4o0 miles. tue topography ot tho route of which |
slloTs an almost unbroken dead loyo tho
heights in the contre having grade Of 33 feok |
to tue milo; the reat averaging from loycI .o2
foot per milo. Having no largo rivern to
span. 40 tunnels or deep cuttings. also
and with an unoontosted margin Of 25 mflos OH
each sidc, It Il apparent that this road can DO
constructed at reasonable cost, and will have
al btupl0 ORat6 OF support and profit, |
Ihoao interested III tho road claim that It
passea ontiroly aoross aud through aoction of
tho richest aud most profitable railway y-busiuess
III the country. Ihoy report tho franchises ex-
tromely liberal and valuable. The right Of way
aud I'LL necessary 1auds for the erection Of tho
Conpany's buildings, storohouaos, shops, etc.,
have boon giSen aaid secured by intlefeaeibla
tt!cs. The people along the line Of tho road
arc enthuhass!ca!lY In favor of It, and, bcsideu
esg oaerg sn snb sht ct ot way gratsitonsY have
require,
THE pnorosED RAILWAY
run8 Ia a northwcaturly direction, by way OF Co.
lumols through Ohio and thence to Grand Ha-
Yen, crosBnR the State limo in the northwesterly
corner ct ohio; At Portsmouth It will mano
with tho Chesapeake & Ohio Rail
road and tue proposed Pound Gap route. FORM
ing On unbrokon connection to tho harbors Of
Atlantic hasbors,- rtoning the distance 500
miles from tho present route by wnY Of Now
York. It o1ogsos Thirty ditleront railroads, and
sAortenB the distance from Milwaukee, by way Of
also saving $50 miles by way Of Chicago, wtero
tho great shipments Of grain aud other produce |
from Wisconsin would have to pass.
The cost Of tho road will amount from prea-
has boon subscribed towards tho completion Of
The first 200 nlilcs, tho work OH which has boon
by tho contractors, MoBsrs. Chow l.
Aud, White j. Co., uhder the supervision Of the
ohlef Engineer. A.. Y. Powell. The Directors
aro very sangu'ne OF tho success Of this road,
owing to tho populousI country, with ts rich pro.
luota, through which 1t passos. The oflcers OF
he Company arc; Ja,nea 8: Gibbs, President;
!. ". psthr!ck, scerotaryi L: storrs, Treaa- :
.rer; Alvin Burt, Solicitor; A. V. Powell. Ohiot
Engineer. Il. i.
MISCELLANEOUS.
ILLINOIS SUIT AGAINST THE NORTHWESTERN.
Tho Attorney -Geueral Of Iilinoia Inns stipulnt-