Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-03-31
ALEXANDRIA, VA
TUESDAY, MARCH 81, 1874

WASHINGTON AND ONO RAILROAD. = n
corresnondent of he Baltimore Gazette writing
from Leesburg under date Of 3Oth inst. says;
Let me tell you about our railroad, which IS
now known by the ambitious title OF the ASH
ington and Ohio, but which seems destlned TO
wear its name for years TO come without the
hopors which should belong to corporation
which boasts two such suggestive cognomens'
AS originally chartered by the General Assem-
bly, Of Virginia, under the title OF the aIeSan-
dria, Loudouu and Hampshire Railroad Com
pauy, it was Intended to extend Only from tue
c;rv Of Alexandria to the coal fields of Hamp-
shire county, then 10 Virginia, but now 10 " est
Virginia, distance of about $50 miles. But
after "the late unpleasantness had been re-
moved from the field to the council chamber
broader views prevailed, aud even O1kes Amcs
of Credit Mobelier fame, and his friend Mac
Comb, both at the time railroad magnates' TOOK
hold of the route, aud 10 1870 the Legislature
of West Virginia conferred upon the Company
the necessary authority to extend and construct
their railroad to the west bank OF the ONO
river, aud to connect by branches with the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad aud with the
Baltimore and OHIO Railroad. The necessary
SURVEYS were made, and Point Pleasant 10 Ma
500 county, wa. decided upon as the most ad-
vantageous location for the terminus on the
Ohio, distance OF 325 miles from tide water
on the Potomac at Washington and Alexandra.
Capitalists became interested IN the enterprise,
and for a time 1t seemed that the long -cherlst
ed hopes of the friends of the road would De
realized. But financial engagements failed,
and the road was again thrown upon Its own
local resources The President OF the Com
pauy, Hon. Lewis McKensie, managed 10 keep
L., "a bpr %.
that its completion alone could make 1t rcmu'
nerative. The road commences at Alexan-
dria, and taps the Alexandria and Washing
ton Railroad one and a half miles from
Alexandria, by which all rail conDec'
ton IS made with Washington. From
the junction it passes, for twenty-five miles,
through the counties of Alexandria and Far
fax. aud thence to Hamilton, in this county,
forty four miles from Alexandria. Through
the energetic efforts of the President OF the
Company, seconded by Henry Heaon, esq ,
of this place. aud the other Directors, the road
has been completed some four miles further
and will be opened tomorrow to Purcallville
The complexion of the Iiue to PurceIlvilIe will
be great convenience to the residents OF that
part of Loudoun county, and will enable them
to reach railroad transportation with much less
difficulty. Heretofore Hamilton has been the
terminal point, and country wagons have been
obliged to seek it from distance.
The route TO Winchester, distance of sew
enty-6ve miles FROM Alexandria, is now uodcr
contract, and it isS expected that work will be
begun this spring. Tue contractors are Messrs
Adams, Hammer Il Co., well known among
railroad men, AT Bcrryvllle, sixty four miles
FROM Alexandria, the road will cross the Shen-
andoah Valley Railroad, which has been grad
ed TO Front Royal, and at Winchester the Val
ley Railroad will be met. BY the surveyed
route bitumnous coal is struck at the Forks OF
Red Greek, l72I miles trom Alexandria aud at
Buckhannou, 22444 miles from Alexandria beds
of camel coal are met with.
The road is designed to pass through coun-
try rich in almost iuexhaustibe supplies OF
minerals, and from which too vast quantities OF
most valuable timber may be gathered. La
fact the building of the road will open up the
coal fields of West Virginia and furnish trans
portation for the wealth of that section. Ii is
quite impossible 10 the briet space Of letter
to more than allude to what lies ia the future
of the route.