Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-11-14
Excursion.


party had reached Stauutou when | wrote last,
which place we left at 4:3O p. H., enjoying |
much OF the beautiful sccucry west Of that
place, and stopped all night at UovI:. gton,
station anu small village on the Z. u .. Il. Il.
| At seven next morning We took the train Tor
| Ouinnmont, where we were received by Gcn
| j. M. ST. John, who is the General Superll
tendent of the New River Car Co., Raleigh
| Coal and Iron Co., and New River Land aud
Water Co., three separate establishments, out
| owned by the same stock holders, ten Or Twelve
worthy gentlemen from the north, VINO have
purchased 10000 acres Of land at this point
Astounding i'll rich iron, coal anU limestone lur.
nation. Their object Is TO de- clop Its wealth,
aud to that end have here established ii towi!,
anG although, ou!y commenced March, 1873,
already thirty-sx furnaces are making coke
from the coal here mlned; also furnace that
turus out daily twenty-five tous OF pig iron, and
in the course OF few months will doublc that
quantity with the improvements that are now
Ia progress. They have erected nG;oDcr OF
| houses for their little army oil operatives, and
| are not neglecttul Of their spiritual as Well as
temporal welfare, asnow preparations are made
for the erection of church. As the purchase
was made at low figure, and all the works ar
on large scale, and every Improvement avlled
Of, the richness and abundance OF the material
is unquestiouablc, they can produce lron ii.
| less rate than any establishment III the country.
They have a store also that supplies this place
and surrounding country with every article
needed at reasonable prices they propose
soon putting up shops for the manufacture OF
cars, making castings OF all kiuds, and even
producing railroad iron. They are disposiug
of lands for farming purposes, aud already they
require the constant use from the railroad COM
pany of locomotive and train of cars iur their
works | felt little enylous oil this rapid pros
perly when remembered the distress OF my
loved little city. | cuuuot speak too highly Of
the kindness and consideration shown Us by ali
the officers attached to the company. Mr. 5.
j. Day. who accompanied Us from Staunon,
and is interested, carried Us iuto the coal mlnr,
a feat we feel proud of accomplishing, but are
by no means ambitious oil repeating. As the
town is situated in a valley, and Is environ ID
by lofty mountains, In the top OF Que Is sltuat
ed the NINE and The railway down the mvun-
tain is 2, 800 feet at an elevation direct vi 200
feet Placed IN car at the foot, clngiug 10
the sides for fear Of being spilled OUT drawn
by wire rope which, to my lmmagnaliuu,
looked like thread III comparison 10 the value
Of the freight that hung upon 1t, was no tine
for levlty, but we all voted ourselves heroes OF
bravery. Safely at the top we were carried
into the coal hole, where we cxperleEceda great
deal oil Information with some amusement, but
accomplished under difficulties As 1t was al
together dark business under there, aud the
dim lights that fickcred from the hats Of a
Dumber of miners DOLLY revealed nett wolk of
railway with rich coal on every side, aud tie
busy click Of the pick, We We're easily satisfied
of its abundance and emerged with hands aud
faces showing who had been our associates.
Then came the DESCENT in the cars, is FROM our
lofty situation looked appalling in the cxtrcm",
With brave hearts we climbed into our car,
and with bated breath once more found our
selves in the valley we loved, and were fully
compensated for the risk Of our journey in the
sumptuous repast they had prepared for u.
We then Witnessed twenty-five tons OF melted
ore drawn from the furnace, aud once more the
grandly picturesque beauty Of the surroundings
:. OF this cmbryo town were viewed, aud pre-
dict its rapid growth.
We left for Kauawha Falls by special car,
provided by the G. t. o. L. r., which We
reached at II at night We fear the owness
Of the Ohio may prevent our reaching Cincln
natl. We shall soon see. W.
The GREATNESS OF LONDON. The follow
Ing is taken from the London City Press:
In few cities are there more than half dozen
reilway stations. In London there are II least
150 Some of the railways never pass beyond
the limits and Of one, the TottcEham and Hannp-
stead Punch says: mo one ever travels BY rs
| no one knows where it begins or where it ends
The Metropolitan and other intramura. railways |
run trains every three or five minutes, and con- |
vey from twenty to fifty millions of passengers
| annually. Clapham is the great southwestern |
junction, and through it 700 trains pass every |
| day. Its platforms are so numerous, and It's un-
| derground passas es and overground bridges so
perplexng that to find the right train is one OF
those things that 10 fellow can underStM -
As proof of the expansive nature OF London |
traffic it was supposed that, when the MCtropol- |
| tan Railway was opened q the city 10 Pad |
dington omnbuses would be run Oh the ground, |
but, although it carried forty millions Of
passengers last year. it has been found necessary |
to increase the number OF omnlbuScS on tho
southern route, and they yield one per cent more
revenue than before the opening OF the railway. |
Besides the railways, there are some fourteen
or fifteen thousand tram-cars, omnibuscS and
cabs traversing the streets there are lines Of
omnibuses known only to the inhabitants OF their
own lccalites-such as those across the Isle OF
| logs, from Poplar to Milwsll; from London
| bridge along Tooley street to DGckhead, &c.
The London Omnibus Company have 5G3 oni-
nbuses, which carry fifty millions OF passengers
| annually.
| 1t is more dangerous to walk the streets of
London than to travel by railway or cross the
Atlantic. Last year l23 persons were killed,
| and 25l3 injured by vehicles in the street Sup,
| posing every individual, man, woman and child
made one journey foot in London per diem,
which is considerably above the average, the
deaths would be one in eleven millions, while
the railways only kill about one in fifty millions
of passengers, and the Cunard Company of Al
lantc steamers boast OF having never lost Il pas
sengcr. -,
Other instances of the immensely of the popu
lation of London, are that three-quarters OF u
million OF business men enter the city IN the
morning and leave it in the evening for their
suburban residences. There are 1000 police
men, as many cab drivers, and the same mum
Der of persons connected with the post office,
each OF whom, with their families: would make
a large town. When London makes holiday,
there are several places OF resort, such the
Crystal Palace, the Geological Gardens, Kew
Gardens, &C., which absorb from thirty thous:
and to fifty thousand visitors each. The cost OF
pas for lighting is e2,5OO,NO annual.yi the