Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-11-04
CHEsAPEAKE AND OHIO r. II.

WI iH~NS sHS' Nft-"NtHS cNbSCN'
from, a correspondence hy +. c.
AdaGns, Esq, Of Washington, d, c.,
who hss been travelling over the G.
x o, Il. Il. and his opinion of mat,
ter, and things connected with it,
and other matters.
The iron and coal deposits of Vir-
gjnia and West Virginia, especially
the latter. are said TO be quite as ex,
tensive and even superior in quality
20 those of Pennsylvanla. The open
ing Cf the Chesapeake and Ohio K.
K. 10 tie Ohio river has given new
stimulant toIhe development of this
great material wealth of Virginia. -
The spurs of the Blue Ridge and Al
leghany mountains abound with the
finest quality ct iron ores, which can
he mined anu Transported cheaplv.-
In the kanawha Valley. West Nir>
GINA. camel. splint and bituminous
coal Of the finest quality are found in
inexhau>tible quantities. The mines
here are already being extensively
worked. Before the war smelling
and iron making in these regions
we've carried on to a very limited ex-
tent. and by the most primitive
methods. This by Virginlans, chief
" But they had neither the capt
tai nor the scientific knowledge neces-
sArv to the successful prosecution OF
this business. Some of these iron
works are still in the hands of Nir>
ginians, but manv of them have pass
ed into the hands of Pennsvlvanians
and Others, who are working them
with larger capital and enterprise
and more improved machinery. /
must not forget, however, that Gen
eral 81. John, of Confederate fame
is erecting one of the largest iron
and coking establishments in West
Virginia, at QuinnemOnt, thirtv-eight
miles east of the ksnswha Falls,
and directly on the line of the Ches.
& Ohio railroad. All these, if pro-
perly managed and encouraged,
would pour their wealth into the lap
of Richmond and make her river
the Clyde OF this country.
Five railroads, three of them i'm
portsnt ones, concentrate or termi.
nate at Richmond Her only water
communication with the interior and
great producing districts of the State
is the James river and Kanawha
canal. Singular as it may seem,
this canal delivers in Richmond a
freight tonnage nearly or quite as
large as tbs whole five railroads.
This. many will say, is not to the
credit OF railroad management in
Virginia. The most important of
these roads. indeed the one destined
to DO most for Richmond, and per-
hsps the State, and also West Virgil
MIA, is the Chesapeake and Ohio, now
in such financial embarrassment, and
extending west to Huntington, on
the Ohio. 40 miles. This road is 4
monument or the genius of cur en-
gineers, and The energy and public
spirit Of the men who pushed it
through to the Ohio river. To say
that il hes not been success fnan-
claily is hardly fair, considering the
mauy obstacles the company have
had 10 meet and overcome. | have
found persons along It's line unreaSon.
ING enough to charge the present fl
nancial embarraSsmentI of the COM
panv to bad management. These
( persons seemed to forget that the
road for nearly two hundred mile,
opened up comparatively unknown
country, Astounding in mineral
wealth. but made difficult Of access
bv huge and almost sterile noun,
.ain'. The cuts. filings and tun,
nels along this part OF the road are
such rs are seen nowhere else in this
county,. That this road will, in a few
wears, become ono Of the great lines
Of transportation between the West
and South and North no one can
doubt But in its present cramped
condition it reminds one of a great
project with both It's teed and deliv-
erv ends cut of. Before any proper
estimate can be made Of its paving
capacity it must secure connections
bv rail with Cincinnati and the great
cities Of the West and Northwest
Until these natural feeders are open,
ell it will be of little use to look fol
freight and passengers beyond it,
western limit. Already the trans
Dortation of coal from the kanawha
Valley overtSNes the scanty facilities
of the road
Instead Of cramped space and at
insignificant depot tor the shipment
of coal at Richmond the company
must extend its line TO deep water on
the James or York rivers-the Jane,
would be preferable. The raviga
ton Of tho upper James, especially
that portion of it from City Point Ia
Richmond--tortv-two milcs--intri.
cate. tedious, and even dangerous
and expensive, is such a terror To
ship owners and masters tsst few OF
them will undertake the voyage ex-
capt at 81 unreasonable increase OF
freight. Coal draggers on the Poto-
mac say that if they could take on
their cargoe> at St. Mary's or Point
Lookout instead of undergoing the
SLOW aud expensive navigation to
Georgetown, they could carry North
FOR one third less freight and make
more money. If this could be done
on the Potomac, hos much more
could be saved on the james. the