The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-02
The Ohio-R,iyer Railroad.

q
who gave us some information rs to what
he supposed the railroad recently under
in Cincinnati to be, was mis-
taken. A charter for road from Cincin-
natl to the mines of Coal river, in Boone, is,
we believe, in existence. We remember
that once upon the occurrence OF great
scarcity Of coalin Cincinnati during freeze,
the people held excited meetings, and the
determination then was that railroad must
be built to the Kanawha coal-fields in order
to insure the "Qucen City" against the re-
currence OF such an alarming state OF
things. But they have gone no further IN
this matter than to secure charter for such
q road, il so far.
But the road which elected the speech
making and the subscriptions last week in
Cincinnati was different affair from this
coal-transporting" enterprise. This road
is a narrow-gauge road, and is thus far
intended to run from Cincinnati to Ports
mouth. on the Ohio river. 1t is commended
especially for traversing highly productive
country. The route is by Madisonvilie and
Red Bank to Newtown, in Hamilton county;
thence by Perin's Mill, East Liberty, to
Batavia, in Clermont county; thence by VIII
liamsburg and Mount Oreb to Sardinia, IN
Brown county: thence to Winchester, IN
Adams county; thence to Portsmouth, IN
Scioto county. II the reader will spread
the map before himself he will see that
the route is pretty straight from Cincinnati
to Portsmouth, and that it leaves the river
at Cincinnati and does not touch It again
until it reaches Portsmouth.
Still the road is not without interest TO
us. It is another line from Cincinnati! in
the direction OF the present terminus OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. Portsmouth,
the eastern terminus of this line, is about
forty miles west of Huntington, and Ports
mouth is to us point OF very great import
ance. At present railroad from Cleveland,
OH Lake Erie, By Columbus, Ohio, and
down the Scioto Valley to Portsmouth, is
rapidly approaching completion. 1t is fin
ished to Columbus, and IS under contract
and in rapid progress thence to Portsmouth.
1t will be in operation next spring. From
the tone OF the meeting III Cincinnati
and the subscriptions there made, it may be
confidently expected that the narrow-gauge
road to Portsmouth will be built promptly.
Now, if the road from Huntington to Ports
moutll-forty milcs-wcre finished, Rich
mond would be in few months put in COM
munication by rail with both Cleveland and
Cincinnati. Forty miles is very narrow gap
to stand between Richmond and these cities.
Certainly such gap cannot be long allowed
to exist. Tie reasons for bridging it are
too great for that.
A road from Portsmouth to Huntington
would give Cincinnati all she could desire
in the way Cf coal transportation. The
Chesapeake and Ohio road passes through
the heart of the Kanawha coal-feld, and
could, through its connections westwardly,
supply any possible demand for coal there
with promptnesS. But Cincinnati will have
more: She would thus have railroad COM
muncation with Virginia tide-water, which
would furnish her with the quickest posi-
BILE way to the Atlantic and the great mar
kets which are upon the waters of that
ocean,
We feel much interest in every railway
enterprise that looks towards connection
with the Chesapeake and Ohio railway.
Every effort does something towards the
consummation OF the really important work
for both West and EaSt-the connection of
the Ohio and Mississippi Valley with the
Chesapeake.