Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-04-28
Narrow Gauge Railroad to the Coal
Fields of West Virginia..

Ii, On tie proper surveys beng made, the second
route Should Prove to be the best. having
shorter distance mere favorable curvatures and
lighter gradients, and bciog less expensive 10
construction, aud receiving more favorable sup.
port from the citizeos residing along the pro-
posed route. This proposed route will cross
tie Blue Ridge at Ashby's Gap, connect with
the Shenandoah Valley Railway Or or near Mill
wooJ, pass b. Winchester. and thence by the
ncarc>s ard most favorable route 10 the coal
fields ct West Firgina. lis eastern terminus
being at D .lapane, situated al the mouth OF
Crooked run, theGcc the Iloc will extend west
ward, up the valley Il Crooked run via Lode
stuuc Ridge and the valley OF Gap run. the
line resting on the slope Of the Blue Ridge,
and, BY very moderate grades, will cross the
Blue Ridge ut Ashby's Gap. 1t this road
should ever be constructed, on It's route from
the Gap to the Shenandoah river viii be dc.
vcl0pCd valuable deposits @! the brown aud
rcd hCmctiG iron ores. and more than likely
magnetic ana SpCcular iron ores, ali being very
favorable for mixture with the magnetic oies
OF Lolcstonc Ridge. This route viii! brlug the
Itnestoncs Ct the valley within i distance Of
from three to hcc miles OF the magnetic spCcu.
ar ores OF FauquIcr thus bringing the iron
ores AID huxcs together, and thus cheapenus
the cost Ct manufacturing pig lroD. Ii the
wheel horse OF Alexandria railroads, Hon.
Lewis Mckenzie, will uoitc With the friends
q tire proposed route Via AShhy' Gap to WIN
chester aad the coal fields OF West Virginia, 10
construct barrow guage railway from Rouud
Hill, on tic line of the Washington and Ohio
Railway, tile Loudouu and Hampshire Rail
way,) along the base of The Blue Ridge, over
most favorable ground for I railway location
pasSing through a rich agricultural region, and
near rich deposits oil white marble aud line.
stone, to Paris where y junction can be made
with the line from Dolaplano, crossing at Ash
bys Gap, . transfer OF freight can be made at
RouGd Hill to the cars OF the Washington aud
Ohio Railroad, or Il third raIl caG be LAID, and
the locomotives now used Oh that road, by The
use Of E patent coupling, move mixed tra!Os
composed ct the cars CT the broad aud barrow
gauges, aod at Falls Church connect with the
propo:ca narrow gauge railway to Washington
city, or better plan might be tho change Of
gauge Of this proposed National Railway 70
narrow gauge, as being the cheapest, aud one,
if adopted, will prove more valuable 10 the
stock 81: bonl holders, and With branch 10
the Great Falls Of the Potomac, supply that
proposed point ioT d large manufacturing city,
With the valuable Goals, iron ores and tlu Der OF
Virginia. and thus rcaIiZ, the expectations OF
the EugLlSh company, who now own this most
valuable water p9wer, second 10 DO other 10
tic UaiteI States, when the fall and volume
d wafer at command Is considered, but now
ruGnnS waste TO tic ocean. have above
sEctchCd The various routes ~ proposed Tor
narrow gauge railways leading from AleXln
dri. to West Virginia and her coal fields, but
before will leave this subject altogether, |
"i! u:~nLl0a an extension OF the lud1pen
Gcnt line from gainesville 20 Warrcuton, via
Buck land aud New Baltimore, Ui about eleven
miles, passing oGer y very favorable route Tor
!; narrow guagc railway. speak positively re-
speeding this route, having known this section
Of the c0uot1y from my boyhood days, having
travelled over it hundreds Of times, and viewed
i. often in reference to its being suitable for
railway location. II a narrow gauge railroad
were constructed from Alexandria oWarrentou,
the distance would not exceed ~ miles, aud
on such read passengers Can be carried at the
low charge Of - c:s. per mile, the passenger
fare being from Warrenton to Alexandria, only
81; general freight .! Cts. per mile, or 81 per
too from Warrenton to Alexandria, beiDg on
flour IL Cts. per barrel. | have assumed the
routes rs given By tic distinguished civil en-
gnccrs, Richard b. Osborne and Chas. =.
Manning, in their report dated April 1872, on
marrow Gauge Railways, as applicable 10 Long
Main L,ueS. and addressed "to the Hon. Chas
II. lIowlaud, President OF the National Narrow
Gauge hallway Convention, st. Louis, Mo.
On page II those w2ltkoown aud responsible
civil cGguccr5 give the rates on the trans
porta,on OF coal on a line 100 miles long at
81 80, Or |! cent per mile; on general freight
at So ~ per 100 miles, Or - cents per ton
per mile, and on passengers at 81. per 100
miles, or -! cents per :nle. Since 1872 TIC
great r2duci0t in value Ct labor, material, iron
rails and cyery article used 10 the expenditure
ot railroad. will be in favor OF the railway lines
charging the above rates. This statement should
convince The Eiost skcptical OF the great i'm
portance it is to Alexandria aud cur Piedmont
sac.iom 9! the Old Northern Neck Of Virginia
for !. radios. change IN our system CT The pres
cat day. Such rs it was twenty five years ago,
without: say change, even to this date, 70 keep
pace ,Tith the Improvements an;! progress Of
tic age, but, continuing to be q heavy tax, q
crushing burden, upon the Iaborng and pro-
ducirg Industries of our State, thus preventing
immigration, checking all manufacturing enter
priscs, .ld preventing all busioess imposing
upon us greater havdships, aud more mon
S,rGus charges than Our pcopc had to cncount
or, even ii the days OF rlud pixies and Shcnau-
Goah ships, when passengers were transported
over our Piedmont mall route ia the stages Of
the PICI@oGt iiDc, managed aud run by cur
cx-Goveraor, Extra Billy Smith, even at j less
charge per mile than is at present charged on
cur Virginia railroads. Is it not then time that
there should be change 10 our lines, a0d mode
and management OF our transportation system ?
II the Henry locomotives, pOndrous and costly
passenger CARS CT the i feet 81 iuch gauge SIS.
tenI, the cXtra9agant aud luxurious drawing
room end palace calH, fitted up ia elegant styl,
without aOy re!crcLce 20 cost, prevents tie
present system OF railways from confirming to
moderate rates Tor passenger and freight trans
povtatioG, and thus pros.ratcs al! tho Industrial
interests OF cur Stale, let our people determine
that there shall be q change; that system Of
narrow gauge railways shall tie determined upon
and pressed onward to its completion, SO that
the agrlculturist, the manufacturer, aud even
the tailoring citizen, shall have chaocc TO live
aud prosper here 10 Virginia, aud not be forced
to seek Z hom: in distant STATES. Let lis sat