The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-10-07
Extension Of Shenandoah valley r. R.

Extension Of Shenandoah Valley r. r.
In ninety days from this time the Shenan-
doah Valley railroad will have been completed
from Hagerstown, in Maryland, to Waynes-
boro, in August county, Va. This is striking
proof of the energy Of the company which
owns the road. Three years ago the project
of constructing it was regarded as wild and
visionary-now it is an accomplished fact
Seeing that the company is in earnest, and
that it has the ability to accomplish its pur-
pose, the enquiry naturally arises what next !?
Everybody sees that the road cannot stop at
Waynesboro. If it does, it will be mere To-
cal road, whose earnings will hardly defray
the expense of operating it. 1t must be ex-
tended southwark and westward, to connect
with other improvements, and enable ii to
compete for southern and western trade and
travel.
There has been some talk of it's passing
through Rockfish tunnel, and being extended
southwark towards Lynchburg. To those
who are familiar with the topography of the
intermediate country, this scheme would seem
to be almost impracticable, to say nothing of
difficulties which might be interposed by the
Chesapeake & Ohio company, to the use, by
rival road, of its tunnel and track, from the
junction east Of Waynesboro to the point of
divergence near Alton.
1t seems to the writer Of this article, that
the natural and most economical line of ex-
tension viii be to continue up the valley of
the South River, Of Augusta, to the point
where its head waters interlace with the head
waters of the South River, of Rockbridge,
and thence down the valley of said last named
river to the valley of North River, and on to
the valley of the James, near Glasgow, where
it will intersect the Richmond s. Allegheny
road. A road forty five miles long will con-
meet with the Richmond 6 Allegheny road at
the last named point. The route, throughout
| its entire length, passes through country adj
mirably adapted to the construction Of rail
road at small cost, there being no necessity for
heavy cuts or fills, and the route being on the
south side of the river, through piney flats, the
damages to be paid for the right of way will
be comparatively small This line, too, will
extend through one of the finest mineral
regions of our State. AS soon as the road
leaves Waynesboro it will strike the spurs Of
the Blue Ridge, in which are situated the old
mines formerly used by Moore & Dowell; a
little further ON are other large deposits OF
specular and hematite ores, which have never
been properly opened. Still further on, and
somewhat to the left of the line indicated,
is Mount TORY Furnace, and to the right, the
inexhaustible beds Of white porcelain clay,
which is fitted not only for the manufacture
of earthenware but also of friedrich. And
still further southwark the line of road would
pass through, or very near, the old Kennedy
Furnace land; and opposite Midway it would
penetrate or approach the lands on which are
situated the Cotopaxi Furnace, and the Bear
& Troster iron properties, which are repre-
scented to contain bodies of ore equal in extent
and value to the celebrated deposits near
Ferrol Furnace.
The ores from these various mines could be
readily shipped northward and southwark, or
worked up near the mines, as the connection
of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad with the
Richmond s. Allegheny road would give
ready access to the coal and coke which must
be shipped in vast quantities from the western
mines, along the Richmond & Allegheny road.
This bringing together OF the ores of the
Valley with the coal and coke of West Vir-
ginia, must mark the opening of a new era in
the industrial history of our State. Neither
the ore nor the coal is of much value standing
alone Let them be, as it were, intermarried,
and a numerous progeny of furnaces, FORCES,
foundries, rolling mills, &C., will be the fruits
of their union.
1t is to be hoped that the company will have
the sagacity to see the many advantages which
will result from adopting this route for the eX
tension of their road. 1t is important, too,
that the work should be promptly done, so as
to anticipate the tardy movements of the So
called Valley Railroad company, which is
held in leading strings by the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad company. Unless the accounts
we have of the resources of the country be-
tween Waynesboro and the Richmond q
Allegheny Railroad, at the point where
they would connect, be greatly exagger-
ated, more valuable iron properties would
be opened to this extension of 45 miles than
on the whole line between Waynesboro and
the Potomac River. This country is also ex-
ceedlngly fertile, producing abundant crops of
wheat corn, rye, oats, buckwheat, hay, beef,
pork, &C., and consequently would supply the
provisions necessary for the support of any
number of operators.
1t is to be hoped that the company will, at
an early day, order survey of this route, by
an intelligent corps of engineers. Should this
be done it can hardly be doubted that the re-
port will be favorable, and the extension made
| in accordance with if