The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-02-03
Ireland wish to attain by wholesale emf
grafton"
OUR RAILROAD SYSTEM.


The Railways that Ought TO BE Built
In West virginia and How 10 Bald
Them.
The Huntington Advertiser OF last week
has an article on proposed West Virginia
railroads and how to build them, which
contains some points worthy Of attention.
Calling attention to the rule that the great
est cost in the transportation Of ireights
by rail is found in overcoming the grades
Of hill countries, It points out the natural
valleys Of this State to which branch roads
reaching into the uplands and mountains
ought to gravitate, "followingin turn the
small branches or water courses, also
carved out by nature and suited to this
purpose:
Starting with the Ohio river valley as
the true basis OF our system Of railroads,
there should be q route surveyed and
road built along It's banks from Wheeling,
or further north, to the Kentucky State
line at Virginia Point on the north bank
OF Big Sandy river. The expense OF q
COMPLETE survey Of this line ought to be
borne by the State II the means is not
speedily forthcoming from private sources.
From this main line nature suggests the
construction OF other lines connecting
Herewith. LIST. Up Big Sandy river 70
the head waters. I'd. Up Guyandotte ny
er 10 its source in Wyoming county. 50.
Up the Kanawha river to Kanawha Falls
and thence up the Gauley river to its
sources in the counties OF Webster and
Pocahontas, and branch road starting at
Charleston following Elk river to its head
in Webster, Randolph and Pocahontas
counties. 4th. Up little Kanawha river
10 It's source in Braxton county. 9th. Up
the Monongahela river from Pittsburgh,
10 Clarksburg where it will tap the Yves
ton & Clarksburg road, already built to
Weston, with branch starting from Fair
mont Tor Grafton) up the TYgarts Valley
river TO its head watersin Randolph coun'
ty, and q branch starting at the mouth oil
Cheat river, below Morgantown, and VI
Cheat to its head watersin Randolph coun
~:
These lines bisect the whole Of that por
ton Of the State whose waters How west
ward into the Ohio river.
For the eastern slope, or that portion
whose waters flow into the Potomac, Shen
andoah and James rivers, the same basis
should be observed and railroads built fol
lowing the principal streams and tapping
the Baltimore & Ohio and Chesapeake 4
Ohio railroads and the proposed james
River Valley road as their base lines.
1t will be observed, that excepting the
Little Kanswha and Weston or West
|. Fork OF the Monongahela river routes, anC
the Sandy and Guyandotte routes, all O
these lines reach a group OF three adioin
ing counties-Pocahonta Randolph anC
Webster-which form the highest terri
tory within the State limits, and that the
routes radiate from this general point like
the spokes in a wheel.
AS q matter OF course then when any
two OF the lines, so centering, are con
structed they would be joined at this sum
nit and in Ike manner the gap between
these and the West Fork and the Little
Kanawha routes would be connected by
a short section spanning the intermediate
territory and then the whole system
would be available for trade and travel to
all parts Of the State.