Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-12-03
The New Railroad Through
West Va. To The West.

to u parallel with the line of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, will
hold q formal meeting this week
at which the eminent capitalists
interested therein. among whom
are Gould, Vanderbilt and others,
will be present, and at which
meeting full plans for the future
will be determined upon.
The new company is to be
known as the Baltimore, Clncin-
natl and Western Central. A for
mer title was Baltimore, Cincin-
natl and Western. The addition
of the "CentraI'a relates to the
route chosen, which in addition to
running parallel with the Balti.
more and Ohio, will be about mid
way between that road and the
Chesapeake and Ohio.
A prospectus of the new road
has been issued, in which the pro-
jectors claim that they are acting
in perfect good faith, aver that
the construction of this road is as
sureu, more than a sufficient
amount of capital having been
subscribed. Ex-Secretary of the
Navy, Richard w. Thompson,h has
accepted the presidency of the
company, and is to be associated
in the management with Henry
B.. Hammond, president of the In
d%ianapolis, Decratur and Spring
field Railroad, and of the Boston
and New York Air Line. The
latter gentleman will be at the
head of the construction company.
Chief among the supporters of the
new road appears the Erlanger
syndicate, which controls the great
Southern system of railways and
which has been vigorously extern
ding its grasp to all available lines
in the South. Mr.. VIM. H. Van
derbilt and Jay Gould are also re-
ported to have a live interest in
the new scheme.
The route determined upon for
the new road, according to the
prospectus, is as follows: Starting
from Cincinnati, the line folio WIS
the north bank Of the Ohio river
to Portsmouth, then to Gallipolis,
on the Ohio river, a distance of
about 100 miles. Crossing the Ohio
river there into West Vir2inia,th
line follows the Great KanaWha
river a distance of tifty.four miles
to Charleston, where it connects
with the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad, coming up from Rich
mond. From Charleston the line
turns northeasterly, and follows
the valley of the Elk river for
some 167 miles to its headwaters
at the Allegheny mountains cross
ing there through a remarkable
low gap, upon a grade of only sew
enty-three feet to the mile,it pass
es a distance of about nine miles
to the north fork of the south
branch of the Potomac river, and
thence by the banks of the same
for some sixty miles to MoOrfield,
near the boundary of Virginia.
Thence the line crosses the cOuu-
try via Winchester and Leesburg,
to the Potomac river, a distance of
about 104 miles, and crossing that
river at Edwards Ferry, it passes
through the State of Maryland
about f~ifty-seven miles to the city
of Baltimore. Thus the line cx-
tends a total of COL miles from
Baltimore to Cincinnati, OF which
distance 381 miles-nearly two
thirds Of the entire length-are
along the banks of rivers.
There are 20S towns and cities
directly on the line of the road, of
which 1873 have 40 railroad con-
nections whatever. Forty-two
counties, with an average popula-
ton of 35,043, are passed through.
The estimated cost of construction
given in the prospectus, places the
maximum cost Of a firSt-clasS, steel
rail, single track railway at $25,-
600 per mile, or $15, 600, 900 for the
600 miles. To this the cost of erect
ing depots, ware houses, and es-
tablishing repair shops, providing
the side tracks and rolling stock,
and constructing telegraph lines,
it is estimated will add not more
than $40, 600, 600, thus providing a
complete road in running order,
fully equipped, for $25, 900 900.
This sum, says the prospectus, is
only one-fourth of the amount eX-
pended in establishing the other
lines from Cincinnati TO the sea-
board. The construction compa-
up,:lWhich, it is announced, will
build and equip the road, is to be
known as the Union Improve
ment Company, and will have a
ready cash capital of SIC ,000, 900.