Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-05-04
THE B & 0. EXTENSION.
THE RESULT or The CONFERENCE
YESTERDAY
Between Vice President keyser and the
Committee on RailrOads-Ths Propos'
ed Route through the Ciy-Visw'
ing the Ground - Nothing
Definite Arranged as Yet.

mittee on Railroads OF the Council, and
Mr.. William Keyser, Second Vice Presi.
dent OF the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company. came of Yesterday, and an
understanding is gradually being reach-
ed. IL is the intention OF the company
to begin work on the Connellsyllle ex-
tension this week, which certainly indi-
Gates that the through line will be COM
pleted. To perfect arrangements by
which Wheeling will get the benefits OF
! the through line and the road the 'nefits
| Of the business OF this city, was the
| object OF the conference.
TIE committee met promptly at >
| o'clock ut the city building, every mem
| Der present, w: Samuel Laughlin, j [.
| Baker, A. j. Halstead, John II. Hall,
| John c.. Miller, WIN. SchOckey, John u.
Haberfield and James McAdams. A
question of etiquette was taken up, some
OF the committeeman advancing the
| idea that il was at a small sacrifice oil
dignity for committee OF the City oil
| Wheeling to leave the demesnes OF the
city hall and "wait upon" b. & ..
official. The question whether Maho.
met should 90 to the mountain or the
|
| discussion when Mayor Egerter arrived
and took hand. Finally, one OF the
gentlemen suggesting that such a pom
derous weight OF brain power might
wreck the city building, the question OF
ceremony was waived and the commit
tee went to the office OF Capt. Devries.
Mr.. Keyser had just arrived. and after
a few formalities the subject matter was
entered at plunge. He was anxious TO
have this matter settled, he said, and
presumed the committee was aware the
proposition contemplated putting
Wheeling on the main line. 1t is IA CITY
OF considerable size, and the fact that
the road would open up the centre OF
the coke fields and put Wheeling within
ten miles as near as Pittsburgh, would
| be great impetus to business. The OBJ
| iect OF the conference was therefore to
agree upon the most practicable route
through the city.
Spreading map upon the table, Mr..
Keyser pointed out the route the CON-
pany would prefer. 1t may be easily
comprehended, and runs as follows: The
present line of the Hempfeld passes
| the Central Glass Works and turns down
Seventeenth. 1t is now proposed to con-
tinue it to Nineteenth. and thence down
that street TO the creek. This brings it
to a point directly opposite Eoff street.
By a bridge it is carried across the creek,
where it enters a tunnel and passes
along under Eotf street, emerging Just
below Twenth.sixth street, by the Sixth
ward school house. 1t then continues
south on Eoff in direct line, until it
connects with the present line OF the b.
< y. at the intersection OF Eoff and
Thirty.second streets. At the portal OF
the tunnel, at the school house, there
will be cut OF Is feet, the proper grade
being reached by the natural conformity
Of the ground, which falls off rapidly to-
wards Caldwell's run.
This route was explained to the com
mittee and made perfectly comprehen.
sib'e and an expression OF views re-
quested. An objection was at once
seen and was voiced by several
members. 1t was this: Connecting the
eighth ward with the balance OF the city
are now two throughfares, Eoff and
Chapline streets The latter is monOpo-
Used TO great extent by the street rail-
way and the former is used almost en-
tirely for driving purposes Presuming
that the track would not require a cut
all of the way from the school house TO |
Thirty-second street, yet the double |
track would occupy the entire street and
render it almost impracticable for general
city purposes.
There was further objection offered |
IN this, that a recent decision of the |
Supreme Court of West Virginia made |
q corporation liable for individual dam.
age sustained by reason of grading A
less important objection was urged that
the passing trains would disturb and in
commode the public school.
Mr.. Keyser stated that Engineer Ran.
dolph had land line tunneling near the |
Crescent mill and emerging higher up |
toward Chapline hill. But this was
impracticable, because the hill side was
built up, more or less, and it was i'm.
possible to find depth at which roof
could be sustained.
Capt. SchOckey advanced the belief |
that tunnel emerging on Jacob street |
would do away with all OF the objections |
offered and the idea met with favorable
reception from every one. The map was |
closely scanned with view to studying |
this, but the conception could at best |
be but faint one and it was decided to |
visit and 90 over the ground. Mr. Key |
ser said he had no doubt there was some
objection to this route, otherwise Mr. |
Randolph would have reported il. In.
teriering with coal bank levels was all |
that could be imagined, but to make
certain dispatch was sent TO Mr. R,n-
dolph at Washington, Pa, summOning
him here. Upon his arrival this morn
ing, many of the doubts which now
exist will be dispelled.
Capt. Devries ordered out train Nv |
which the party was quickly deposit AZ |
the intersection of Eyh street ami the
d 40. track, in the rear Il the pottery. |
The advantage this route would be to |
the company was then plainly apparent. |
glance could be sent directly along |
Eof street as far as the brow OF the hill
in front OF the College and the line was
a straight one. But at Jacob, one block |
further east, it appeared az though ar
rangements might easily be made, the |
only difficulty beingi in finding ground of
ssutfici, Mt rise, near Twentv-sixth street,
for tunnel. As Mr.. Keyser said: at
a level is taken you discover your er-
ror."
Proceeding north to Jacob, the party
examined the land carefully, and espe.
cially in the vicinity Of the school house.
both on Eoff and Jacob street. While
there, ore fact became apparent, viz:
that the committee would never |
consent to allow the track to be laid |
down Eoff, while the Jacob street route
would meet with but little if any oppo.
sition. As far as could be ascertained |
without instruments, the latter route is
feasible, but survey will be necessary |
to determine to certainty. 1t is not |
assuming too much TO say that the track,
if laid, will eventually take this route.
Whether the tunnel will gradually de. |
fleet after its entrance at the creek, or
whether it will run down under Eof |
street and at a proper point turn of |
toward Jacob, will depend entirely upon
the roof Of earth and the buildings un.
der which il must pass This will q /