The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-20

A Pittsburgh newspaper correspondent
states that that city Is ut present the bute
Of operations for greater number OF new
railroads than any other city in the coun.
try, A low estimate Of the capital required
to complete the railroads projected from
that city in every direction, places the
amount at SlO0,0OO,0O0. The Weather
classes seem to DO infected with the rlil.
road mania, and allied with this craze is
the fact that jay Gould, W, II. Vanderbilt
and John W, Garrett are struggling for the
supremacy in Western Pennsylvania. The
beginning OF this railroad fever, writes the
correspondent, dates from the construction
Of tho Pittsburgh & Lake Erie railroad, tx
tending from Pittsburgh to Youngstown,
o., and there connecting with the New
York, Pennsylvania 4 Ohio rail
rOad for Cleveland and the East
and West, Speaking Of these vari
Gus schemes in detail, the correspond
ent says that the Pittsburgh & Western
company, OF which Scion humphreys, OF
the Wabash, is vice President, Inns been
negotiating with the Baltimore 4 Ohio
Company, and in consequence an arrange.
ment lNs been made by which the empty
freight cars OF the Wabash roud are to b.
thrown over onto the COnnelsville diYis.
ion OF the Baltimore & Ohio at Pittsburgh
and laden with coke. This arrangement Is
highly advantageous to both companies,
but II made William II. Vanderbilt mad.
1t seGms-t that the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie
road, in which Vanderbilt is interested ,has
been receiving heavy coke shipments from
the Baltimore & Ohio people ut Pittsburgh
for western shipment, and this new scheme
would cut the Erie folks out Of
q profitable traffic. Vanderbilt, nc.
cordngly sent n man down to the State de.
partment at Harrisburg and secured char.
tiers for u road known Rs tho Pittsburgh 4
Youghiogheny railroad, to run from the
terminus Of the Lake Erie road In Pitts
burgh,tO the heart OF the ConnellsvillG coke
regions. This was II fine stroke on the part
OF William, but he was not content to rest
there, and has, started on another ente.-
prise, Some time ago Vanderbilt secured
Il large amount OF the stock OF the PIila-
delphia 4 Reading railroad. Many shrewd
brokers and iinnnOiers were in quandary
IN to what move he was going to make.
Now 1t turns out that he Is surveying Il
line from the terminus Of the aforesaid
line Of the Pittsburgh & Youghoigheny
railroad, in the ConeIIsvile coke and coal
regions over to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The surveys are being made under
the direction OF Colonel Thomas
p. Roberts, son Of the late W. Minor
Roberts, nm engineer Of widespread reputa'
ton. who Ind been chief engineer Of the
empire OF Brazil until his death recently.
At Harrisburg this line will connect with
the Philadelphia 4 Reading, thus making
Il new through route from Philadelphia
md New York to Pittsburgh and the West
Since It has been found that the mixture
Of anthracite COnl with Connellsville coke
in blast furnaces very largely increases the
product, 1t il estimated that the line vii
lind u transportation business Of million
OF tons per annum ready 10 begin with
This line will also be some thirty miles
shorter than the Pennsylvania road be
tween Pittsburgh and New York.