The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-02-18

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and the leading iron manufacturers, at
the rooms Of Captain Devries at the depot
building, He made brief statementot the
views OF the company in regard to what
they had in mind, and In regard to what
they thought Of the interests and duties Of
the city Of Wheeling in the matter The
interests OF Wheeling, he thought, were
very apparent in the matter, inasmuch as
the completion OF the Hempdeld to the
ConneIlsville Coke region would result In
giving the blast furnaces cheaper coke,
and thus not only cheaper the price Of
producing iron here but enlarge its pro-
duction, and thus directly and indirectly
advance the wealth and population OF the
place and ita suburbs, He read extracts
from the letter Of President Garrett, In
which an earnest desire was ex'
pressed to see the line completed
at an early day, and indicating q
purpose to have 1t put under contract In
the early spring and completed this year,
provided all the preliminaries could be
satisfactorily arranged. One Of these pre-
llminarles was an understanding as TO the
initial step at this end OF the line, and
this step involved the question Of a route
Of divergence from the river at or near
Wheeling. There were two routes con-
templated from the river, Mr.. Keyser ex'
planned: one by Bogg's Run to Elm Grove,
and another by a tunnel under the Sem
mary hill in Centre Wheeling-both OF
which were quite ieAsible-the former,
however, being only six miles from the
Bellaire bridge to Elm Grove, while the
latter was nine miles between the two
places. He estimated that when the road
was opened up by either Of these routes o
thousand cars per day would pass over 1t,
and while the city route would have some
advantages yet 1t would involve some SER
ious disadvantages, among which would
be a longer haul, slower time, city
taxation, and expense for watChmen. In
response to an inquiry as to which route
the company would prefer, he said "the
Boggs' Run route" The engineer oil the
company thought that the weight otadvant'
ages were In It's favor. But the company
were willing to come through the city,
provided the city would make 1t a matter
Of mutual interest to do 80. There were
important questions to be adjusted be.
tween the city and the company, among
them, as he had sald certain expenses,
such as right Of way, taxation, etc.
Various parties present desired to know
Just what would be expected from the
city and what the company were prepared
to offer In the way Of rates on coke. Mr..
Keyser said he was not prepared 10 say
definitely as yet. He was asked II the
Company expected to make the rate on
coke to Wheeling the same as the rate
from Connellsville to Pittsburgh. In reply
he said that the rate on coke was a matter
for conditional agreement, looking TO what
the city might be willing to do. He agreed
that the engineers Of the company should
20 on and make an estimate Of the ex'
penses Of getting through the city, and
when they had made their report be would
be prepared TO submit definite proposi.
ton to the City Council, both as 10 what
his company would expect in the way Of
concessions, and also az to an agreementon
their part in the way Of a rate on coke.
This was the result reached by the con.
ference, and while nothing very definite
eventuated, yet the important fact was
made plainly apparent that the railroad
company are fully in earnest in desire to
70 on with the completion Of the Hemp.
field, and quite willing 10 put It under
contract as soon as they can make satisfac.
tory arrangements OF the kind and scope
indicated in the interview. They have
not been unobservant Of the feeling that
exists here, and also among the coke
shippers at Connellsville, in favor
Of a cheap coke line to the
river at this point, and while they concede
that the completion Of their road would
have many Inducements and advantages
TO themselves, yet they also contend that
inasmuCh as new line would cost good
deal 10 those who are contemplating II,
the latter can will afford to lend a helping
hand TO the building Of line already par.
TALLY built, in order to complete It. In
other words, they claim that as the road
would be q mutual advantage the city can
afford 10 be liberal In the matter
We have referred in this report Of th.
conference TO the two routes Of Bogg's
Run and Seminary hill There is yet a
third route that was examined on the
maps, and that seems 10 US 10 combine sew.
etal advantages worthy Of consideration.
We mean the route entering the hill al
the LaBelle Mill, In South Wheeling, and
coming out near the Crescent Mil, In
East Wheeling. II would involve longer
tunnel than the Seminary route
from TwentyseCond street, but II
would avoid all the embarrass.
ments Of street crossings incident to
that route, and bring the company out at
a point where good facilities could be had
for q general depot In East Wheeling.
The passage Of q thousand cars per day |
would be less annoyance by the La Belle
Mil route than any other that could be |
selected through the city, and II would adj.
NIT Of their prompt dispatch with the least
possible hindFanCe from conflicting obeta.
cles, We therefore think II well worthy
Of the attention Of the engineers.
Speaking Of these engineers, dispatch '