Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-08-30
THE LAKE OUTLET.
WheeIing's New Railroad to the
Northwest.
A Good Road, Good Territory and Good
s., Prospects = Benefits to Toledo,
Cleveland and Wheeling .-
tr. Trip Over the Road.

The progress of the construction Of the
Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad. connect
ing this city with the great lakes, has been
watched with the greatest interest by many
capitalists and shippers in this city, as well
as in Eastern Ohio, Martins Ferry, espe-
cially, coming in for q large share OF the
interest. The situation of the road, as well
as many of its distinguishing Characters
tics are set forth in q special letter TO the
Cleveland Leader, of which extracts are
gwen below:
The new TO ID extends entirely across the
State diagonally from Toledo TO MARIETTA,
and will extend to Wheeling, and opens up
a large territory which heretofore has had
no direct outlet to the Northwest. That the
road will be of great worth to Toledo there
en- be no doubt, for il furnishes close
communication with much contiguous Ter.
ritory, which heretofore has been practically
beyond the reach of that city. The ROAD
may draw some business away from Cleye-
land, and probably will 1t certainly
wonId IN .Tbe Future Great was on an
equal commercial footing with the Forest
CITY. As tits, there can be no doubt that
much of the pine lumber which has hereto
fore been furnished to the territory
trayersed by the new line by Cleveland Will
take the more direct route from the pine
lands of Michigan through Toledo: 1t Is
not improbable either that some OF the IRON
ore which has helped to swell Cleveland's
commerce will take the same course.
Certain it is that the line IS new
competitor for that class OF traffic, ana
il may prove to be strong
one. The traffic OF the road will naturally
be mostly coal and iron, and 1t Is the ex-
pectation of the management that there
will be very little empty baullng: Coai
and iron is figured upon as q load to Toledo,
and IL lie expected that the humber, CONNER
Cial, and iron shipments will require all the
cars on the outward trip from that ter
minus, The road is shorter by about hfty
miles than any other line from Toledo to
the coal fields, and the management there
fore expects to be able to lay coal down IN
Toledo on q good paying basis for both the
producers and the company, ana perhaps
at prices which will be neat saving TO the
consumers.
OPPORTUNITY FOR CAPITALISTS.
The territory traversed by the new road is
diversified. In leaving Toledo you cross a
magnificent bridge, 5000 feet long, over the
muddy Maumee river, and pass directly
into the famous black swamp, where for
miles the road is lined with dense forest
which reminds one of the western frontier
The ak of the woodman has made but
meagre beginning here. Tall oak, ash and
elm trees form the base of what will soon
prove an excellent commerce in hard wood
timber, lumber and slaves, the shipping Oh
which will add largely TO the new road S
revenue. At some points along the
line new stave mills have already
started and form the nucleus OF
thriving towns. The magnificent timber
growth of the old black swamp furnishes
opportunities for far more capital than is
now int crested there, and | believe thatany
capitalist who may invest will realize hand
somely upon his investment When the
timber, which is in itself worth the price
of the land, is taken off, some of the very
best farming lands in Ohio will be open for
agricultural pursuits. The soil is black
muck of great depth and wonderful rich
ness, as the heavy growth Of timber bears
witness, and the time will come, and 1t IS
not far distant, when nature Will nave
made il one of the most desiable sections
of the State for agricultural purposes. The
territory, though not entirely accessible
now, is being ditched and drained and will
soon become so.
A FINE RACE COURSE.
On emerging from the black swamp the
weIl-known town of Fremont, bears evil
dence that we are out of the wilderness
and from there through Clyde, Bellevue,
about twenty-eight miles, the Wheeling
and Lake Erie railroad parallels the Lake
Shore. The tracks of both roads for this
distance are of easy grade and almost curve
less, and another wonder will be, to be
added to the seven, if this does not provide
a race course which will furnish much sport
for the passenger patrons of both lines.
OF course there will be rules established to
prevent racing, but the average engineer
will not be able to always Withstand the
temptation to give his rival whirl.
Below Norwalk the road turns to the
eastward, crossing the Bee Line at Yelling
ton, and passing through the southwest
corner of Medina county, and the north
east corner of Wayne, and into the center
of Stark, crosses the Pittsburgh, Fort
WAYNE ald Chicago, and the Cleveland,
Akron and Columbus on a magnificent
trestle, at Orryille. The territory is almost
a dead level from Toledo to Wellington,
but beyond that point it is more undula-
ting, and going on TO the eastward the road
penetrateS the mountainlike hills which
bound the Ohio river
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
I might write indefinitely of the towns
and territory, but most readers know some
thing of that part of the subject through
personal observation, and l will advert to
the new railroad, particularly to its physi-
cal characteristics. AS l said before, the
road is OF better construction than l sup
posed. Its grades are light, nowhere be.
tween MasSilon and Toledo exceeding
twenty-five feet to the mile. Its curves are
long, q thing found TO Re more desirable
than was supposed in the infancy OF rail-
road construction. Its embankments, while
not overly wide on top, are OF superior
construction, unusually even and
smooth sided, as are also its
cuts. The bitches are smooth bot
toned and clean. and consequently dry.
The road is well tied, there being, should
Judge, fully three thousand ties to the
mile and the rails are of 56-pound steel.
Nearly the entire line is we'll ballasted
with gravel from abundant pits distributed
at convenient distances between Clyde and
the Ohio river. There are several old
roads in Ohio which have not so thick
coat of ballast, and hence are inferior to
their young competitor in this respect l
had been assured that the right Of way Of
this road was one hundred feet wide, an
unusual width. This is not 30. 1t does
not exceed sixty feet on the average, but
that is quite plenty for its re-
auiremenSs. The station and side
track facilities are abundant
and all sidings which are now down are re-
markable for their length, when the youth
of the road is taken into consideration. At
Toledo the road has superior terminal
facilities in the heart of the city. Six
blocks Of ground bounded by Champlain,
Cherry, and Seneca streets are occupied for
the depots and necessary freight yards.
An elegant new passenger depot somew mat
after the style of the New York, Pennsyl-
vania and Ohio in Cleveland, but of better
and more artistic design, is being erected
on Cherry street. The building proper is
1OOx50 feet and three stories high, and being
centrally located in the city, will be occu-
pied in part by the general offices OF the
company. A freight depot 30xl00 feet has
been erected, and is now in use.
Station houses are being erected at
all stations along the line where
not already completed. The buildings are
OF symmetrical design and all new; at no
station Is there to be any old building 10 be
seen occupied temporarily for station. t"
al is the case frequently on "new roads. -
even after they become old. The equip