The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-08-24
THE CoNNorroN VALLEY.
A Good Showing for this Popular Narrow
Guage Route.

COLUMBUS, August 19.-An inspection
made on July 31st, August 1st and Au-
gust I'd, of the COnnottOn Valley Rail-
road, as now opened for traffic from
Cleveland to SherrOdsVille in the south
ern part of Carroll county, and about
four miles from BOwerstOn, station on
the Pan Handle Railroad, shows 1t to
be well built road. The embankments
are well built up with sufficient width
on top, not only to hold ballast, but to
leave room two to three feet wide be-
tween the foot of the ballast slope and
lhe outer slope of the bank. The general
appearance and cleanliness of the bitches
was very apparent to the inspector, who
also said that the road was entirely
fenced from Cleveland to CarrOlltOn, a
distance Of eighty-seven miles, and par
TALLY from the latter point to SherrOds-
Ville-fifteen miles. With but slight
exceptions the fence In use is the post
and five barbed-wire railroad fence.
The road is ballasted with a good qnali-
ty of gravel, obtained from the COM
pany'S banks at Oneida and near Kent.
The details of the engineering cOnstruc-
tiOns made necessary to overcome the
difficulties met with in the peat bOgs of
Portage and Stark counties would afford
an interesting chapter of experience in
railroad construction, not by any means
but because of their unlocked for and
perplexing nature. The ties of the road
are in good condition and of the usual
dimensions, both sawed and hewn, and
laid 2,S16 per mile, or at the rate of six
teen under thirty-fOOt rail. The track
is from Canton north forty-twO pound,
and from Canton south a thirty-ive
pound steel rail, two and seVen-eighths
inches high and secured with double
orln LOT nj M 10 hn1 20
through each rail. The switches in use
throughout the line are the common
stub switch, purpOsely adopted.
The general business offices of the
road are at Canton. At way stations on
the road are found small, neatly built
station buildings, containing baggage
and waiting rooms, and a telegraph
office. The terminus at Cleveland has
not yet been decided upon, on account
of the enormous cost of the right of way
and construction of the road from the
present terminus to the proposed stop
ping place.
The facilities of this road to handle
freight in Cleveland are excellent, and
adequate for any development of its
transporting resources. At SheTTOds-
vile the southern terminus of the road
temporarily, Is coal branch to the Ohio
and New York Company's mine, one mile
long. lie present resources OF Cl6 ROAD
for coal are mines along the line between
Canton and Bell ROy-at distances of
from One-half to one and One-half miles
from it. These mines are not yet fully
developed.
The most important, in fact the real
line of the COnnottOn Valley Railroad,
will be that from Canton to the coal
fields of CoshOcton, Muskingum and
Perry counties, when it shall have been
completed, because it will be a direct
line to Cleveland from those points, and
very much shorter than any now in Op-
Grafton. The repair shops are very small
at present, but are large enough for the
present. The passenger equipment of
the road is first-class.
The Improvements made since the in
spectiOn of last year consist in the COM
pletiOn of the road from Bedford to
Cleveland, twelve miles, and Dell Roy to
SherTOdsville, seven miles; also, the con-
struction of several side tracks and
coal branches, and thirteen miles of new
road on the COshOctOn branch, and new
station buildings at Cleveland, New
burg, Twinsburg, MOgadOre, Kent, Hart
vile, Middle Branch, Osnaburg, Roberts
vile, Dell Roy and SherrodsVille; also
filling a 230 foot trestle near Roberts
vile, and replacing it with a seventy
five foot Howe truss bridge, and taking
out three short wooden bridges between
Canton and COshOctOn, and substituting g
therefor iron plate girders.-Cleyeland
Leader