The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-01
suRMIsE on YACrS9
Speculation About the n, a O.'s New
Route West PROM wheeling.


Speculation About the n. a O.'s New
Route West RrOm wheeling.
CLEyEIASD, February 2s.-The Baltimore
& Ohio seems to be preparing a surprise for
lis competitors and for Cleveland. 1t Is
not known outside Of very small circle,
but several conferences have been held
lately, which justify the belief that the
Baltimore & Ohio is, at last, endeayoring to
get better outlet to the lake and shorter
line to Chicago, two achievements which it
ought to have secured long ago,
Robert Garrett, First Vice President Of
the Baltimore & Ohio, accompanied by
Samuel Spencer, Third Vice President;
William NJ. Clements, Master Of Transpor-
tation; Frank Harriott, General Freight
Agent; Thomas N. King, General Superin-
tendent Of the Pittsburgh Division, and
other prominent officials Of the road,
visited Cleveland and vicinity recently,
and quietly looked over the fields. A con-
ference was ut that time held with rep
resentatiyes Of the Valley Railway,
and, it is said, with the Cleveland, Tasca-
rawas Valley / Wheeling. What trans
pired at these conferences is not known,
but there is reason to believe that their
visit here was not without labors such rs
their presence would suggest. 1t is be-
lieved by some that the B. 4 o. investi-
gated the Cleveland, Tuscarawas Valley &
Wheeling with view to purchasing it for
an outlet to the lake at point where bet.
ter facilities can be had than at Sandusky.
These think that the B. o. is not unlikely
to be a bidder for the c., 7. V. & W.
property.
There is more reason for this belief than
would at first appear. 1t is generally be-
lieved that the B. & o. will go into Toledo
over the Wheeling & Lake Erie, some say,
in accordance with traffic arrangement,
while others believe it will be stronger
alliance. The line OF the Cleveland, Tus-
Carawas Valley & Wheeling from Wheeling
through Urichsvil!e to Massilon, aud the
Wheeling 4 Lake Ere through 0rville,
Pike, Lodi, Wellington, Norwalk, Monroe
vile, Bellevue, Fremont, Oak Harbor and
Toledo is almost an air line. MonFoeYille
is only thirteen miles north of Chicago
Junction on the main line OF the Baltimore
& Ohio, and If ID were to absorb the Wheel
ing & Lake Erie and the Cleveland, Tusca-
taWas Valley & Wheeling lines from Mon
roeville to Wheeling would be the hypoth-
enuse as we'll as two sides Of atriangle, and
By way Of the hypothenuse the distance
from Chicago to Eastern points would
be lessened not less than thirty-three
miles, and u short line could be
built at no great cost from yelling.
ton 70 Chicago junction, thus again less
ening the distance by thirteen miles, and
giving them an air line IRON Chicago TO
Wheeling with distance iorty-six miles
shorter than at present, and with grades
infinitely better those OF its present line
from Wheeling through ZaueSviiie, New
ark, Mt Vernon, and Mansfield. While
the adoption of the Wheeling & Lake Erie
and Cleveland, Tuscarawas Valley & Wheel
ing lines would TO certain extent abate
what is known as the Lake Erie Division
OF the Baltimore & Ohio from Newark to
Sandusky, it would leave it coal road
| from the coal fields beyond Shawnee into
which it is now building, to the lake, and
because OF crossing the two lateral lines Of
the road would be an excellent feeder,
while aside from that it would be . line
equal to parallel competitors.
| As to the Wheeling & Lake Erie, there
is circumstantial evidence which seems to
indicate close alliance with the Baltimore
& Ohio, or some other great road. At
! Huron it is preparing remarkable coal
port, and ut Toledo it is preparing TO build
elevated coal docks sufficient to carry on
a eoai rrade such as even the "Fature
Great'' has not dreamed ot. They are
building at the same place the largest and
finest bridge that will span the broadAIau-
NEE. This bridge, with route via the old
Miami & Erie Canal, takes the road into
the heart OF the city. For depot purposes
they have purchased six squares Of prop.
erty, bounded by Cherry, Seneca, La-
grange and Champlain streets, and it is
said that 5000 depot will be erected
upon it. On the east side Of the river the
road will build an extension Of about two
and one-half miles on the the old Atlantic
& Lake Erie line, to connect with the Wa
bash, and thus gain access to its mammoth
elevators, and with an evident expectation
of carrying grain to the seaboard. The
public is left with these facts from ghich
10 draw its own conclusions. There seems
no reason to doubt that both the Baltimore
! ( Ohio and the Wheeling & Lake Erie,
whether consolidated or not, will come
Into Cleveland, and there are many rea.
sous for the belief that both viii come in
over the Valley Railway.
|
Chicago chips.