Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-07-14
THE NEW LINE.
Getting Ready to Begin Active
Work on the S. p. r. r.
THE LOCATION FINALLY ADOPTED.
Wheeling to Be Connected by a Branch
from ConnellsvilIe, Pa.-The Work
to Proceed at 0nce-The Bic
Bridge at Harrisburg.

toward the pushing forward OF Mr. van
derbilt's project for q new trunk line
through Pennsylvania was taken on Tues
day, when the location was adopted and
committee appointed to arrange for putting
the road under contract at once, and thus
for the first time making practical use of
charter which has slumbered almost twenty
years. 1t was in 1854 when Edward Cly-
mer, formerly one of the managers OF the
East Pennsylvania, and some of his friends
obtained charter for the South Pennsyl.
vania, giving authority for the construc-
ton of a road from Harrisburg through
the Southern section OF the State in almost
a due West line to the State of Ohio. This
charter, Mr.. F. ]. .Grotevent, formerly Of the
East Pennsylvania, kept alive for seventeen
years, holding its annual meetings as duly
provided for by statute, but doing little
else, and this charter it was which Mr..
Vanderbilt found best fitted for his pur.
pose when he determined to put another
trunk line South of the Pennsylvania
through fertile region as yet undeveloped
by railroads.
was carefully examined by expert railroad
lawyers, who decided that ii was as valid
as the day it was issued, and late last year
the control passed into the hands OF the
Vanderbilt interest. Elrly in January an
instalment of S. a share was called, pay
able on the 9th, and second OF the same
amount, payable on the I'd OF March.
Meanwhile, Robert H. Sayre, who did so
much toward building the Lehigh Valley,
was induced to leave that road, with which
he had so long been connected, and was ap.
pointed superintendent OF construction, at
$25 900 year. A host of engineers was
put at work, looking over the old surveys,
and during the past three months agents
have been passing along the line securing
the right OF way. The recent passage OF
the law repeating the act which forbade the
capitalizing of any railroad at more than
$1,000 mile-half stock and half debt
removed one
Serious Obstacle
to beginning work and the lease of the Jer
sey Central to the Reading having been
ratified. there was no longer any reason
for delay. Therefore, the meeting held in
the Mills building, New York City, on
Tuesday, was called "for the purpose OF
choosing committee to represent the syn
dicate for the construction Of the South
Pennsylvana and for other purposes"
The call was signed by w. II. Vanderbilt,
W. C. Whitney, D. o. Mills, H. C. Frick,
w W W. Uiiyer, Jr., ii. y. Brookmsn, ]. Z.
'Tookmsn and C. Meyer.
PRECEDENT Franklin B. Gowen, OF the
Reading, was called to the chair, and Ralph
Bagaley, of Pittsburgh, was chosen secre'
tary, there being about twenty gentlemen
present, representing subscriptions OF $li,-
GOO, 600 to the syndicate. John Kean, Jr.,
and f. c. Knight were chosen tellers, and
q ballot showed
The Election
of the following executive committe OF five
with full powers: III. Hostetter. of Pitts.
burgh; W. X. Vanderbilt, OF New York;
Franklin g. Gowen, of Philadelphia; H.
Mckay Trowmbly, of New York; and w.
C. Whitney, of New York.
There was full and free discussion OF
the location of the road, which was careful
ly explained in detail by Mr.. Sayre and
Engineer Oliver w. Barnes. The latter was
resident engineer on the Western Engi.
neer Division of the Pennsylvania during
its construction from 1917 to lS5i, and sub.
sequently Chief Engineer and President of
the Pittsburgh and Connellsville. They
gave full details of the route adopted, and
from their report it appeared that two.
thirds of the land owners along the line
had already been settled with for the right
less than had been originally expected.
The Road
will start from junction with the Read.
ing, a short distance east of Harrisburg,
the passenger station being located at Sec.
ond and Vine streets. The bridge across
the Susquehanna at Harrisburg, which will
be below that of the Cumberland Valley
and the Northern Central, will be the most
important on the line, and will probably
cost little over half million. It will be
an iron truss bridge of the most improved
pattern, and the contract will very shortly
be given cut. After crossing the Susque.
henna, the road will run in pretty direct
line to Bedford, then to Somerset, to near
Mount Pleasant, and down the Big Sewick.
ley Valley to its mouth, where it inter .ects
the Pittsburgh, Mckeesport and IouSh.
log heny Railroad, twenty-nine miles from
Pittsburgh, thus forming line from Har-
risburg TO Pittsburgh 229 miles in length
1t is proposed to extend branch from a
point east of Mount Pleasant and thence
VIA. Come lsyille
Direct TO wheeling.
The road will cross the CHARTERS and
Youghiogheny by an overhead bridge in
the Big Sewickley Valley. Two overhead
bridge crossings of the Southwest Pennsyl-
vania will be made, one near Mount Pleas.
ant and the other near Paintersyille, West
moreland county.
There will be no less than ten tunnels
on the line, aggregating almost eight miles
in length. Three of them will be more
than a mills in length. The general maxi
mum grade going east is tifty-two feet to
the mile, but large proportion OF the
road is on grades OF twenty.six feet to the
mile. The ascent of the eastern slope OF
the Allegheny mountsins will be made
with grade of ninety five feet to the
mile on tangents, reduced on curves in
proportion to the rate of curvature in such
manner as TO make the curves equivalent
to straight lines. This rate of grade is the
same as that used on the Pennsylvania
railroad in the ascent from Altoona to the
summit OF the Alleshenies, and is the same