Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-27

4
\ deep interest IN every plan proposed for
opening up to tie city OF Richmond the
| immense r, sources Of West Virginia, whose
| mountains are indeed more than an Alad-
dIn's Cave In wealth and hidden trea-
surss. There IL In Mr.. Turks letter
not one statement that we consider
exiravaqant. lie was exceedingly cautious
In choosing his words. Indeed, his letter
was written not for publication, but for the
information OF the Dispatch. We have
taken the liberty Of putting 1t into print,
not knowing any good reason why 1t should
not be gwen 10 the public, but, on the
contrary, many why its presentation OF
facts should be brought TO the attention OF
the people Of Richmond and all Virginia.
Extension Of the Richmond and Ale
ghany Railroad.
HUNTSVILLE, w. VA.,l
December go, 1894.
10 the Editor Of the Dispatch:
The embarrassed condition OF the Rich
moDd and Allegheny railroad must be
source OF great regret to the people OF your
city a. well rs TO those along its line and
those who live In the portions OF Virginia
and West Virginia where, II pushed beyond
Clifton Forge, II might strike. / know
nothing OF the plans OF Its projectors nor
the purposes OF those in whose hands 1t
now Is, but look with intense interest
toward it's further movement, believing as
| do that / occupy section OF country
where that needed improvement might
penetrate il ever pushed beyond its present
terminus.
| live ct Huntersylle. IN Pocahontas
county, W. Va, which Is the c0unty-seat.
am thoroughly familiar with every foot Of
ground between The heads OF the Elk or
the Gauley rivers, In this county, and Cliff.
ten Forge, and know that 1t Is not only
possible for railroad to be built from Gilt
ion Forge to the heads OF either OF these
rivers lut that the route TO either Is
easy and the cost comparatively light.
Fer instance, the first thirty miles OF the
way would lie along Jackson's river TO
The mouth Of Back creek, thence up that
creek TO the mouth Of Little Back creek.
thence to the foot OF the Allegheny noun
tans AT Riders Gap. None OF this is any
heavier than the work alrc idy done by
that company along the James. In fact,
lighter work could scarcely be found. Ii
might take four miles OF road TO reach the
summit OF the Allegheny at Riders Gap
met more). This is sidc-hil cutting, and
need not he heavy or costly. When the
summit Of the Allegheny is reached at
Riders, the country falls away gently
down Cochran's creek to Knapps creek,
down Knapp's creek by HuntersvIlIe to
Martins Bottom, on the Grecnbrier river.
The distance from the summit to Martins
Bottom Is exactly fourteen miles, and the
work incredibly light. From the mouth Of
Knapp's creek. at Martins Bottom. to the
head OF Elk river. at the head OF Clover.
Lick creek, any grade can be procured the
company may desire. The distance is
about eighteen miles, and the eleVa.
lion TO be overcome is about 900 feet.
When this summit Is reached there is
but one small divide between that
point and Petersburg, w. Va, which
divide is at the head OF the Little Kanawh3,
and separates the waters OF the Little Ia
nawha from those OF the ELK river. lido not
know this divide. but men in whom have
perfect confidence tell me II is light; and
recent railroad survey over il, am told,
was made easily at grade OF fiity.three
feet. The most expensive part OF the road
would possibly be from Martins Bottom
to the head OF Elk or Greenbrier mountain.
ct IL sometimes called by the latter name.)
Yet have no reason TO believe this can be
called heavy, and would never seem so
were il not that the rest OF the line Is so
unusually light. IL has been the policy OF
engineers surveying routes across the
mountains Of EN- and the Allegheny at the
points have indicated TO put tunnel OF
about five hundred yards in length in each.
Here, then, Is
PROPOSITION FOR THE PEOPLE OF RICHMOND
to contemplate. BY pushing the Richmond
and Allegheny railroad sixty or siXty.iye
miles further west the finest coking and
camel coal Is obtained. equal to that now
brought 10 your city by the Chesapeake
and Ohio railway; the West Virginia coil-
fields are pierced in their centre; coal Is
nearer Clifton Forge by sixty miles this
way than by the Chesapeake and Ohio, and
can be hauled from the head OF Elk 10 Rich
mond by this route 80 per cent. cheaper
than over the Chesapeake and OHIO. A
line OF road has been recently surveyed by
some enterprising citizens OF West Virginia,
chartered under the name OF the C1iclg0,
Parkersburg and Norfolk Railway Com
pany. The line begins at Petersburg,
W. Va. The line runs up the Little IA
nawha TO the head OF salt creek, thence
over TO Hally, and down 1t to the Elk river,
near the county-seat OF Webster, thence up
Elk TO its head, thence down Clover creek
to Greenbrier river, down it to the mouth |
OF Knapp's creek, thence up Knapp's to |
Cochran's creek, up 1t to the top OF the |
Allegheny, thence down to COvington by |
way OF Jackson's river. The line, suppos- |
ing II could effect junction with the Rich |
mond and Allegheny at Clifton Forge, |
would be almost directto Parkersburg. AT |
this point the charter OF the Baltimore and |
Ohio is such that other roads can cross the |
Ohio river on its bridge, and junction |
can be effected with broken.down road or |
two giving direct communication with Chi |
cago. The Norfolk and Western found 1t |
profitable 10 buIld branch TO coal OF near |
" seventy miles in length, but the extern
SIGN OF the Richmond and Allegheny would |
be not q branch but that many miles added |
TO It's trunk line or main stem. There Is no
question that the finest coal exists all along |
the line OF the road have marked out in
the greatest profusion, and work OF this
character would be one that must prove
profitable to its owners so long as coal con-
tinues to be an article Of commerce. The
advantage in hauling coal from mines on
EN- river by the way have indicated is
one that
No OTHER RAILROAD IL THE UNION
possesses. y sliuc UP Elm 10 tue iOD Vi
Elk mountain can be easily procured, not
exceeding 50 feet per mile. Then trIin
runs to Martins Bottom. The grade from
that point to the summit OF the Allegheny
al Riders. unless it be the last mile, would
nowhere reach IS feet. When the summit
Of Riders is reached train runs To Rich
mOnd. Now, If an engine over this line
can bring 10 Clifton Forge thirty loaded
coal-cars, and an engine OF the same power
can bring over the Chesapeake and Ohio
to the same point thirty loaded col-cars,
the Richmond and Allegheny can deliver
It's coal TO its Richmond customer for nearly
one half less than the Chesapeake and Ohio,
because at Clifton Forge the trains over
that line are cut IN two, whereas II so m my
ears can be put in one train, those
over the Richmond and Allegheny
might be doubled, What an i'm
mense saving, then, would it he 10
the manufacturers Of your city II this
great enterprise could be pushed to coal.
We feel confident that road built on the
line we have indicated would not have
grade going east exceeding tifty-dye feet
10 the mile.
There is now one firm numbering in this
county which has cut and is putting In
the Greenbrler river 15,000.000 feet OF
lumber this winter. This lumber il pro-
cured above the mouth Of Knapp creek,
forh,ss Do and hae -. -. II -. |