Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-18
A new RAILROAD
Along the River Front of the Upper
Pan Handle,
To be Built by Hancock County Men---lhe
Ohio to be Bridged at
Browns Island.

According to the Pittsburg Commercial
Gazette, Mr.. ]. N. Porter and number OF
gentlemen who live in Hancock county,
Just below the Pennsylvania line, have tor
some time had in contemplation scheme
to build railroad from Phillipsburg, Butler
county, Pa, to New Cumberland,a distance
of twenty-five or thirty miles. Phillipsburg
is the terminal point of the Pittsburg x
Lake Erie road on the south side OF the
Ohio river, and from that place to Wheel
ing Junction, opposite Steubenville, there
is no road on this side Of the river. The
country intervening is one Of the wealth
lest, sgriculturally and minerally, in a
radius of many miles, and aside from that
there are extensive industries to be reach
ed At New Cumberland are the largest
fire brick works in West Virginia or West
ern Pennsylvania. In seasons of low water
it is very hard to get their bricks to market,
the only remaining way being the Cleve.
land and Pittsburg road, which makes an
ARBITRARY rate, ss rule. To obviate these
difficulties and to make competition at all
times possible the gentlemen named have
taken the matter in hand and will likely
push it through.
Speaking Of the possibilities Of the new
road Pitsburg railroad official said:
The scheme is entirely practicable and
I am surprised that it has not been pushed
before. The Panhandle road leaves the
river at the lower end Of this city and don't
come back to it till you get to point op
posite Steubenviile. The Lake Erie only
goes to Phillipsburg, and all the people
below are compelled to ferry their stuff
across to the c. & P. or depend upon the
Ohio river boats for transportation. My
idea is to build the road 10 New Cumber'
land and from point near that place build
a bridge over the Ohio river into Jefferson
county, Ohio, above Steubenville, then fol-
low the river to Martins Ferry and Bell
aire, o. The bridge will be built over the
river at Browns Island. one Of the largest
Islands in the upper Ohio. 1t can be built
cheaper and better than any bridge ever
thrown over the Ohio. Some trestling will
have 10 be done on the Ohio side for a
short distance, as was done in this city on
the South Side by the Lake Erie, but it will
be only for few hundred yards. The
Cleveland and Pittsburg now has monop
oily OF the business from Bellsirs to Steu.
benville and from SteubenVille to Roches
ter on that side OF the river. At Steuben
VILE are three glass houses, nail mill,
two immense blast furnaces and large
number of factories OF other descriptions
AT Mingo, one mile below, is mai
: mill blast furnace and steel plant, while q
half dozen towns of good size lie between
Mingo and Martins Ferry. At Brillian,
there is O nail mill and large glass house
At Martins Ferry there is 3 pail mill
blast furnace, three large glass factories
two great sheet mills, several foundries
machine shops aud two large agricultural
imp lemeRt works, and at BRIDGEPORT are two
glass houset. At Bellsire are doSer
tableware and window gloss houses, two OF
three toundFieQ, c nail mill, bias. furnace
and steel plant There the Baltimore snc
Ohio bridge crosses the Ohio river anc
by an arrangement with it we nigh
carry a great deal of the Wheeling trad,
now captured by the Panhandle and tn,
Cleveland Il Pittshlrg. The scheme il
not quite In shape yet, hot IL will take
shape before long. Look at the corr VIC
tiopc. At Phillipsburg we tor n The LAX
J Erie and with it tn" ov VII Psnnsvl
wanna " 10, and Lake Shore & Mich
~. Southern systems. At Steubenvill
both the Cleveland & Pittsburg and tn
Pttsburg,. Cincinnati & st. Louis A
Martins Ferry the Wheeling a. Lske Erie
at Bridgt port, the Cleveland, Lorsin
Wheeling, and at Bellsire the Baltimore
Ohio East aud West. In my opinion
? will be as good 70 d as either the LAX
Erie or the Pittsburg & Western"