Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-23
THE CANNON BALL"
THE PROSPECTS BRIGHT FOR ITS SPEEDY
COMPLETION.
MsSSrs. Pairlie, Jones and HanlOn Well Pleased With
the R9ute-Ths Attentions Paid the
Visitors.

completion to this city of the Mt. Vernon,
Coshocton and Wheeling railroad, details
of whose arrival here were published in
yesterdays REGISTER, are still in the city,
and will to-day be driven about town by n
Committee of the Chamber of Commerce,
visiting our various mills and factories,
and meeting o number of our prominent
citizens. The result of this tour cannot
but impress the gentlemen favorably, and
hold out to them another inducement to
complete and equip the road as soon As pos
sible.
Yesterday afternoon MessrS. Archibald
Fairlie, General G. A. Jones and his son,
Mr.. F. A. Jones and Mr.. J. A. HanlOn,
comprising the party, were waited upon ut
the Mcclure House by Messrs. Col. Thorn
as O'Brien and Col. A. J. Sweeney, of the
special ChamberO OF Commerce Committee,
and after a general conversation, the group
which also included Mr.. p. II. Moore, and
a newspaper man or two, adjourned to the
MteHigencer Office, when the visitors were
presented to Mr.. &. b. Hart,
chairman of the committee Of
which Messrs. Sweeney and O'Brien are
members. Here a long interchange of
views was had upon railroad matters in
general and the Cannon BIll' line in
particular, during which Mr.. Fairlie ex-
pressed himself as being much pleased, i'll
a general way, with the country through
which the road runs, from Mt. Vernon
to this city, but for obvious and
proper reasons, declined to in
dicate what his report 10 his English
principals would be. He had come from
London especially to examine into the
merits of the road, and he was sure his
syndicate would carry the line through If
they were satisfied it was n good thing
financially. lie was particularly well
pleased with the people he met while here
and along the line of the road, and said he
much afraid his report in that particu-
lar would show his personal appreciation
Of them.
General Jones said he had no doubt but
what the road would be completed to this
city before a great while, and the
bridge over the Ohio, between this city
and Martins Ferry constructed rs well,
and he also fclt like predicting the build
ing of a branch line Of the South Penn
svlvania to this city. Rcverting to the
"~Cannon-ball" line, he said there was q
decided revival Of interest in it. Tire,
right of way on the Western division was
pretty well secured, and a great deal had
also been accomplished in that way on the
Eastern division, comprising the Wheeling
end of the limo. This was especially true
in Harrison county. The company had
done little on this end of the line for q
good while back, hut now it would re-
ceive due attention.
In regard to the bridge over the river
here, General Jones said his company
would prefer that an independent bridge
company would take hold of that enter
prise, build the structure, and treat all
railroad desiriOus of usingit alike. He in
timated, however, that the bridge would
60 up in some shape or other.
Mr.. Fairlie has had q wide experience
in railway building, having constructed
lines in Morocco, Turkey and Russia, rs
well as in England, and his information on
the subject is extensive and e%mincntly
practical. In discussing English railways,
he said the work of building q line there
was an extremely costly operation. He
thought the expense would average $780,
600 per mile. The right Of way was very
costly, and the Parliamentary expenses
we're enormous. Going into details, he
said:
after the route has hcen mapped out
and definitely settled upon, the company
must have the necessary Parliamentary
acts drawn up. The affair is then placed
in the hands Of a Parliamentary agent,
who, for a consideration, undertakes TO
get the acts passed. The acts are exam
med by a Master, who sees that all the
laws have been carefully observed, and
then they come up before q committee
where the opponents of the road are heard,
and testimony taken on both sides. This
is often a tedious and always o costly. pro-
cess. Should the conclusion Ofthe commit
tee he favorable the acts
20 to Parliament where
they are publicly discussed, and. it may
be, finally approved and passed. Then
the right of way must be acquired, and the
road built and equipped. but even then il
cannot be opened for traffic until a gov
eminent agent has gone over it and seen
that everything is in proper shape. We
have one road in London, the underground
line, six miles long, which cost g3, 500,-
900, and yet that road pays 6 per cent div
idend. A thousand trains III over it
every day"
Speaking Of railroads in other countries,
Mr.. Fairlie said the cheapest line he ever
knew was in Finland, the cost being only
ABOUT $500 o per mile, including rolling
stock, equipment, stations, etc. Labor was
very cheap there, however and the figures
could not be duplicated, even upon our
American prairies.
This morning at 8 o'clock the Chamber
Of Commerce Committee will meet the yis-
itors at the Mcclure House, and will escort
them about the city in carriages, visiting
the various mill, glass houses, factories,
and other places of interest, and will en-
detyOr to give them some proper idea Of the
commercial and manufacturing interests of
Wheeling and the importance of bringing
their railroad here to share in the prosper
ity we all feel the future has in store for
Us.
End Of Rome SeraPing.