Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-07-11
DING THE B. & 0.
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES con-
CERNING WHEELING,
ig Fight She Had to &c; the Liae-Ths
Us Now Building in This State
General Railroad Notes.

following extract from the dnhu-
ress before the American Society
IN Engineers, by the President,
Iendss Cohen, at Old Point Com
relating to the construction Of that
IN Of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
between Cumberland and Wheel
will be read with interest
The progress Of the road beyond
berland was delayed for five or six
s by many and peculiar causes.
lie the original charters granted. By
'yland and Virginia were perpetual,
there we're limitations as TO time OF
hpletion which were already exceed
land which now operated 70 require
ether legislation, Whilea limitation IN
Pennsylvania charter operated 70
lnul it altogether. Maryland had
sry large amount Of money invested In
le canal, which had not yet reached
cumberland, where 10 now rests, and
till cherished the hope Of It's further
extension, so that the railroad location
must still be subservient thereto. Vir-
zinia endeavOred 70 couple with her
rants OF extended time OnerOus stipu-
hNIONN AILMAaNnA NAN NaA NAAAANA NaAAAN W
Wheeling The RailrOadCOmpany would
ave preferred 20 locate its line
20 more southern point on the Ohio,
Preferably TO Parkersburg, at the mouth
81 the KanaWha, and was not insensi-
Die TO the advantages of a terminus at
vPittsburg, but was evidently ayerSe TO
Wheeling. The we'll known diplomatic
pill OF President Louis McLane had
full scope in recOnciling the difficulties,
and with some measure Of success, for
though the act Of Virginia, OF March,
1s47, stipulated Wheeling as the term
linus, yet the conditions were less Oner-
Gus than certain earlier acts, under
which theCom pany declined to proceed.
i :, contained a section which seems 20
have been designed TO facilitate con-
nectiOn with a branch 70 Parkersburg.
This was so promptly aVailed OF that
the Northwestern Virginia Railroad,
now the Parkersburg Branch Railroad,
was we'll under way before the road was
opened TO Wheeling, and was completed
few years thereafter
"The dehnitive location OF the whole
line from Cumberland west was now
pushed forward by numerous parties.
At the west end three alternative lines
Of approach TO the Ohio presented them
selves after avoiding the southwest cor
ner Of Pennsylvania, distant from
Wheeling some 40 % so miles. The irst
reached the Ohio az the mouth of Fish
Creek, the most southern point permit
ted By the Act Of 1s47, and then followed
the river Is miles 70 Wheeling. The
next touched the river al Grave Creek,
10 miles below Wheeling. The third
via Wheeling Creek only reached the
river az the city Of Wheeling. The first,
although the longer, had light grades
and no heavy work, and was the choice
OF Mr.. Latrobe. The second and third
crossed several divides involving much
heavy work, each Of the two including
Broad Tree Tunnel of 1850 70. with so
feet grades on either side.
wheeling, fearing an attempt to de-
griyerier ~ the benefits OF the actual
Anus, protested against the adop-
ton Of the Fish Creek line, as contrary
20 the spirit Of the act Of 1917, and Of a
Nsequent agreement between the city
s-Company. She called 10 her aid
IAN knight and Charles Ellet, Jr.,
fneer experts. Mr.. Knight had
ed from the Baltimore & Ohio
road, and had been succeeded by
LatrObe in 1912, about the time Of
completion Of the road to Gambler
I'd, and now broughtall the knowledge
dsklll acquired In the CompanY's serV-
during his fifteen years connection
TIN 10, TO bear ia opposition 20 its
ans aud 20 the views Of the chief en-
neer, his former assistant.
The situation may well have been
Embarrassing TO Mr.. Latrobe, whose
otiOns Of professional ethics were,
axe it. of a different order. 1t will be
90 long a story to enter here into the
etails Of the controversy. 1t was skill
fully managed on both sides. Reams
of paper we're filed with the Calcula-
tloRs and discussions Of the engineers,
md with the arguments Of counsel,
.mOng whom was Daniel Webster,
2everdy johnson and j. IA. b. Latrobe.
The matter was finally adjusted by ar
filtration in the autumn of 1850, result
Ing In the adoption Of the Grave Greek
line, having caused further delay Of
three years.
"The question Of location having
been settled, the construction Of the 200
miles from Cumberland to Wheeling
was PRESSED at all points with energy
by able assistants, VIM. H. Small,
George Hoffman, Thomas Rowles, James
l.. Randolph, George Mcleod, Charles
p. Manning, Benjamin ID. Frost, Alfred
Z. Sears and Albert Fink"
The Roads Building in West Virginia.
Following Is a list Of the new rail-
roads now under construction in West
Virginia:
Beaver Creek-Dayis north to mouth
Of Stoney River, 90 miles being built by
days labor.
Cairo & Kanawha Valley-Hugh Riv-
en- south toward Grantsville, Is miles
being built by days labor.
Charleston, Clendennin & Sutton
Charleston 20 Clay county line, 10 miles
under construction.
Chesapeake & Ohio-Rush Run to
Butchers Branch, II miles; Nuttall TO
Wathrow's Mills, 6 miles; and Gauley
20 2O-Mile Greek, 9 miles, under con-
struction.
Kanawha & Elk River, - Kelley's
Creek to Kanawha county, - miles, IN
der construction.
Kanawha & Michigan. Maiden south
20 Gauley river, 80 miles, under con-
structlon.
Norfolk & Western, on Ohio & West
Virginia Extension.-T complete road
between Elkhorn and Ohio River, be-
tween ends Of track, mostly on middle
sections, about so miles, nearly all