Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-03-06
THE PROPOSED BRIDGE
OVER THE RIVER TO CONNECT WHEELING
WITH BELLAIRE.
The Views Of Several Gentlemen Upon the Sub
ject-SOme Of the Advantages Pointed
0ut-EstmateS Of Travel, Etc.

The idea OF a new bridge across the
river, at the lower end Of this city,
seems to have taken a pretty firm hold
upon number of gentlemen, and the
practicability of the project, its prob
able cost, the amount Of travel over it,
and the benefits to be derived, are the
subjects Of considerable inquiry. Some
Of these gentlemen think purely rail-
road bridge, giving the Terminal Com
pany access to Belaire with hourly or
half hourly trains, would be the proper
thing, while others favor the idea of
a combination bridge, with accommoda
tions for n wagon road and foot pas
| sengers as well as railroads. Upon the
subject of probable travel over such
bridge, gentleman said yesterday:
81 think a railroad patronage, OF 15,-
| 600 month, based upon hourly or half
| hourly trains each way, az a fifteen cent
fare, could be relied upon; say $4,000
passengers year, TO and from Bell
aire alone. These, at fifteen cents,
would bring in see, 900. Then l be-
! lieve a station, say az Forty-elghth
street, and another at say Fortieth or
in that neighborhood, would result in
another 100000 passengers annually,
made up OF people who want to get to
and from Benwood and the lower
| part of the city quickly and comforta-
| bly,. These, on a basis OF five cent
fare, would increase the passenger
revenues to say $4,000 year. Per
hapS / am too low-certainly the thing
have in my mind would result In at
least that revenue. Understand, | am
figuring upon a bridge having a con-
nection with the Wheeling Bridge and
Terminal system at or near Forty
eighth street, that Company having
right OF way along Wetzel street from
the Hobbs glass house, and assuming
passenger service by that Company
modelled upon the lines Of the Martins
Ferry service. / believe a sufficient
bridge could be built for $500, GOO, and
with this local passenger service, and
the wagon and pedestrian traffic, say
ing nothing Of the freight business which
might be built up, that it would be
a paying investment. The rapid tran
sit which such a connection would open
up from Benwood and the lower end OF
the city would alone be an important
consideration, both with the public and
those interested in the project. Think
OF getting into a car at say Forty-eighth
or Fortieth street. and being landed at
the Union depot, in the centre OF the
city, in five minutes for a nickle, In
stead of the present slow and entirely
unreliable means of transit! Then the
Bellaire trade would constantly grow.
They have population OF about II, 900
down there, and the town will increase.
At Martins Ferry there is but about
1000 population, with the electric mo-
tor line as competitor, and yet the
Terminal Company did passenger bust
ness of 5000 in one month from there.
/ think the matter is well worth being
agitated, and that Wheeling ought to
be warmly in favor of the cOnsumma-
tion of the idea at an early day."
A practical railroad man was spoken
20 about the matter, when he said
II think the idea is entirely feasible.
Whether it would pay or not is some
thing | have not looked into, but the ad-
vantageS to the people of both Bellaire,
Benwood and Wheeling are very appar-
ent. My notion would be to throw a
bridge across just at about the line OF For
ty-eighth street. carrying the railroad
tracks on viaduct across the low
ground 10 Wetzel street, where railroad
connection with the Terminal system
could be secured. 1t need not be q
heavy bridge, like the Union bridge.
One u little heavier than the new bridge
to the Island would answer the pur-
pose well, for dummy engines and light
cars, like those on the Elm Grove
road could be used. The distance from
the river back To the hill is about twelve
hundred feet there, sufficient, in my
present judgment, for an approach up
to the level of the bridge as fixed by
government regulations. On the Ohio
side the bank is high enough to require
no approach, and there would be no OBJ
Stacle TO running trains down into Bell
aire. 1t may be urged that there is not
enough travel now between this city
ana Bellare TO warrant such an eXpend-
iture, but it must be remembered that
an easy and cheap means OF communl-
cation makes business. The travel from
Benwood has Quadrupled since the cleo
trio cars began running down there, and
the same thing is true OF the cleo
trio route to Etnaville, while the Ter
minal Company has made il possible Tor
a Martins Ferry citizen to step into
car at the upper end of Hanover street,
and be at the Wheeling Opera House, or
any Of the large retail stores in twenty
minutes. II Bellaire citizen could
board q car say at the Public Square
and be landed at Market and Eighteenth
streets in this city in fifteen or sixteen
minutes, for fifteen cents, it would be
very popular thing, and would carry no
end of people, in my estimation, eSpe-
cially in the evenings. The thing opens
up a rather wide train Of thought. Bell
aire people would have easy access to
Wheeling Park and the new Mozart
Park, TO the various places OF amuse-
! ment, TO the stores, and all the varied
attractions Of city like Wheeling, and
with proper auxiliary service Benwood
would also reap substantial benefits,
while it has been suggested that the
rapid transit which would be afforded
the residents of the lower end of our
own city would be no small considera-
| tion."
Several other gentlemen expressed
views similar TO above, in whole or In
part, and there seems 10 be quite gen.
eral interest in the matter.
ACCIDENTS YESTERDAY.
| Two Men Are Injured at Benwood Indus
| trial Plants.
hn