Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-02
A GOOD RECORD.
WEST vIRGINIGS RAILROAD WORK IN
1892
Only Six States in the Unioa Laid More Miles o
Rails Than Our 0wn-0ther
Railroad Matters.

splendid record for West Virginia in
the matter of railroad building. The
total mileage laid down during the
twelve months in our State was POI
miles, which was only surpassed by six
States In the Union. Washington heads
the list with 467 miles, then comes
Pennsylvania with 275 miles, New York
with 200 miles, Missouri with 23S miles,
Texas with 232 miles aud Michiga
with 224 miles. All the other States
and Territories built less than West
Virginia, Kansas being at the bottom OF
the list, with one mile. The total con-
strucuon for the year in the United
States was 4,015 miles, of which 120
miles was built by the Pennsylvania
Company.
The Board of Directors of the Wheel
ing and Lake Erie Railroad Company
have instructed Chief Engineer G. A.
Wilson to proceed as rapidly as possible
to build the extension of the line from
the connection with the Terminal tracks
in the upper portion OF Martins Ferry
TO the lower portion of Etnaville, a dis
lance of about three miles, this being
the first step toward Belaire and CIV
ing the Wheeling and Lake Erie ac-
cess to numerous important manu-
featuring establishments along the Ohio
side of the river There is no available
route along which TO build the line ex-
cept outside the Ohio River bank or
along the streets of Martins Ferry.
This later route has been denied by the
City Council to other companies, and
the Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling road
occupies the former route. 1t will be
necessary TO build the road on trestles
good part of the way, in the river, out
side the Cleveland, Lorain s. Wheeling
tracks, which are built on trestles part
of the way. Agents are now at work
securing the right of way for the
Wheeling & Lake Erie, and the work
will begin soon. 1t will be costly
piece of road.
The freight depot st Elkins was de-
stroyed by fire on Monday afternoon OF
this week. The depot agent had closed
the building and gone out to take in
Christmas when the fire occurred. How
the fire originated is not known, but 1T
is presumed to have caught from de-
fective flue. The fire was discovered
about O'Clock and had made such
complete Roadway when discovered
that nothing was saved from the build
ing. The entire lot of freight in the
depot went up In smoke. Fortu-
nately the wind was blowing away from
the passenger depot, and that building
was saved by dint of hard work.
Speaking OF the proposed connection
of the Reading and Wabash railroad
systems, the Canonsburg Nelcs says:
In case the project materializes, our
State Line railroad, extending as it
does from Welis0urg, viii stand a good
chance To be taken hold Of and made
LEX In the new great trunk line from
the East to the West This would give
Washington county three through lines
from east to west, and would do wonders
for this part of the CHARTERS valley and
the region extending west to the Vir-
ginia line. "-0bSerUer
The B. & o. and Pennsylvania rail-
roads have already contracted to carry
200, 900 people to the inauguration,
while the c. 81 o., r. & d. and
other lines have contracted for
as many more. 1t is thought that the
hotels and boarding-houSes will be to-
| tally unable to accommodate the i'm
mense crowds. The railroads have
therefore decided to have new tracks
laid so that clubs who arrive in Pull
man cars can live In them during their
| stay.
! The Chesapeake and Ohio is pushing
its work in the Greenbrier Valley. The
improvements of the main line have
reached this point and large forces OF
| laborers are employed. The long and
high trestle across the mouth OF Big
creek is to be filled in and the same
work will be done at several other tres
ties in the same vicinity. At Little
] Bend tunnel the hin will be removed and
a cut made instead. The work on the
branches up Twenty Mile and Lamp
creeks is being pushed rapidly.
Secretary Elkins' private car "West
| Virginia" narrowly escaped destruction
/ by fire few days ago. The car was
attached TO train coming down from
Cumberland, and when near Keyser the
| flames were discovered. The car was
bnel promptly run luGO % WAFER SbdIlOu
/ and the flames extinguished. The fire
had caught from defective hue in the
dining room.
The Baltimore and Ohio has purchas-
ed property in Fairmont TO be used as a
! site for union station to be used by the
Baltimore and Ohio, Fairmont, Morgan
town aud Pittsburg, Monongahela Riv-
err, and West Virginia and Pittsburg
roads. The plans for the building were
completed some time ago, and work will
probably begin in the spring.
The Chesapeake and Ohio railroad is
endeavoring to purchase all the coal
land lying along the line OF that road.
There is In all about 10000 acres Of the
lands, beside 425 acres already owned
by the company.
Railroad surveying is still being car
ried on in the southern portion of Wash
ington county, Pa, but no one seems to
know definitely just what interest is at
work.
PECULIAR NAME AND HISTORY