The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-25

any in the country and It's product is
known far and wide as the best IN It's
class.
Passes Through Benwood.
"Half hours up; all aboard" is now
the cry and Merchants Day" visitors
climb aboard the cars again, and the
train moves on down the river through
the thriving industrial town OF Benwood
20 the Wheeling Iron & Steel company's
works in the lower part of the town.
This company's works is another OF the
citys big iron enterprises and a stop
may be made there this afternoon.
After leaving the Riverside works,the
river is in view and on the Ohio side is
the large town OF Bellaire, one OF the
most important parts of the greater
Wheeling. At present one bridge, the
Baltimore & Ohio's, crosses the river at
this point, but highway bridge is u
be constructed within the coming year
at cost of $500, 600, Bids were received
on this bridge last week and the con-
tract will be let soon. 1t VIII bring Bel
lalre into even closer touch with Wheel
ing proper.
Leaving the lower steel plant, the
train is transferred TO the tracks of the
Baltimore & Ohio road and the lower
end of the excursion is reached at Ben
wood Junction. Then the train crosses
the river to Bellaire and Is shifted to
the tracks OF the Cleveland & Pitts
burgh road. Only one stop will be made
In Bellaire, at the large plant OF the
BellaIre Steel Company, In the upper
part Of the town, where few minutes
will be spent II the works is In opera
ton, which is likely, as gas Is used as
fuel in some OF the departments, This
plant has been enlarged recently. the
sum OF $780, 900 having been expended In
the improvements, which have made the
establishment up to date in every re-
spect. Some of the labor saving devices
are most ingenious and greatly interest
all who have had the opportunity 90 see
them In operation. Bellaire, like Wheel
ing, has n number of extensive manu-
featuring establishments and some OF
the most important ones can be seen
through the car windows.
On the Ohio Side.
From Bellaire, the trip is made up the
river on the Ohio side, West Wheeling
is the first point passed of Importance
Here are located the barns and power
house of the Ohio-slde electric car line,
a paper mill and other plants, Just
above, In lower Bridgeport. are several
establishments, including the Crystal
glass works, At Bridgeport, a magnlti-
cent bridge spans the back river. to
Wheeling Island-Wheellng's most bril-
liant gem. The National pike, once the
main artery of traffic between the east
and west, passes through Bridgeport.
Once highway maintained by the ma
tonal government, 1t Is now kept up by
the counties and states through which |
It passes, and in many places Is badly
neglected.
Just above Bridgeport is the indus
trial town of Aetnaviiie, where many OF
the employees of the Aetna-Standard
Iron & Steel Company live. This Is a
great iron aud steel works, employing
thousands OF men, The Merchants |
Day" excursionlsts will probably stop |
here for a short time. The Aetua-Stand-
ard, among other products, manufac-
lures tin plate and lots Of 1t. This Is a
product OF recent birth and wonderful
growth IN this country, and In the |
greater Wheeling there are several es-
Establishments that are engaged In It's |
including the Aetna
Standard and Laughlin mills on the
Ohio side of the river and the Whiia-
ker and La Belle mills on the West Vir-
ginia side. Like the pottery industry, |
tin plate is made here as result of the |
protective tariff policy. The tin plate
industry dates from 1921, just after the
passage of the tariff law that bore the
name of Major Mckinley.
Across the Bridge.
Leaving the big Aetna-standard
plant, the train goes north TO Martins
Ferry, where number of industrial en-
terprlses are carried on, including glass
houses, tin plate mills, iron mills, blast
furnace. nail mills, etc. With glimpse
at these. and n realization that Wheel
ing Is indeed n wonderful manufacture
ing center, the train Is again shifted to
the Terminal tracks and pulls up onto
the great Terminal bridge that con-
meets upper Wheeling and Martins
Ferry. This IL one OF the most substan-
tial and costly bridges across the Ohio
river from Pittsburgh to Cairo, and is
In line with the policy that controlled
the construction Of the entire Wheeling
Terminal system. There are two tracks;
the length OF the bridge structure Is
2,O97 feet, and the approaches 81 and
1863 feet; channel span, 526 feet; three
other spans, $50 feet each; one span, l52
m H. L. |