Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-10-19
CHEAT RIVER RAILROAD.
Final Survey Being Made for
the Line.

1t WIZ Give Pittsburg New Outlet to
the South And will Open Rich and
Hitherto Undeveloped Section OF
West Virginia Prominent Pittsburg
Capitalists Are Pushing the Project
And there is Little Doubt Will Put
1t THROUGHPUT Be of Value to Nor
gant0wn.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Another important step in the mat
ter of placing Pittsburg and her vast
industrial territory in direct touch
with the markets of the South has
been taken. This is in the resumption
of the project of building the Cheat
River Railroad, which is designed to
couple the principal railway systems
OF the South with either the Ralti-
more and Ohio, the Pittsburg and
Lake Erie, of the Pennsylvania. This
will avoid the long detour which is
now necessary by way of Columbus
and Cumberland, and at the same
time open up virgin country valuable
in such minerals as coal, ore and fur
mace limestone, and in timber.
The Importance attaching to this
movement at the present time is the
placing of corps of surveyors in the
field by the men behind the project,
with instructions to fix on a definite
and ultimate route and report as
early as possible. This is the third
survey, the other two being only pre-
liminary and tentative in character.
FIVE YEARS IN ABEYANCE.
The Cheat River Railroad was in
corporated in 1898, and the charter
secured by a well-known capitalist of
this city. Owing to the backward
nature of the business situation inn
mediately following that year, moth
/ lug was done beyond the making of
surveys and engaging in sufficient con-
struction work for compliance with
/ the provisions Of the charter But now,
with the clearing of the commercial
atmosphere, and the increase in this
happy order of things which is looked
for, it is designed to take up the work
and pust it to completion at the ear
lest possible day,
1t must not be assumed however,
that the project is an actuality Of a
! day or two. From the date of max
ing the definite location of railroad
to the driving of the last spike is a
long jump; but the owners OF valuable
timber coal and limestone lands are
looking forward to the day when those
tracts Will be brought in touch with
the Pittsburg and other northern and
eastern markets, and these large trade
centers are likewise waiting in eager
anticipation Of the moment when a
more direct route than that which
now obtains can be availed of for tap
ping the new south, bringing the OPP
ulent and inviting markets of that
vast and almost undeveloped territory
within easy reach of us.
PITTsBURG's SOUTHERN OUTLET.
In short, this means the provision
OF the long lookedfor Pittsburg South
ern outlet, which, in addition to what
has been said, means direct short
cut to the health and winter resorts
of Ashville, N. c., and Florida In adj
dition to the cotton and other ship
ments from the south, this means
more quickly reached market here for
southern vegetables and fruit.
When constructed, the Cheat River
Railroad will be piece of track 10
miles in length, running from Point
Marion, Pa, to Parsons, w. Va,
where it will connect with the Davis
Elkins system, known as the West
Virginia Central. Presumably, the
Point Marion connection will be made
with the Baltimore and Ohio's Fair
mont branch, though the Pittsburg
and Lake Erie has in contemplation
the extension of its Pittsburg and
Belleyernon branch to Point Marion,
a distance of 45 miles. With the COM
pletion of the Cheat River connection,
this would give the Lake Erie people
an almost direct route from the lakes
to the south. This is a possibility
which has set the think boxes of the
Lake Erie people to working. There
is no doubt that this valuable ex-
tension Of their system will be made
some day.
MAY TAP THE PENNSYLVANIA.
Then, again, connection with the
Pittsburg, Virginia and Charleston
branch of the Pennsylvania system is
in contemplation. The up-river ter
minus of this road is at Brownsville,
38 miles from Point Marion. The ex-
tanSion r,f either the PannSvlvap or