Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-06-16

1t Means Great Prosperity to this
Whole Section.
Just now the eyes OF railroad men,
says the Pittsburg Post, are turned
on the four southwestern counties of
Pennsylvania Greene, Fayette, Wash
ington and Westmoreland and all of
the counties of West Virginia inn
mediately south Of that part of the
keystone State Here In this region
lies the greatest mineral wealth of the
world, inexhaustible beds of coal
which are capable of supplying traffic
. for many railroads for the next 100
years. 1t is estimated that the work
able beds of coal represent mass of
bitumen 26 feet thick, and having an
area of over 20, 600 square miles.
Most of this coal has never been
touched: it has been bored through in
test wells, but very little of it has
been mined, and yet from what is
known about it it is safe to say that
most of the coal is fit for coking pur-
poses, and this fact of course greatly
enchances it's value.
The different branches on the Penn
sylyania and Baltimore & Ohio sys-
TENS and the short lines of the Van.
derbilt system are slowly creeping in
to the new coal fields Washington
county is to be invaded by the Pitts
burg & Lake Erie's CHARTERS branch
soon and the Panhandle will keep on
extending its southern branch so as to
reach new fields. The southwest
branch of the Pennsylvania and all
the coal branches of the Baltimore &
Ohio are to be extended and new
line is to be built into the Westmore
land and Fayette coal fields which
will be feeder TO the Pittsburg, Bes-.
semer & Lake Erie.
West Virginia people are interest
ed in the project of establishing
new through and direct route from
the lakes to the Atlantic via the
Pennsylvania lines, Pittsburg, Virgin
ia s. Charleston and connecting link
from the headwateTs of the Monon-
gahela river to Lynchburg.
From estimates based on the sur
vey work now in progress il has been
calculated that at least 200 miles of
new coal roads will be built in South
western Pennsylvania and the adj
joining counties of West Virginia in
the next two years. The main stems
of the big coal feeders of the Penn
sylvania, Vanderbilt and Baltimore
& Ohio systems are being double
tracked now in anticipation of the
new business which is to be develop
| eel.
| There is every indication that be-
fore long Pittsburg will be on the line
of great North and South trunk
line, connecting the great lakes with
the South Atlantic seacoast. The
fact is not generally recognized that
the Pennsylvania has already 218
miles of such a road completed and in
operation, and that connecting link
up the Monongahela river would
shorten the distance between the i'm
portant cities of the central states
and the South Atlantic coast nearly
$50 miles. At present the traveller
from Cleveland, Buffalo or Pittsburg
enroute to Florida or any Of the south
ern states must go east $50 miles to,
Washington or west $50 miles to
| Cincinnati before he can take the
south bound trains on any direct
route. The extension of the Pitts
burg, Virginia & Charleston to some
point in Virginia, where connections
could be made with the big southern
lines, would give direct short route
and make the Monongahela and
Cleveland & Pittsburg divisions of
the Pennsylvania system the must
valuable in the aggregation.
The Pittshurg 81 Lake Erie, in con-
nection with the Erie, also has di-
rect line now extending from Lake
Erie to Fayette City and is surveying
for an extension.
The Pennsylvania IS arranging TO
extend its Monongahela division, and
surveyors in the interest of New
York and Philadelphia capitalists are
at work West Virginia and Virginia
running line in the direction of the
Pennsylvania line. Right of way is
being secured, and an easy grade has
been found across the mountains
which will enable the company to con-
Struct a direct line.
The new line, when completed, will
enable Pittsburg passengers to take
fast train in the evening and arrive
at Lynchburg or Danville for break
fast and be In Florida at noon where
as at present they must ride over $50.
miles before they can get started on
the direct southbound journey.