The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-10-26
Link Between
East and est
WESTERN MARYLANp's ROUTE
70 PlTTssURG EXTENSION
OF THE WABASH.

road was Mr.. ~. @. Barlow, CHER enSl-
neer, who constructed the extension
Of the Western Maryland from Will
Transport To Cumberland, and who for
several months has ben engaged in
surveying route for the road from
Cumberland to Pittsbnrg, where juno
tion will be effected with the Wabash
system.
This road between Cumberland and
Pittsburg will be the connecting link
of the Great Wabash system, which
will have its Atlantic seaboard ter
minus in Baltimore, and its Pacific
terminus in San Francisco. 1t is also
known as the Gould system, and Is de-
signed to be the most gigantic'ratlroad
enterprise in the country.
Mr.. Barlow traced on a map for
your correspondent the routes to be
followed by the Western Maryland in
going from Cumberland to Pittsburg.
The general route has been asub1ect
of speculation for several months; in
fact, ever since the Wabash interests
abandoned the idea of connecting the
Eastern and Western lines by the West
Virginia Central from Cumberland TO
Elkins, and thence by the projected
Little Kanawho route to Pittsburg.
That enterprise was the cause of fric.
ton between President Joseph Ram
sey, Jr., of the Wabash and Mr. Geo.
]. Gould. 1t was subsequently obsorb'
ed by the Baltimore and Ohio, Penn
sylvania and New York Central and
the road, the construction Of which
had been begun, was abandoned.
Really Two Lines.
Instead Of single line to the West
there will really be two, one via Pitts
burg and one via Wheeling. From
Cumberland to Indian Creek there will
be but one line. From Indian Creek
the Pittsburg line will continue north
ward, paralleling in part the Pitts
burg Division of the Baltimore and
Ohio. From Indian Creek new or
branch road will strike directly west
ward, with Wheeling as its objective
point. At Wheeling 1t will connect
with the Wheeling and Lake Erie
Road, which is part of the Wabash
system.
Rights of way for the projected road
are now being secured. The work of
construction will probably begin next
spring, and the new road will be com.
pleted within three years. The cost
will run up into millions Of dollars.
Between Cumberland and Wheeling
there will he 90 tunnels
Starting at Cumberland, the West
ern Maryland will pass through 1.-THE
Narrows" over the tracks of the
Georges Creek line, which. has been
absorbed by the Wabash interests.
Near Mount Savage the line will Ill
verge southwark, passing through Nor.
gantown. twill then go in a north
westerly direction toward Salisbury
Junction, where it9Mill come in sight
of the Baltimore and Ohio, occupying
the south bank Of the Youghiogheny
river. The Baltimore and Ohio occu-
pies the north, bank The two roads
will practically parallel each other toI
a point opposite Indian creek, where
the Wheeling line will start. 1t will
pass through Uniontcwn and Waynes'
burg and thence en- to Wheeling,
where connection will be made with
the Wheeling and Lake Erie line.
The Pittsburg Line.
Tie Plttsburg line will continue To
parallel the Baltimore and Ohio from
Indian creek to Confluence, where a
direct cut across the country for Pitts
burg will begin. 1t will strike the Mo
nongahela river at Monessen. At a
pulnt six miles south of Pittsburg the
new line will connect with the West
Side Road, which is already part Of
the Wabash system and by which en-
trance into Pittsburg will be effected.
From the point of junction Of the
new road and the West Side It is pro.
posed to build a cutoff to Bridgevlle,
where connection will be made with
Wabash Pittsburg terminal road. BY
this cutoff trains can be diverted
around Pittsburg, thus preventing the
possibility of a freight tieup.
This projected line is the link by
which the Wabash and Western Mary.
land will be connected at Cumberland
instead Of by the Little Kanawha
route, which later was absorbed by
the Baltimore and Ohio, the Pennsyl- |
vania and the New York Central lines.
The West Virginia Central Railway
was the connecting link between Cum
berland and Elkins,. where the Little
Kanawha road was to have begun. 1t I
wcs surveyed and partly graded, anil
after its absorption by other lines it
was abandoned. 1t paralleled branch
of the Baltimore and Ohio from Elkins
TO Grafton. The Western Maryland
has a traffic agreement with the Balti-
more and Ohio for use Of the line be-
tween Grafton and Elkins.
Shortening Distances.
IF the proposed Little Kapawha had
been used as the connecting line be-
tween the Eastern and the Western
Divisions of the Wabash 1t would have
been necessary to traverse the two
sides of triangle in going from Cum
berland to Pittsburg. BY the pro1ecl'
ed direct route northwest from Cum
berland to Pittsburg u line Is secured
that Is IL miles shorter than the Balti-
more and Ohio. When the new line
has been completed the distances via
the Baltimore and Ohia and Western
Maryland from Baltimore to Pittsburs
will be as follows:
Western Maryland Railroad, 800