Year: 1871

Editor Liberalist:


The survey of railroad route from
Charleston to the Pennsylvania line be
ing a matter Of interest to the people o
Marion, as well as other sections Of th'
State, / propose TO give your readers
brief account Of the progress of tha
work. The chief engineer, Major A
w. Campbell, to whose charge tht
work is entrusted, is a native of Kama
wha county; a graduate from WesI
Point, and has large experience in pre-
liminary and other railroad surveying
He was employed as assistant engineer
on the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad
for a long time, and l am informed that
his surveys on that line were adopted by
that company, and that the road is now
being built upon the basis of his sur
veys. His assistants in the present sur.
vey are gentlemen well skilled in their
profession. This, then, gives promise
of survey upon which we may rely
for practical operations, should it be
shown by the engineers report that the
route is practical. The first stake was
driven near the west end of the suspen-
sion bridge which spans Elk river, at
Charleston, on the - day OF -,
1871, and the work has been prosecuted
faithfully and energetically up TO the
present date.


The Board OF Public Works instruct
cd Major Campbell to proceed with his
survey up Elk river as far as Big Sandy
creek, and to there determine for him.
self, upon consideration OF the practica-
bility Of carrying supplies, &c, whether
he would survey for route up Big
Sandy creek first, returning with a sur
vey down Elk river, or vice verSa.
Upon his arrival at Big Sandy, Major
Campbell concluded to survey the route
up that stream and made his arrange
ments accordingly. In pursuance Of
this plan, he surveyed a distance Of
about eight miles and reconnoitered for
some distance farther up that stream.
The result was that he found it would
be necessary TO built eight bridges
across Big Sandy in the first six miles
surveyed, besides boring one tunnel OF
considerable length, and the prospect
ahead, SO far as his reconnaissance
was pushed, gave promise of an
exceedingly difficult and expensive
route if that stream was followed.
This fact, with the difficulties en-
countered in carrying his baggage and
supplies, determined the party to retrace
their steps and thereupon dismissing
their wagon, they procured canoes for
Transporting camp eouipage and bag
gage, (there being no wagon road along
the new route) and survey OF line
I'M Elk river was resumed. with the in:
tention, should the funds appropriated
for this purpose hold out, to survey this
line to some point on the West Fork OF
the Monongahela river in the vicinity
of Weston, in Lewis county, and then
to survey route returning in the direc-
ton of Charleston which should strike
the head waters Of Big Sandy creek and
down that stream to connect with the
short line already surveyed as described;
thus giving choice Of two routes from
the mouth Of Big Sandy over to the
head waters of the West Fork.


The latest report from the surveying
party is dated on Monday last, August
nth, at which time the party were sur
veying up Little Otter creek, (of Elk a
small stream which empties into Elk
river about five miles below Sutton, in
Braxton county, and about 100 miles
out from Charleston; their intention
being to find the most practicable route
from this point looking to a connection
with the Pennsylvania Central railroad,
and for the present to survey the route
up Little Otter and over the West Fork
ofLittle Kanawha, striking that stream
about opposite the mouth Of Oil creek,
and thence up Oil creek and over to the
water. of Of the West Fork and down
that stream via Weston and Clarksburg
to Fairmont and Morgantown, and
thence to the Pennsylvania line. This
route, among others, ha. been designed
10 he surveoed from the commencent OF
the survey; and all reports about
variance from this programme are with
out any foundation, whatever.


The amount appropriated by the Leg
islature last winter for the purpose OF
tais survey is $1,000. The cost OF the
necessary outfit, such as surveying in
struments, tents and camp eqnipage, the
hire OF teams, canoes, cost OF supplies
and their transportation through will
derness country and the pay roll OF the
surveying party, had about exhausted
this amount about two weeks ago. Ihe
Board of Public Works, considering
the importance Of carrying the survey
to successful conclusion, represented
to the Board Of Supervisors Of Kama
wha county, and at their request com
municated by telegraph to the Boards
of Monongalia, Marion, Harrison and
Lewis counties the state Of affairs as
10 the financial matters Of the survey,
&c, and thereupon Kanawha county
appropriated one thousand dollars to-
wards the completion ofthe survey. So
far as heard from no action has been
taken by either OF the other counties
mentioned, but it is hoped that the cltl.
zens and counties most interested will
at once move in the matter and appro,
pirate or raise by subscription the ne,
cessary amount to finish at least the
through line OF survey, upon which the
party is at work, to the Pennsylvania
line. If the work is abandoned, the
money expended will be virtually
thrown away.