The Railroad System of Wheeling, 1878
-from "The Industries of Wheeling," Land & Brown, 1879, pg. 24.
By reference to a map it will be seen that the Wheeling Railway System is, taking into view the scope of its connections, one of great value. It will also be seen that all principal points North, South, East and West, can be reached by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and its connections.
The B. & O. R. R. after leaving Wheeling takes a south-eastwardly course to Grafton, thence northeast to Cumberland, Md., when it takes a southeast course to Washington City and north to Baltimore.
Along the "main stem" of the B. & O. R. R. from Wheeling there are the following connections:
At Benwood with the Central Ohio Division, which takes a direct westward course to Newark and Columbus, Ohio.
At Newark the Lake Erie Division takes a direct northern course to Chicago Junction, Sandusky City and Lake Erie. The same branch also runs south from Newark to Shawnee.
At Chicago Junction the Chicago Division has a direct westward course to Chicago and Lake Michigan, where connections are made with the chain of roads Leading westward from Chicago.
At Grafton the Parkersburg Branch runs directly west to Parkersburg, W. Va., and Cincinnati, O., continuing a straight line West to St. Louis by the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad; it embraces in its connections the entire net-work of roads which cover the western States.
At North Bend, Ind., a branch runs south to Louisville, Ky., where connections are made to points south from Louisville.
At Cumberland with the Pittsburgh Branch northwest to Pittsburgh, where points in eastern and middle Pennsylvania, can be reached by railroads Leading out of that city.
At Harper's Ferry with the Valley Railroad running south to Staunton, Ya., where it connects with railroads leading through the whole southern country.
At Washington, D. C., with the W. C., Virginia Midland and G. S. R. R. south to Danville.
At Baltimore with the PHILADELPHIA, WILMINGTON & BALTIMORE RAILROAD to Wilmington, Del., and Philadelphia.; thence by the An: Line Route to New York for connection through the New England States.
There is also a branch running from Wheeling to Washington, Pa., which connects with the Pittsburgh Southern for Pittsburgh; this is unquestionably the shortest route to Pittsburgh.
The value of this great trunk line of 3,558 miles of road to this city needs no comment. It requires but a glance at a railroad map to see how great are the facilities possessed by Wheeling through this great railroad, to distribute to nearly every State in the Union her manufactured products, or to receive from the agricultural districts of the great west, their products.
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