768 



VIRGINIA. 



minus on the Ohio River, were celebrated in 

 Kirlinioiul in February with great enthusiasm, 

 and caused much rejoicing throughout the 

 State. Tliis important enterprise must li:i\r :i 

 marked influence upon the t'ntnre commercial 

 prosperity of Richmond, as well as of the en- 

 tire State, as it opens another leading-through 

 channel for freight and passengers between 

 the West and the Eastern seaboard, giving to 



Richmond advantages similar to those derived 

 by New York from tin- New York Central it 

 Hudson River, and Erie Railroads; by Phila- 

 delphia from the Pennsylvania Central, and 

 by Baltimore from the Baltimore V Ohio Rail- 

 road. The relative all-rail distances from the 

 principal Western and Southwestern cities and 

 the seaboard by these several routes are shown 

 in the following statement: 



The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad is a con- 

 solidation of the Virginia Central and the Cov- 

 ington & Ohio Railroads. The consolidation 

 dates from August 31, 1868, and the first report 

 for the company is for the year ending October 

 1, 1868. The consolidation aUo includes the 

 Blue Ridge Tunnel and Railroad constructed 

 by the State of Virginia and purchased by the 

 Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company. 



The lino of the road from Richmond to Ilun- 

 tington, West Va., is 4J1 miles. At the latter 

 point it connects with daily lines of steam- 

 packets on the Ohio River to Cincinnati and 

 other leading points; at Gordonsville it con- 

 nects with the railroad lines for Washington, 

 Baltimore, and Philadelphia; and at Richmond 

 with lines leading south to Charleston, Savan- 

 nah, Wilmington. Norfolk, and with UBI 

 domestic and foreign steamship". A branch 

 will extend from Richmond to tide-water, for 

 which purpose a large tunnel under Church 

 Hill, in the city of Richmond, has been con- 

 structed. At the seaboard terminus extensive 

 wharves, and other commercial facilities, were 

 in process of construction. 



The completion of this important enterprise 

 will have an almost incalculable influence 

 upon the development of the great Kaiiawha 

 coal-fields, which are said to embrace upward 

 of 8,000 square miles. There are also exten- 

 sive and valuable deposits of iron-ore in the 

 region traversed by the road. 



In his report to the stockholders of the 

 Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company, in No- 

 vember, 1878, the President, C. I'. Iluntington, 

 said: 



You now have a road of 421 miles which will com- 

 pare favorably as regards ita grades and 

 and the durable character of its e . with 



any other in thin country. The Investigations made 

 : the pat vear in relation tn the <|uality and 

 ' of coal, lion-on H. tinf 1 I --n the 



line of your road have been so satisfactory as to lead 

 ntion of numerous well 'i-LM'ii/.i-d com- 

 panies, with ample capital, who will engage in the 

 MMMM of sending forward largo quantities of these 

 prodoot* to the market of the Knt and Went, and 

 who will alo rtnhlih furnaces, rolling-mills, saw- 

 mills, and kindred industries, on the line of the road, 



giving assurance of* large and profitable local traffic 

 ' " * b ' bu " 



is sure to command as soon as the necessary 91 

 sions and connections are completed for its accommo- 

 i. One of the most important is the Elizabeth- 

 town, Lexington & Uiy Sandy Railroad, which is al- 

 ready completed uinl in o|urution from ' 

 Lexington to Mount Sterling, and with the Louisville, 

 Cincinnati & Lexington mad, forms a continuous 

 line from Louisville to the hitter place, a distance of 

 127 miles. Eighty-eight miles between Mount 

 ling and the Big Sandy remains to be built, and when 

 that is done these roads, with the Chaaapeakr ami 

 Ohio, will be operated in one general interest, as 

 they are controlled by substantially the s . 

 and will form a continuous line from Richmond to 

 Louisville, there to connect with the system of West- 

 ern roads. 



The earnings and expenses of the road for the 

 year ending Sept. 30, 1873, were as follows: 



BARKINGS. 



From nuMongers $4-l!>.4*> SI 



''" i" i :''t. ... 7H>::-I 7 



Ii. 



From m.ill 



From miscellaneous g.446 M 



Total $1.10,508 ! 



Train expenses $944.1187 1 



Depot expenses 87.007 86 



Ornoral cxpenw* 19.579 18 



I/ops and damaceo SI. RSI 73 



nnceofway S!)0.1?S 03 



Repair* of machinery 14 1.1 13 33 



Pslrlos B.80 



MUrcllaneous 81.608 40 



$R7!).700 01 



Net earnings 330,80891 



Another important enterprise brought to 

 completion during the year was the Richmond 

 it Atlanta air-line railroad, the opening of 

 which affords to Virginia direct communica- 

 tion with the chief cities of the South. 



The State debt at the close of the year, ex- 

 cln-ive of interest, was $30,478,741. this does 

 not include tin' one-third, *!.'). S.lfi.MT'i. as-: 

 to West Viririnia for payment. Of the former, 

 fs8.000.000 is hold by" citizens of Virginia, 

 *13,0no,000 is held in other States, and $9,- 

 100,000 in Europe. If the provisions of the 

 net of March 13. 1873. for payment of two- 

 third? of the inter. -I !.. continued, the amount 

 required to pay interest January 1st and July 



