Excerpt from Journal of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania, Vol. 11: And American Repertory of Mechanical and Physical Science, Civil Engineering, the Arts and Manufactures, and of American and Other Patented Inventions

The bridge account, however, is upwards of $49, 000 greater than that of last year. This serious addition to the expenditures of the year is attributed to the necessity in which the Company was placed, of having all the bridges refitted and strengthened, so as to be made capable of sustaining the weight of the heavy trains which it has been found expedient to run. This is no doubt a wise precaution, for these structures were not originally intended to sustain machines of 22 tons weight, drawing trains of 6 tons coal cars, and were found unequal to such duty. We trust that further experience may not show that the track itself - even that portion west of Harper's Ferry - is also inadequate for this service.

The report holds out that the years experience in the transportation of coal has gone to demonstrate the sufficiency of the estimates of the Company's engineers on this head, but though they are looking forward to a considerable increase of this trade, it does not appear that they have yet carried a sufficient quantity to justify the drawing of any useful practical conclusions from their own experience. We would rather rely on the speculative estimates of their judicious officers than on the meagre experience which they have obtained in running new machinery for a few months over a new track.

The President anticipates a coal trade, within a year or two, of 100, 000 tons, or upwards - and, in our view, they must carry this amount for several years before we can set much value on their experience.

The report concludes with a repetition of the difficulties which are found to embarrass the contemplated extension of the road to the Ohio river - difficulties resulting from the onerous restrictions imposed by the Legislature of Virginia in the act authorizing the Company to terminate their line at Wheeling, and the refusal of the Legislature of Pennsylvania to permit them to terminate it at Pittsburgh. In regard to both these States, however, it informs the stockholders that there will be made "renewed and vigorous efforts for that purpose at the next session of their respective Legislatures."

We add the following interesting table, which presents a condensed view of the results of this Company's operations from the beginning.

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