Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-16
Hallway Construction io 1888.


Between ten and eleven thousand miles
of railroad were completed in 1882, an
amount of mileage far in excess Of that of
previous single years. Hence it is
thought the work was OverdOne, and that
a reaction must ensue. On the other
hand, it is urged that the demand for con-
structiOn was normal, and is likely to be
sustained. If much of the available
capital for railway construction
has been drawn upon, and the necessities
of the country are practically supplied,
it is likely that the work of building in
1888 will fall on largely, but these prem
ises remain TO be verified, The St. Louis
RGill0ay Register points out the following
sections that are in need Of railroads, and
which must soon have them. Says the
Register:
FIRST, there are many districts along
the Southern coast where short feeders for
present roads are needed. In Central and
Southwestern North Carolina are two
such districts. In Georgia there are tWO
more, one lying between the Central of
Georgia and the Macon and Brunsw lex
and another further south along the Oc-
mulgee river. Southern Florida, or in
need OF more railroads. 1t is true that
proposed roads, such as the Pensacola
and Atlantic, will partly supply this
want, but only in part.
Alabama must have greater railroad
facilities. The coal and iron mines in the
north, the rich low lands of the south are
alike inadequately supplied. One of
these districts lies between the Alabama
Great Southern, Louisville and Nashville
and Mobile aud Ohio, and is thousands of
square miles In extent. Another section,
nearly as large, is bounded by the Ala
bama Central, Mobile and Ohio and
Louisville and Nashville, and is drained
by the TOmbigbee and Alabama rivers. \
third section lies just to the west and
south Of the Montgomery and Eufaula.
Looking further west we lind in MiSSiS-
sippi two great stretches of country lying
between the Chicago, st. Louis and New
Orleans and the Mobile and Ohio. East
and west roads are imperatiYely needed
in these districts, and il will be only a
question of time before they will be built.
Feeders for the Great jackson route are
now planned for the district on the west,
between that line and the river, and will
probably be constructed this year.
Crossing the Mississippi we find that
this part of Louisiana has but tue three
lines-the Granger road on the north. the
New Orleans Pacific along the Red river
and the Morgan Road on the south. En-
tire counties, composed of the richest
sugar and corn lands in the world, are
not touched by any of these lines, hut
are isolated and dependent upon water
communication with the markets. To
the north, on either side of the Iron
Mountain Line, are equally valuable sec
tiOnS which are still undeYelOped and
have no railroads. West of the Sabine
river in Eastern Texas, is still another
virgin district.
And so we might continue almost in
definitely. 1t is apparent that railroad
building is to go on far beyond our day,
and that the business of supply ing the
wants of old and new lines with material
and supplies is destined to become much
larger and extensive. And it would not
be surprising if, when the totals were
summed up next December, we should
find that from eight TO ten thousand miles
of new railroads had been built during the
year which will then close.