Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-05-28
THE SHORT LINE SOUTH.
Tho Pennsylvania RaiHrOad's Route
Through Delaware to Norfolk.

The New York, Philadelphia ~ Norfoll
railroad wns organized under the presen
management little over year ago til,
work of replacing the old track and OK
tending the line was pushed forward witt
yigor during the summer of 1884, and OF
the 18th of November Inst the completed
railway was opened TO trade and travel
The road begins at Delmar, the southern
terminus of the Delaware division of til,
Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore
railroad, and runs thence directly soutl
and in perfectly straight line TO the
terminus Mt Cape Charles, near the south,
ern point of the Virginia peninsula The
distance from Dellnar to Cape Charles
95 miles, is the longest straight stretch OF
railroad i'll the eastern portion of the
United States. From Delmar to Kings
creek, q miles, the new road is built on
the bed of the old Eastern Shore railroad,
and from that point south the new line
penetrates u section which previously
possessed no railway facilities At Kings
creek branch line II miles in length
runs of i'll n south westerly course to
Cristield. The total length of the railway
| line is 112 miles. The entire road is new
| and constructed in the most thorough
and substantial manner; the cars and
locomotives are constructed after the
| standard of the Pennsylvania railroad,
and the station buildings are patterned
after the best designs of the same road
After leaving Delmar, which marks the
boundary line between Delaware and
Maryland, the road passes through five
| counties in Virginin, and touches the
| towns of Salisbury, Fruitland, Eden,
Princess Anne, Cristield in Maryland, and
Eastyille in Virginia, beside u large
| number of lesser stations.
The country SO traversed is hardly sur
passed by any portion of the Union in
the fertility of the soil and geniality Of
| climate, and is equnled by none in its
adaptability to the culture and produc-
| tion of fruits and vegetables. The soil is
of mn alluyial sandy loan, entirely free
from stone, and capable of the highest
state of cultivation. Not alone in the
productiyeness of the soil does this sec
tion excel, but the generosity of its
climate hastens tho growth and develop
ment of its fruits and vegetables, so as to
| fit them for market weeks in advance of
other fruit-producing districts.
With the incentives to increased pro-
duction offered by ready markets brought
to hand by quick and prompt transporta-
tion facilities, it is impossible to measure
the magnitude of the traffic which the
road will eventually secure from this
portion of its territory alone, leaving out
of consideration the great trade in the
products of the Norfolk truck farms and
the fish ind oysters of Chesapeake bay,
which its unsurpassed facilities will
naturally direct TO it,
The terminus OF the rond is at Cape
Charles, the extreme southern end of the
Virginia peninsula, where II town of con-
siderable size has been Ibid out, houses
are being built, and there are already
indications of n thriving community. The
company has completed an artificial
harbor 1000 feet long by 600 feet wide,
which is being dredged out to depth of
10 feet, 80 MS to afford accommodations for
vessels of lnrge size. A floating bridge
for the transfer of passenger and freight
cars to and from the steamer and barge is
being pushed rapidly forward to compile.
ton, and will be ready for use by the
LIST of June. The engine house and repair
shops of tho railroad company are also
completed and in operation ut this point.
Other improvements are being made. On
the opposite side of the harbor from the
phnoNtiBOl bpiplply oJbtGl-iJitChiuR nblbGb
and warehouses for the storage of vege-
tables, fruits, and fish arc in course of
construction. A ship yard, extensive re-
pair shops, and houses for workmen and
employees will be erected during the
present summer. When all these projects
have been executed, Cape Charles will
offer every possible facility for the ship
ment of fruit, vegetables, oysters, fish,
IL.
rounding land and waters abound.
The distance from Cape Charles across
the bay to Norfolk is SO miles, and com
munication is secured by means of a
steam-ferry. The ferry service for the
transportation of both freight and pas
scngers is complete in every detail. Tho
passenger steamer Cape Charles, just put
into service, is undoubtedly the finest and
best appointed transfer boat every built.
IL was built for the company by the
Harlan ~ IIollingsworth Company of this
city. She is built of iron, with iron main
and guard beams; has five iron keelsons
and double row of stanchions to support
the deck beams, on which ARE placed two
sets of tracks, one set in each gangway,
capable of holding two Pullman sleeping
cars, one combination mail and baggage
car, and one express car. These ears will
be transferred to and from the steamer,
Mt Cape Charles and Portsmouth, ON iron
bridges, specially designed for the service.
The Pullman car will he placed on the
steamer in such n manner that passengers
may step ont of the cars, pass through
the social hall into handsomely
appointed dining saloon, with all the ac-
cessories for serving meals in a comfort
able and luxurious manner. Every safe
guard against accident is employed, md
every appliance for the protection of
passengers, in case IN accident should
occur, is Mt hand. There is now in SER
vice ON the ferry between Cape Charles
and Norfolk n powerful tug boat and car
float capable of transporting IL cars.
As soon ms the transfer bridges at Cape
Charles and Portsmouth are finished the
ferry service will be put into complete
operation, md the slcepers will be run
through from New York and Philadelphia
to southern points.
From either n freight or passenger
standpoint this is one of the most i'm
portant lines of transportation in the
country.
As freight road it places the northern
markets III closer connection with fruit
and vegetable producing regions of the
south than they have ever enjoyed before.
The entire territory it drains, ms
well ms that trnvcrsod by its southern
connections, TEEN with products whose
value depends upon the promptitude
with which they are gotten into market.
BY the fast freight trains of this route
fruit and vegetables gathered in the
truck gardens around Norfolk in the
afternoon, will he offered for sale the
next morning, fresh and pure, in the
market stalls of New York and Philadel-
phia. So fish and oysters taken from the
waters of the bay in the afternoon, may
bo placed the following morning ON the
breakfast tables of the two cities, or on
the luncheon or dinner table of the
Bostonian. This in itself is wonderful
achievement, and an enduring basis of
success for the line.
As through line of southern travel
| the road promises results equally as great.
1t is by far the shortest and when the
arrangements admit of n continuous line
of cars will be the most expedient and
| comfortable route to all southern points.
| AT present, as between New York and
Norfolk, there is II saving of from five to
six hours, and the gain to the through
traveller will be even greater. At Ports.
mouth connection is made with the Sea-
board Il Roanoke railroad, which joins
the Atlantic Coast line Mt Weldon, and
thus securing connection for all
the principal cities of tho SOUTH
With this connection continuous
eoast line may he formed from New
York to Jacksonville and New Orleans.
The other important connections are the
Norfolk and Western system at Norfolk
and the Chesapeake and Ohio ut Old
Point. At present there are two through