The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-20
ALL UNDER ONE SYSTEM
THE CENTRAL'S PROPOSED 337-
MILE CONSOLIDATION.

The New Through Line From Savan-
nah to Birmingham - The Coosa
Tunnel About Completed and the
Goodwater Extension 10 be Open by
July 1.-The Columbus and Buena
Vista Survey - Bayview Rolling
Stock.
Gen. f. P. Alexander, President of the
Central railroad, General Manager Bel
KNAPP, and A. r. Lawton, Jr., acting gen
eral counsel, who have returned from a
recent trip over some Of the branches of the
Central system, express themselves as
highly pleased with the prospects for an
increased freight traffic converging here.
The party visited Columbus, Opelika,
Montgomery, Eufaula, Americas and Ma
con, all prosperous and booming cities, dis
tributed equally between the two greatest
States of tho South, Georgia and Alabama
The object Of the trip was to bring about
cOnsolidation Of a number of smaller rail
road companies into one single corporation
and one organiZation-in other words to
bring them under the systematic manage
meAt and control of the Central system,
which had already secured a controlling
plan of reorganization was submitted to the
boards of directors of the seven different
railroads in question, and III each instance
resolution was passed adopting the plan
suggested, and recommending the stock
holders TO meet and ratify their action
This will follow, as a matter of course.
THE CONSOLIDATED ROADS.
Tho roads consolidated under the Central
system are the Columbus and Western, the
Columbus and Rome, tho East Alabama,
the Eufaula and Clayton, the Eufaula and
East Alabama, the Buena Vista and Ella
vile and the Savannah and Columbus,
forming through line from Savannah to
Birmingham. These roads, Maj Belknap
said, represent 337 miles of railway already
constructed. Then there are several miles
under construction, and the engineers are
buSiy engaged in their surveys ready for
the construction of the unfinished parts of
the lines Of the roads mentioned, which,
when completed, will add nearly 500 miles
to the 397 miles now completed.
Maj. Belknap was asked what is the pres
emit situation with reference to the various
construction plans contemplated and in
progress, and he said that the last blast in
the big Coosa tunnel was fired May 49, The
rails are now icing laid in the tunnel, the
track having been finished up to the portals
of the tunnel on either side. In ten days,
he believed, although he did not want to be
too rigidly quoted, the track will be laid
through the tunnel, and while the Columbus
and Western will not be open to traffic be-
fore July l, they will be running trains into
Birmingham before that time.
ROADS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Referring to the Columbus and Buena
Vista extension, the location is nearly COM
pleted, said Maj. Belknap, and the "loca-
ton" was expected to reach the main office
in this city last night. This extension is to
be let without delay and the gap rapidly
completed.
Work is progressing favorably on the
Ozark line. Fifteen miles of track have been
laid, and the road will be completed from
CLAYTON to Ozark in two or three weeks 1t
is not contemplated to extend the road be-
You'd Ozark this season.
Preliminary surveys have been made of
the 1870 miles OF road on the Savannah and
Columbus line, from Eden to AmerIcus,
and the final location is being done. 1t is
not expected to complete more than twenty
five miles of this road this year, but next
year work will begin on both ends of the
extension and it will be rapidly completed.
The Central people anticipate a very
large increase in their carrying trade this
fall. In fact business is booming all along
their lines, but this season they will draw
on 1875 to $50 miles of added railway from
territory heretofore not practically tribu-
tary to Savannah, but which will be almost
exclusively tributary to this city under
recent consultations and construction of
extensions. Locomotives and rolling stock
are being arranged for to facilitate the
handling of the passenger and freight traffic
of the added territory. Three-quarters of
a million dollars are to be expended in
equipping and repairs to the Central sys-
tenn