The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1889-10-24
WHOLE NO. 2S7
ANOTHER RAILROAD CON-
NECTION.
THE KNOXVILLE AND NORTHEAST
ERN CAN BE BROUGHT TO
JOHNSON CITY.
Another Outlet to Knoxville and the
SOuth-.Just What the
People Want.
Special Correspondence to the Journal

Special Correspondence to the Journal
GREENEvILLE, October 17.-Tt issup-
posed that the building of the Knox
vile and Northeastern railroad, at least
to some point on the Tennessee river,
twenty or twenty-five miles from
Knoxville, is an assured fact In these
progressive days railroad lines do not
stop at villages or manufacturing es-
tablishments, however important they
may be, with vast territories beyond,
growing in wealth and Importance,
and without railroad facilities. Out
lets and connections are looked for,
so as to compete with outlines in both
passage and freight business.
The ultimate destination of this
road is then matter OF importance,
not only to Knoxville, but to the great
er portion OF upper East Tennessee.
Through the great chain of the
Unaka and Smoky mountains there
are but two natural outlets for rail
roads to the southeast which could be
reached by this road. The one is the
French Broad guage, where the West
ern North Carolina winds with the
windings OF the river for more than
fifty miles. The other is tie Chucky
guage, through which the Th C's
will road will shortly be built, and the
roadbed will be cut out in the sides of
almost perpendicular rocky cliffs far
above the bed of the rushing, surging,
boiling river.
1t is well known that along the foot
hills Of almost the entire length of the
Smoky and Unaka range of noun
tains, from far up in Virginia to the
Georgia line, and even below, there
are vast deposits OF iron ore as fine as
any in the United States In many
places there is marble in abundance,
and zinc, copper, lead and silver have
been found. This range OF mountains
has also the largest bodies and finest
timber lands to be found in the State.
A road to parallel this mountain range
has been the dream of many OF the
l.citizens for years, and this dream
may, in the extension of the Knoxville
and Northeastern RAILROAD be fulfilled.
To be more specific, the road pass
ing cambridge and crossing the river
at that point should cross the Western
North Carolina at Newport or Bridge
port. Then it would have an outlet to
the southeast, 1t would pass near the
old Haysville furnace, in Greene coun-
! ty, and have connecting line TO
Greenevile. Following the valley be-
tween the Chucky river ana the noun
tains, the road would pass by and
cross the river at the old Embreeville
iron works property, in Washington
county, which property is now owned
by strong English company and em-
braces about $4,000 acres of mineral
and timber land, and it is said will
shortly be improved and large fur
mace built at that point From there
the people of Johnson City are having
a survey made to that point, where
connections would be made with the
East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia
Railroad, and with the Three C's,
north and south.
The estimated distances ontbis line
would be about as follows Knoxville
to Dandridg4 thirty-two miles; to New
Port, twenty miles to Haysvile, fif-
teen miles; to Embreevile, twenty
five miles; to Johnson City, fifteen
miles; total, 107 miles, or about the
same distance as the East Tennessee
, line TO Johnson City.
1t is believed that on the general
line indicated the line could be con.
' structed cheaply-cheaper than Other
East Tennessee road has been built
! It can be safely stated that the plucky
0 and progressive town Of Gfeeneville
], would promptly build connecting
D line, giving us a direct line south and
: competing line to Knoxville.
) These suggestions are thrown out
! for the benefit Of those more directl,
. interested, and with the belief that thu
( proposed line would be an important
: and paying one.
4