The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-03
THE LAST SPIKE DRIVEN.
THE SAVANNAH AND WESTERN
COMPLETED TO LYONS.

| To % nun 70 Dit
mingham via Americus After May /.
General Manager Gabbett of the Central
railroad made a critical inspection yester-
day Of the roadbed of the Savannah and
Western from Meldrim, near Eden. to
Lyons, commonly known as Sterling, from
which point the Savannah, Americas and
Montgomery has built to Americas. Mr..
Gabbett went in his private car. accompa-
MED by the following gentlemen: ]. L..
Warren, 8. Guckenheimer, ]. W.
Wallace, A. Vetsburg, ]. K. Garnet,
Maj. w. F. Shellman. traffic manager of
the Central; Capt. F. Y. Dabney, chief
engineer Of the new road; W. W: Starr,
| superintendent of transportation; William
Hunter, chief operating engineer; E. T.
Charlton, general passenger agent; Hon. P.
| w. Meldrim and the representatives OF the
| Savannah press.
Owing to the character of the country
the new road to Lyons has been constructed
at much less than the average cost of
southern railroads. The grading extends
| IL miles beyond Lyons, but it has MOI been
decided whether it will be finished and the
road equipped or not
THE EDEN EXTENSION.
The Eden extension, as it is usually
termed, was commenced twelve months
ago, and was graded eight miles, to Ella
| belle. Then the work was, suspended until
September At that time it was resumed
and was rapidly pushed forward to COM
| pletion.
The highest grade is SO $40 feet per mile.
| The road is not built exactly upon an air
| line, but has many long straight stretches,
and is made as direct as possible.
The track crosses the Ogeechee, Ca
noochee, Black creek and Ohoopee rivers
and Pendleton creek. The channels of the
| four principal rivers are spanned by four
bridges, but the adjacent swamps are
crossed by the heaviest and most substan-
tial trestles.
TOWNS ALONG THE ROAD.
Beginning at the new town of Meldrim,
which is most eligibly situated, seventeen
miles from Savannah, aud which bids fair
to be place of Importance, the road ex-
tends westward. The first station from the
junction is Ellabelle, distant eight miles.
| 1t is pretty location, and already neat
depot will soon be completed, and stores,
saw mills, and turpentine distilleries are
rapidly springing up.
1t is the intention of the Central railroad
to erect commodious depots at every sta
ton on the line, and with the least delay
possible.
The next station, Pembroke, sixteen miles
| from Meldrim, gives evidence even
now of decided thrift and importance.
Tuphauple, an unpronounceable Indian
word, is the third station, twenty-three
miles from the junction, then follow re-
| Hagan. 30 miles. Manassas, 4015 miles, Col
Inns, 46 miles, Ohoopee So miles. and lastly
Lyons, 500 miles from the Central railroad
junction at Meldrim.
THE STATIONS WELL LOCATED.
All of these stations are located on level
but elevated plateaus, with beautiful sites
for building, pure water and free from ma
laria. Indeed, there is not to be found
within the limits of the state a more salu-
brious region than that traversed by the
Savannah and Western railroad from Mel
drim to Lyons.
The new road is 5915 miles in length, and
with the II miles of the main stem included,
761S miles distant from Savannah.
| skThls portion OF the new route to Birming-
ham, Ala, is laid with the heaviest steel
rails, weighing 631s pounds per yard, while
the average weight on southern railroads is
but SO pounds.
The Ohoopes trestle, 1900 feet in length,
is perhaps the best structure of the ki1d to
be found in the south. 1t is as solid as a
brick wall.
A noticeable improvement in the con-
struction Of the road, instituted by General
Manager Gabbett, is the slope of seven feet
on each side of the track, terminating in a
shallow ditch. This sheds off the water
from the road-bed in rainy seasons, and
keeps it from becoming soft or sobby. 1t
also adds much to the neatness and general
| appearance of the track
SHORTENING THE DISTANCES.
The time and distance to points west will
be materially lessened when the Savannah
and Western and is connections go into
operation. The distance to Birmingham,
as compared with the present route used,
via Macon, is shortened 5wenty-six miles,
with a similar saving to Columbus and
Opelika, while Americus, Albany, Dawson.
Cuthbert and Eufaula are brought sixty
two miles nearer to Savannah.
The distance by the Savannah and West.
ern to Montgomery is 352 miles, while by
the route via Macon and Columbus now
used it is 1856 miles, and via the Savannah,
Florida and Western and Bainbridge Ali
miles, showing difference in favor of the
new road over the Macon and Columbus
route of thirty-four miles and by the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western and Balm
bridge OF fifty-nine miles. In this utili-
tartan age, when time and speed rank every
other consideration, this Is a very important
gain TO the Savannah and Western route
and its connections.
THE NEW SCHEDULE.
The new schedule will go into effect next
Sund9y, MT. GaDDeGt says, when the service
will be extended from Manassas station, the
present terminus, to Lyons. Then, after
the lapse of a week, on Sunday, May IL,
regular passenger and freight trains will be
run through from Savannah to Birmingham
over this line. That will inaugurate new
era in the history of Savannah. Immense
quantities of pig iron, ccal, lumber, rosin,
turpentine, and ere long both short staple
ana sea island cotton, to say nothing of the
truck and other farm products of that
region, will pour into Georgia's chief sea-
pert, making her with the other railway
enterprises certain to be shortly completed
not only the rival of New Orleans, but in
cotton receipts the foremost city in the
world.
THE MEETING AT LYONS.
At Lyons Mr.. Gabbett met Col. s. H
Hawkins, president of the Savannah
Americas and Montgomery railroad
and several friends. After comforting
together, Col Hawkins, in his pri-
vate car, accepted Mr.. Gabbett's invita-
ton to come on to Savannah. He was &C
companied by U. B. Harold of Americas
G. s. Perry, Esq. aud son of Baltimore; Har
rold Boone. and w. j. Matthews, master OF
transportation.
Col. Hawkins will lay out a new town al
Lyons, which is beautifully located, in G
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