The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-06

Progress Made In Carrying Out " GREAT
Railroad Project.

road, who has gone " -" -,
White sulphur Springs. w. Va passed
through Baltimore on his way North
and rec,stered at the Hotel Stafford.
He has returned to the activity OF rail-
road work after several years retirement
hecausa M ill-health, and L. now at the
head of n syndicate of Northern capital
lists which Is building the Chesapeake
and Western railroad The new road
IS to extend from the West virginia coal
fields TO deep water on one OF the Nir-
ginia tributaries of the Chesapeake bay.
With Mr. Reinhart, was Mr.. t. II.
BLACKWELL. of Pittsburg, Pa, chief engi-
neer of the Chesapeake and Western.
Associated with Messrs. Reinhart and
Blackwell In the enterprise are Frede-
rick W. Jackson Of New York, who is
treasurer of the road; c. w. Haskins,
also of New York, who Is secretary;
James Clarke, of Plainfeld, n. j.; A. J.
G. Hodenpyl. of Amsterdam, Holland; A.
O. Hodenpyl, secretary of the Michigan
Trust Company, of Grand Rapids, Mich,
and a number Of other representatives or
associated capital
After some time spent in recuperating
from the effects of severe illness Mr..
Reinhart had his attention called TO the
opportunities for railroad development
i'm the coal, mineral and timber regions
of Virginia and West Virginia. Person
al Investigations led TO the securing or
the charter for the Chesapeake and
Western by him and his associates. This
road was chartered by the Virginia Legis-
lature in 1882, and also holds Il charter
from West Virginia.
Work on the new line Is now in pro-
gress between Elkton. on the Shenan-
doah Valley Division of the Norfolk and
1911
road crosses the Valley Branch of the
Baltimore and Ohio at Harrisonburg.
Construction was commenced June 1lth.
and OF the twenty-five miles of road be-
tween the two places named seven miles
are finished. In two weeks another sec
tion OF seven miles will be completed. by
November Is, the whole twenty-five miles.
1t is said, will be ready for operation
and contracts are now being arranged
for rolling stock and equipment
From Bridgewater west the syndicate
owns an old grade of thirty-five miles.
extending to within fifteen miles of the
West Virginia State line. As soon as
the construction now in hand is finished
the work of extending the road over this
grade Is to be undertaken. The character
Of the roadbed and all accessories, Mr..
Renh2ft says, viii equal the present
standard OF railroad construction main
tanned on the leading trunk lines.
Taking advantage Of the low price of
rails, the syndicate several months ago
bought sixty-seyen miles Of eighty-pound
steel rails, and this material is being de-
HNered as the work progresses. these
supplies cover the siXty-two miles OF
ROAD which are 70 be built at present and
provide for five miles OF sidings.
ON the first division OF twenty-five
miles, the principal stations Will be
Elkton, Harrisonburg. Dayton. and
Bridgewater. and depots will be built
at these places.
The engineering corps is now employed
In making four surveys east from Elk
ton, with q view OF deciding upon a
route for the extension 10 be built toward
deep-w alter navigation.
Matthias Point. on the Potomac river
nearly opposite the Popes Creek branch
railroad, has figured prominently in the
plans of the syndicate, as q desirable
place for the eastern terminus Of the
road. Regarding this, Mr.. Renhart
says that nothing definite has been de-
cided upon.
Speaking Of the possibilities of the
coal development of West Virginia. Mir.
Reinhart says that from ninety square
miles Of coal territory i'm the Pocahontas
field similar to that traverscd by the
Chesapeake and Western, there have
been shipped in twelve years. starting
with an annual output OF forty TO rfty
thousand tons, an aggregate of over
twenty million tons. The proposed route
OF the Chesapeake and Western crosses
and reaches the coal-beds Of the lower
middle. and upper measures of the trans
Appalachian coal-field. embracing all the
varieties Of the bitumnous and sem.-
Ditumlnous Goals known in the mar
kets. Dense forests of timber also hold
out promising traffic for the road This
trade, Mr.. Reinhart, says, properly be-
longs 10 Baltimore.
Contracts have been closed with coal
operators for handling 10000 tons of
Pocahontas coal, and assurances have
been given Of considerable tonnage for
the new road from the bark and lumber
industries. The funds for carrying for
ward lne enterprise have been supplied
by those Immediately Identified with it,
and so far no steps have been taken
to issue bonds.
The route Of the Chesapeake and West
ern In West Virginia places the road
within n short distance from the branch
Of the Chesapeake and Ohio going TO the
White Sulphur Springs. From the west
ern foot OF the Blue Ridge, the new road is
to cross for nearly thirty miles the coun-
~ Of Rockingham. which has subscribed
$4,000 to the project on its way 10
some one OF the passes I'm the North mou-
tain ranges, probably that Of the North
river. at the south fork Of the Shenan-
doah in Augusta county. Westward
from the Valley Of the Shenandoah the
route traverses through an airline dis
lance OF nearly seventy-flye miles. the
great Appalachian grand division OF the
Nirginias. crossing generally by water
gaps or breaks. or low passes in the
mountains. A dozen or more ranges Of
mountains. and their intermediate val
legs. I'm the counties of Augusta High
land. and Bath. in Virginia; and Pendle-
ton, Pocahontas. and Greenbrier. in
West Virginia. TO the borders OF the
trans-Appalachian coal-fed. IN Green
brier and Nicholas counties, West Vir-
ginia.
a continuation OF the road 20 the Ohio
river is also planned by the syndicate,
crossing for an airline distance OF sew
cnty-hve miles, the counties OF Green
br.er Nicholas. Clay. and Kanawha, yer
haps following the Elk river 10 the
Great Kanawha, at Charleston. or follow
ing the Gauiey river to 10 it's mouth, 10
the Great Kanawha near its falls. From
Charleston, a route fifty miles long TO the
Ohio river would be followed. Baltimore
Sun.