Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-08-30
The Extension Of the Valley Railroad.
A MOVEMENT THAT LOOKS TOWARDS ITS
COMPLETION

MOVEMENT THAT LOOKS TOWARDS ITS
COMPLETION.
Vice President King of the Baltimore &
Ohio road, accompanied by Gen. John
Gill, receiver of the Cape Fear and
Yadkin Valley Ry., and by Col.
John A. Tomkins, an expert ac-
countant, left Baltimore Monday morn
ing on mission which will probably prove
OF great Importance to the wheat and hay
growers especially OF Augusta, and to the
mills and merchants Of Staunton, who have
been long anxious for a connection with
the South. The mission is to examine the
Roanoke & Southern and Cape Fear Il
Yadkin railroad properties with view to
bringing them into close alliance with the
Baltimore Il Ohio. The Baltimore Sun of
Monday says:
Z 1.-The Valley Railroad of Virginia, which
is part of the Baltimore and Ohio system
extends southwark through the Shenandoah
Valley to Lexington. about fifty miles from
Roanoke, the northern terminus of the
Roanoke and Southern. Any project for
extending the business of the 3. and o.
southwark over the Roanoke and Southern
would require the construction of railroad
between Lexington and Roanoke.
frequently been urged, and the B. and o.
has surveys for it, which were made
some time ago. 1t has been stated that
the extension of the B. and .. into the
South was delayed and prevented by the
urgent necessity Of improving its trunk
line route between the East and the West,
which included the building of the PhiIa-
delphia Branch, traffic arrangements over
the Philadelphia and Reading to New Y ork,
and the securing Of terminal facilities in
New Y ork and Chicago.
'The B. and.O. ey Branch extends
from Harper S Ferry, w. Va, to Lexing-
ton. The city of Baltimore owns 81 200, 900
of the capital stock Of this road, which has
been unproductive for years. The fact
that the line ended at Lexington prevented
development of any through Southern
business. An extension of it to Roanoke
would bring it to a thriving town, where it
could connect with the Roanoke and South
ern.
1.-THE Roanoke and Southern is 1918 miles
long and extends southwark from Roanoke
to Winston Salem, n. G. 1t is leased by
the Norfolk and Western Company. At
Winston connection is made with the Cape
Fear and Yadkin Valley Road, which ex-
tends. northward from Wilmington, n, c..
Oh the sea coast to Mt. Airy, N. C.. a few
miles south of the Virginia line. The main
line of the Cape Fear and Yadkln Valley
Road in 24S.2S miles long. 1t has a half
dozen branches, which give it a total mile
age Of s.6S miles,
The Sun adds that the ''long deferred
extension of the Baltimore & Ohio South
ward from Lexington is thought to be con-
templated" in the examination mentioned
above. The road bed of the line from Lex
idgton to Salem, about fifty miles, aban-
doned after construction in 1876, is still
there in fair condition, and the masonry
work remains. The producers of Augusta
will look with interest to the result of
President King s trip.
Since the arrival of the party at Roanoke
there has been conference with prominent
men there, of which the details were not
made known.
Ger. G i'll while he was reticent about
railroad matters, said the object Of the trip
was purely move on the part of the Bal
timore & Ohio offic ials to see if they could
extend their road to Roanoke. and on what
terms. $50
Something is said about the G. & O. from
Lexington to Buchanan being rented to
form part of the connection, but that is a
very unlikely idea.