Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-30
SOUTHERN RAILWAY PLANS
As Outlined in Statement by First Vice
President Andrews .
Terminal Arrangements Mt Norfolk
and the New Line to Baltimore
B. and o. Affairs.

The plans of the Southern Railway Com
pany for the future were partially outlined
Saturday by First Vice President Andrews.
who. in the absence of President Samuel
Spencer. now in Europe, is acting president
of the road. and the following statement.
which has especial reference to the estab-
hshment of the new steamboat line between
Baltimore, Md, and Norfolk, Va, and
which. already stated in The Star, will
be inaugurated tomorrow, was authorized
by Mr.. Andrews:
THE Baltimore, Chesapeake and Rich
mond Steamboat Company, popularity known
as the York River Line, is owned by the
Southern Railway Company, and for many
years traffic between Baltimore and places
In all the southern states reached by the
Richmond and Danville now part of the
Southern Railway Company was carried
by the steamers of this line to West Point,
Va, on the York river, which was the east
ern terminus of the Richmond and Danville.
That is the shortest route to Richmond,
and such places in Virginia as are reached
through Richmond. 1t is, however out of
the track of foreign and coastwise steam
erS and inaccessible for steamers of heavy
draught. Consequently export trade and
traffic from and for the far south and west
has never been advantageouSly moved
through West Point
Its greatly superior shipping. both home
and foreign. gave the railroads which ter
mtnat@ there advantages over the old Rich
mond and Danvi,le on through and export
business The distance via Norfolk to points
In the Carolinas. Georgia and beyond is less
than via West Point; the railroad grades
are lighter: five trunk lines and several
smaller lines terminate there; larger num-
Der of ocean and coastwise steamers stop
there. and make trips more frequently.
Ten years ago it was clearly realized by
those in charge of the Richmond and Dan
Vile that West Point should never have
been selected as terminus, and that in
using II they were seriously handicapping
the company. Steps were then taken to
acquire an entrance into Norfolk by pur-
chasing q stock interest in the Norfolk and
Carolina railr road. The subsequent fnan-
cial disasters Of the Rickn ond and DanyiIle
company checked the completion of this
plan, not however. until after an invest
ment of several hundred thousand dollars
had been made.
Terminus ut Norfolk.
In correction with the subsequent re-
organization of the Richmond and Danvile
it wcs inevitable that this investment
should be utilized and with this in view
steps were taken which have enabled the
Southern Railway Company to complete
the plan undertaken by its predecessors.
The Southern now has ample terminal ia
Critics at NOT1Olk, ana Glrect connection
with its own line of railway over the Nor
folk and Carolina railroad. Since this was
done the Southern has had its full share of
through business from ana for all places
except Baltimore. The change, however,
has resulted in material reduction of the
traffic through West Point and a proper
tionate increase in the traffic of the other
Steamboat lines plying to Norfolk
Having changed its terminus to Nor
folk. il has become necessary to run some
of the steamers of the York River Line to
that point instead of exclusively to West
Point, as heretofore. to accommodate the
large shipments by that route from Balti
more to places the Southern railway.
To accomplish this double service the York
River Line has been strengthened by the
addition of the steamer Atlanta, and on
and after July the Southern Railway
Company Will have a daily connection be-
tween Norfolk and Baltimore and a tri-
weekly line to West Point and Richmond.
This proposed change has caused some
criticism by the other lines engaged in
business on the Chesapeake bay which
charge that we arc encroachins upon ter
ritory of which they have had the ex-
elusive control for many years. When it is
remembered that the York River Line has
been running from Baltimore nearly thirty
years as part of the Richmond and DAN
Vile system. ard that this change in the
route of some of its boats is made neces-
sary by the selection Of Norfolk the
eastern terminus for the through rail bus
mess of the Southern railway, it seems
hardly reasonable to expect that this line
shoulc either withdraw from the Chesa-
peake hay and lose its large and valuable
business with Baltimore, that it should
continue to run all its boats to West Point
after the bulk of traffic which it formerly
sought to handle through that point has
been turned to Norfolk
In reply to question regarding the mat
ter Vice President Andrews said:
This lire cannot refuse any business
that is offered. either for from other
railroads terminating in Norfolk. or by
local shippers. The rates charged will be
the same as those charged by the other
companies
II. and o. Matters.
A meeting of the board of directors of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company was
held yesterday in Baltimore, for the
purpose of ratifyii.g the agreement
made by Receivers Cowen and Muir
ray with Speyer & Co. and Vermiye &
Co.. bankers in New York. for the extern
sion for fifty years of the $iOOO.OOO per
cent bonds of the Pittsburg and Connells-
Vile Railroad Company, due July l. $685.
the new bonds to bear interest at the rate
OF 4 per cent per annum, as already pub
Hshed In The Star. and their course was
approved.
The directors of the Pittsburg and Con-
nellsviile Company met Friday and voted
to approve the agreement, but the reason
that the Baltimore and Ohio must pursue
leg Is because the b. and O.. is the lessee
OF the Pittsburg and Connellsville, which
Is generally known as the Pittsburg diyf-
sion of the b. and o. system
No provision has been made for any bond
holder of the Pittsburg and Connellsville
Company. should there be any who does
not want to dispose of his stock in &C.
eordance with the receivers plan of agree
Elent. but 1t is said to be the opinion of
the latter that there Is no one who has
money in the road who will throw any OBJ
stacies In the way of getting their holdings
on to paying basis of some sort.
The Jail investigation,
II iS understood he,