Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-24
IA GIGANTIC WORK
Chesapeake and Ohio Scheme Of
improvements at Richmond.
A VIADUCT THREE NILES LONG
Capacious Yard Facilities to Ex-
pedite Through Traffic.
U N o N D E P O T
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
RICHMOND. Va. November q, 1896.
The election of Mr.. Mckinley to the pres
idency of the United States means the
investment within the limits of this city
and the immediate vicinity by the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railway Company alone of
more than two millions Of dollars, and the
placing of improvements whose benefits,
when completed. will not cease to be felt
by the people of Richmond for hundred
years to come.
These improvements consist of the cree
ton of 4 magnificent railway station COM
prising also the Chesapeake and Ohio's
general offices. which, 1t is said by some
of the highest officials CT the company will
be far in advance in every way of any
building now used for similar purposes in
the south. If not, indeed, in the entire
country; the construction of a viaduct
three miles, not across, but right down
the James river. not stepping even for the
dangerous rapids, and the equipment of
vast yards in Manchester, besides the exc
cution of a vast amount Of work of an
incidental character.
The determination to make these i'm
provements has not been reached hastily
by President ingalls, and the other eXecu-
tive officials: they have been the subject of
consideration for number of years. and
their necessity has long been apparent
There will. 1 am informed. be no further
delay on the part of the railway officials
more than is absolutely necessary to COM
mence operations.
So much have the people Of Richmond for
years wanted the improvements planned,
which, anong other desirable features, con-
template the adjustment of all grade
crossings in Richmond that all the privi-
leSes IN the matter of right of way and
other matters of similar nature were
months ago freely granted by the. city
council and all that remains to be done In
that line in order to clear the way FOR
allowing the beginning of the great work
Is the granting OF some small concessions
by the council of the city of Manchester
and also by the authorities OF Henrlco
county.
The readers Of The Star will remember
that. as published In Its columns al me
time, President Ingalls,, who has been Tor
years. and is now, intensely anxious tha1
the vast system Of improvements here out
lined should be created, said on more than
one occasion during the recent presiae a,;Isa
campaign, in which he took very active
part, that If MIR. Bryan was elected the
work would not be done. While this IN
some quarters was construed to be
threat to compel the employees OF the mes
apeake and Ohio to vote for Mr.. Mckih-
lev here where the work Is to pc
done it is known that what Mr. ingalls,
meant was that the resultant eHects OF
NJ r, S
have been such that it would have been
impossible for the Chesapeake and ONO
people to have obtained the money needeo
10 do the work.
Great Vinduct. -.'.
or all the great systems of improvements
to be made here by the Chesapeake and
Ohio the most difficult and boldest from
an engineering standpoint Is the viaduct
which is to be built along the river fcr
distance of three miles
To obt ain the best and most reliable oata'
so that when put in service the best re-
suits would be obtained, The chief engineer
has had surveys almost innumeraDie mace.
and the plans decided upon ara the outcome
of three years of careful consideration.
Meanwhile, but really commencing SIX
wears ago. the Chesapeake AMI Ohio COM
pany has gone along acquiring the right Of
way and picking up properly needed by IL
for this Improvement, until II already has
mere than $200,OU0 invested in the enter
prise.
In talking to a Star representative here
last evening prominent official OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company
said: when the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail
way Company was reorSanized in 1888 ana
large amounts Of money were expended IN
the reha Utilization of the rolling stock and
rCadked together with the great improve
ments that were made at Newport News.
an exoression of astonislment came from
all who had not made careful study OF
the resources of the road.
But after acquiring the Richmond and
Allegheny, running from Clifton Forge to
Richmond. along the James river, and thus
crossing the Blue Ridge on down grade.
as it were (for there are no adverse grades
to the eastbound traffic in this division,
which is now the James River division of
the Chesapeake and Ohio, the business of
the road has steadily increased until the
wharves and terminal facilities at Newport
News are among the finest in this country,
and eight great freight steamers now make
regular trips between this tidewater term
inal and English ports. There is also a
very heavy coastwise traffic TO and from
Newport News.
1.-The natural growth Of traffic that has
resulted from the facilities offered has been
such that the facilities ut Richmond have
been overtaxed, and the company has
| found that this has really become an OBJ
structing point, liable 20 cause a conges-
| ton of cars on both sides Of The city.
ITO understand this 1t must be remem-
bered that the original line of the road en-
| tered Richmond from Newport News on
the east, passed through tunnel some
| 1000 feet in length and left the city on the
| north for Cincinnati by way Of Charlottes-
vile and Clifton Forge: that between these
| two points are the heaviest grades on the
road and that eassbound trains are COM
PEELED to climb North mountain immedi-
ately after leaving Clifton Forge over a
grade Of 80 feet to the mile. Naturally
| then. all eastbound traffic is sent over the
| James River division, where the grades are
uniformly favorable.
1.-The James River division, unfortunately,
| did not connect with the main line Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio to Newport News;
therefore. in order to transfer through
| cars, traffic arrangement was made with
| the Richmond, York River and Chesapeake,
| now portion of the Southern railway
| system, by which the use of its tracks
| through the city of Richmond was secured
| and the connection between the two links
| of the Chesapeake and Ohio completed
| "The Chesapeake and Ohio portion of this
| connection Is a single-track line, running
through the city. crossing some of the
| busiest streets at grade while at other
| points it is carried on high timber trestles
with adverse grades. that to the east-bound
| being SO feet to the mile, while to the west
bound it is 1O5 feet, thus making It neces-
| sary to break up the trains and haul them
| through the city with switching engines.
| involving fnnumerable delays and interrupt
| ing street traffic. 1t has become absolutely
necessary, therefore, to remove this OBJ
| stacle.
| Realizing that halfway measures are
always unsatisfactory, elaborate plans
| were formulated and the passage of an
| ordinance by the council of the CITY of
| Richmond secured for the construction of
a line which will completely do away with
the present troubles.
An Elevated Road.
Briefly. this plan consists of the erection
| Of an elevated structure through the civ