Evening star., 1896-11-30

NAA NO A-AlNADI1C COs
the road from Huntington, W. Va, it's then
| terminus, to Cincinnati, distance of 1872
miles, where connection was made with his
own great system Of roads dhe Big Four.
| reaching all the important cities of the
northwest. Among other plans carried out
| was the making of a contract with the Vir-
ginia Midland now the Southern Railway
| Company by which the Chesapeake and
| Ohio obtained entrance via Gordonsville in
| to Washington, the Chesapeake and Ohio
| having the same rights upon that railway
tnat W,,,a the owners OF 1.-THE the , road have
| up the whole United States to business to
and from the hitherto bottled up Chesa-
peake and Ohio, the physical condition of
| were dismantled and broken up by hum
| dreds locomotives went to the scraphean
| by the dozen. The passenger equipment
disappeared and new palace cars were Of
| fered to the travelling public as If by magic.
| New locomotives were built on the latest
principles and under specifications even in
advance of those in use on the best roads
| These engines were put to hauling enor-
| nous trains of freight, carried on new
cars Of the greatest known capacity, equip
ped with all improvements, including auto.
| city in freight equipment on all but two
or three railroads in the United States.
| Nearly every bridge on the road was re-
| newed by the heaviest iron Structures
1
| Sandy river. cost nearly half a million of
dollars. Tunnels were arched and made
secure. Nearly 100 miles Of road were
| dcuble-tracked. New branches were built
penetrating the coal. iron and timber dis
| tricts adjacent to the main line
| Miles and miles of new side tracks were
added, water stations and depot buildings
| were erected at frequent intervals over the
| whole system. Decayed tr .stles and ties
and timber everywhere gave way to new
ones The trestles themselves disappeared,
and heavy embankments were substituted
! In their place The old, ragged, worn-out
| light rail was substituted along the whole
line by heavy steel, the standard rail now
being 100 pounds per yard against So and
~ pounds per yard when the reorganiza-
| tion effected.
The inadequate facilities at Newport
| News have given place to a magnificent
| system Of wharves and DOCKS and one of
| the most complete and serviceable in the
country. Commodore Maury's dream of a
| steamship line from Hampton Roads to
European ports has been realized, and
eight great Chesapeake and Ohio freight
| News and English ports with all the regu-
larity that attends the passenger service
| of the railway.
The struggling concern of few years
| ago has become great trunk line, and one
| of the splendid railways of the world.
Not Informed.
The plan for grand union depot for the
Pennsylvania, Chesapeake and Ohio and
Southern railroads to be built by a termi-
| nal company was called to the attention OF
Senator Mcmillan of Michigan, chairman
of the Senate committee on the District
| Of Columbia, by e Star reporter today
Il know nothing about that plan" he re-
Piled Il have heard nothing about it,
When Mr.. McMllan's attention was call
ed to the fact that Mr.. ingalls,, president
| of the Chesapeake and Ohio road, was au-
thority for the statement he said:
THAT may be what they want to do, but
| l know nothing about IT.
Commissionerr, Plans.
At the District building officials knew
nothing of the proposed terminal station
here. but 1t can be stated that the Dis
trict Commissioners expect legislation at
the next session of Congress which will
remedy the railroad situation In South
Washington In fact, even now, they are
preparing two reports upon this important
subject, and when Congress convenes they
hope to be In position to force the issue.
From time to time Engineer Commits
sioner Powell has been hard at work with
his engineers considering the abolition of
grade crossings In South Washington. to-
gether with the changes recommended by
the Pennsylvania railroad and the scheme
thought best adapted to the situation by
the Commissioners. Last year, owing to
| the pressure of other matters and the late
finally adopted, 1t was decided to hold over
the report until this session. And SO, from
June until the present time. the matter
has practically been under consideration.
Three important things have been de-
cfded upon in this connection. First, the
Senate bill as originally drawn will not be
recommended. Second, report will be
sent to Congress with an accompanying
bill. embodying the views of the Commits
sioners. which they will urge as substi-
tute for the original bill, and. third, a sep
arate report and substitute bill will be pre-
sented embodying, as far understood,
the wishes of the Pennsylvania railroad.
Which of these bills will be favorably
considered one ventures opinion.
The Commissioners would be satisfied If
any of them passed, for each one Is bet
terment in no uncertain terms on the SUBJ
ject. Either a depressed system or an
elevated structure, preferably the latter,
will be welcome. But what they do not
want and what even now they are striv
ing to overcome is a partly depressed syS-
TEN. That is. a system which is depressed
at certain points. and which at others re-
mains as it Is today. And this is the sys-
tenn the engineer Of the railroad wants.
to. His argument is that depression to
ten feet city datum is the only safe one;
that If the tracks are lowered any more
they will be inundated.
And the Commissioners meet this with
the argument that the highest flood Wash
iE gton ever knew was nine feet, and that
would likely not occur within hundred
years The rearrangement Of the city's
sewerage system and the means for pre-
venting the low lands of South Washington
from inundation is certain to occur within
a short time. the Commissioners urge, and
with that completed there would never be
a flood. But the railroad people are firm.
and will not bulge inch from this po-
sition. There are many arguments against
such a system. the Commissioners urge.
Aside from the unsightliness Of the half
buried system, number of streets will
have to be closed and given over to the
railroad company. The Commissioners real
ize the Importance of bettering the condi-
tions in South Washington, and would hail
with delight any Improvement, but they
urge that If the matter Is to be settled let
1t be settled once and for all time by the
adoption Of system that will not have to
be revised in the future but which will
serve for all time. Many people have ask
ed Commissioner Powell what system he
prefers. He has never up to this time in
dicated his preference. But now it is un-
derstCod that he believes an elevated sys-
tenn would be the best, for all interests 1t
would maintain all the streets as they are
now, and, altogether offer. less obstruction