The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-19

I
| iatts, and not by reputation
| continuing the witness stated that ne
knew that the wharf company railroad w1r
punt Tor the purpose OF distributing lreirul
| Drought to Galveston by railways terminal
s .heie. Didnt Know OF any belt line
| In the State.
j. T. Browne OF Houston, having beer
| sworn, described certain belt street ca,
| lines OF which he lad knowledge. He de-
| scrlDed the Magnolia Belt railroad. when
runs IN straight line from Houston to n
point near Harrisburg did not know
whether IL had been finished or not.
| Charles Corner, having been sworn. tes-
| tliled that he was a civil engineer and @,
pert engineer for the railroad commission.
ana mad been connected with the engineer j.
ing department OF n number of RAILROADS.
| experimenting construction, etc. Had "a
amined about 5000 miles of the railroad
mileage of Texas and made a detailed re-
port thereof. Familiar with the railroad,
o, england, France and Spain familiar with
me railroads OF a number OF large American
cues, and with every railroad yard IN
itNas. MIR. Corner was offered as an OK :
pert by complainant and accepted as sucu
by defendant He defined the term rail-
road, aud gave the different classes into
which railroads are divided. In answer to
request from counsel for n definition Of
Deit ana terminal railways he asked pei :
the SUBJECT In connection with his work as
commission cxpert, which was grantee
all parties at interest consenting A ter
minal railway, according to MIR. Corner $
notes offered IN evidence. Is railway
winch performs tho service of furnishing
tracks platforms. sheds. presses, ware
houses. round houses. turn tables, etc, for
the purpose OF collecting and delivering
traffic at termini from and to connecting
lines, and consignors and consignees fo,
connecting lines. By the same token, II
belt line, of the type relating to RAILWAYS
proper. is track or series of tracks con-
meeting railway yards and terminals in the
same locality. more particularly operated
by intersecting converging lines and max
ing connection with the necessary transfer
tracks. Further, belt line would not MS
belt line furnish terminal facilities but
would only connect them. In addition 1t
might furnish tracks to adjacent ware
houses or industries the item of track be-
Ing common to belt lines and terminal
lines. 1t being understood that a railway
furnishing terminal facilities rather than
connecting the existing facilities of other
lines is itself terminal. In railroad usage
1t is not necessary that n belt line make a
complete circuit. That. however, is its
ideal form, as, indeed, the name suggests
After having given his knowledge of va
rious belt street car lines. MIR. Corne>, in
answer TO direct question, said that the
wharf company line is a terminal railroad
because 1t furnishes terminal facilities for
the export business OF the Galveston Hous-
ton and Henderson and santa Re railways
Mr.. Corner also stated that the Santa Fe
yards or terminals at Galveston are not sui
ficient TO accommodate that company bus
mess there and that it was necessary for
the Santa Fe to use the wharf company
terminals to accommodate such business
Tho Galveston union Ia. 49,,
the wharf company line. further TESTIFIED
Mr.. Corner. and defendants further admit
ted that IL is built on wharf company prop
erty.
Having been given permission to make
a statement on the side, Mr.. Corner re :
marked that none of the roads terminating
at Galveston IN their annual reports make
returns for belt line services. His exam
ination having been resumed he testified
that the Galveston. Houston and Hender-
son terminal facilities were rot sufficient
for the handling of that roads business
without the additional use OF the wharf
company's terminals.
The latest sworn report OF the cost Of
maintenance of the Santa Fe railroad was
brought in and Mr.. Corner was asked TO
read therefrom with reference to the cost
of terminal facilities at Galveston. He did
so and found therein several large amounts
paid the Galveston Wharf company for ter
minal facilities, the largest item being for
traokage The reports of the Galveston.
Houston and Henderson. the Missouri Kan
sas and Texas and the International and
Great Northern failed to show any amount
paid the wharf company, but contained sew
eral large entries of amounts paid for the
use of unspecifed terminals. AS far as
terminal facilities for handling the cotton
crop of Texas for export are concerned,
MIR. Corner testified that they We're on the
wharf, as the railroad terminals proper at
that point are inadequate for the purpose,
Witness further testified as to the similar
ity between the wharf company line. tho
Texas City terminal the Velasco terminal
the Arkansas Pass terminal. ard others. and
produced maps of each which were admit
ted as evidence Further than this. he tcs-
titled that the Magnolia Belt line is the
only belt line In Texas to his knowledge,
and the meeting adjourned until 10 o'clock
tomorrow morning.