Evening star., 1897-03-25
SEAB0ARD AIR LINE
Extensions Proposed by That Company
North and South.
new ORLEANS AND WASHINGTON
The Two Terminals According to
Present Plans.
A BIG WORK INTEN d ED

| Is understood practically concluded ar
rangements for a line of its own into Wash
ington on the north and New Orleans on
! the south. thereby creating. when opened.
! an additional great highway between the
north and the south
The initial step in the movement was
consummated a few days ago. when the
city of Petersburg, Va, decided to trans
| fer to Mr.. De Witt Smith and his associates
its interest in the Virginia and Carolina
railroad, conditional upon the completion
of the latter.
A well-posted railroad man. in speaking
to a Star reporter the subject said:
The completion of the Virginia and Caro-
lima road, which is now nothing more nor
less than charter for the construction of
a line between Richmond, Va, and Ridg-
way, N. c., is the initial step In the plans
of that company for directly reaching on
the north Washington city and OH the
south New Orleans.
The Seaboard Air Line has virtually
been shut out Of through car service be-
tween New York and New Orleans. but it
proposes to extend its road that there
will be three southern parallel lines instead
of two between the northern and southern
capitals. and to accomplish that end Presi-
dent Hoffman and the directors of that
company have been quietly at work for
several months.
The seaboard Air Line extends from
Portsmouth, Va, to Atlanta. One Of it's
main points is Weldon. NJ c.. and from
that city, by reason of a traffic arrange
ment with the Atlantic Coast Line its
trains to Washington are sent over the
latters tracks. The proposed northern ex
tension is to be built from Ridgway to
Richmond. a distance of 124 miles, and the
charter OF the old Virginia and Carolina
road, which saw service before the war, is
nj ha
system Of extension now decided upon by
the Seaboard Air Line.
"A construction company which was
Gently formed in New York, and of the
personnel Of which Cen James S. Negley
of Pennsylvania is one and Dewitt Smith
of New York, who secured the city of
Petersburg interest in the Virginia and
Carolina charter. another: will begin the
work OF building the proposed line within
the next thirty days. and, upon its COM
pletion 1t will be leased in perpetuity to
the Seaboard Air Line. Authority to that
end has already been given by the direct
ors of the railroad company to its man
ayers. and ii Is expected that the line will
be ready for operation within six months
after 1t has been started.
From Weldon n. c., to Richmond the
road will parallel the Atlantic Coast Line.
and at the latter point the James river
Will have to be brdged and terminals Sc
cured. The Atlantic Coast Line owns the
bridge 1t uses over the James river, and
that connects with the Richmond, Fred
oricksburg and Potomac railroad. which
runs northward for eighty miles. to Guam
tico. The Seaboard Air Line recently Sc
cured options on properties at Manchester
and Richmond. and these will be converted
into depot and freight yard facilities.
After securing its own line into Rich
mond. the Seaboard Air Line will expert
ence little or no trouble in effecting traf-
f1c alliance with the Richmond. Fredericks-
burg and Potomac Company for the haul
of its trains to Quantico The state of Vir-
ginia has a controlling vote in all ques-
tions concerning that property, and there
is little likelihood that. as that company
now hauls Seaboard trains over its line. it
will decline to accede to demands for fur
ther facilities in the event of increased
business.
Atlanta being its extreme southern ter
minus, the Seahoard proposes to overcome
its inability to get its cars into New Or
leans over the Atlanta and West Point
road by building extensions enough to en-
able ii to reach Montgomery. To this end
line about fifty miles long will be built
from Atlanta to Carrollton. Ga, where con-.
nection is to be made with the Chatta-
nooga. Rome and Columbus.
AN extension of this line, which is un-
der the control of the Seaboard, will be
made to Columbus, seventy-f1ve miles be-
yond, and at that point the Alabama Mid
land will take the cars into Montgomery
where the Louisville and Nashville now
an ally, will furnish the remaining haul
into New Orleans. At New Orleans the
Southern Pacific. with its diverging and
A.
board on an equal footing with Its north
ern competitors.
Persons who are interested in the Sea-
board Air Line say the proposed extern
sion will be carried through, and no effort
Will be spared to make that property a
great highway between the north and
A telegram received in this CITY in ref
erence to the above matter says: "The
Seaboard's plans for building a line from
Ridgway, NJ c., to Richmond, Va, SC as
10 get close connection with the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac and
thence by way of the Pennsylvania run its
trains into Washington, are calculated to
further disturb the southern situation 1t
mas been expected for some time that the
Seaboard would endeavor to get the old
virginia and Carolina charter, and thus
secure right of way for an important ex-
tension That this line will be built there
IS nttie doubt, SO long as President Hoff-
man is in control of the property. The
transcending value of Richmond is very
evident, for 1t could do much at that nojnt
TO increase Its business. But II is not like
iy that the Atlantic Coast Line viii con-
tinue to remain seemingly passive in the
race Of the competition that is planned TO
environ it. That company may do a little
building of its own o
1.-The Coast Line has a line ONT of Norfo,L
ana they own track to point In North
Carolina, known as Spring Hope Inside
OF thirty days that company could extend
Its line from Spring Hope to Raleigh ord
that would enable it to compete advan-
tageously with the Seaboard between that
city and the sea.
THE coast line could also extend its
Cheraw and Darlington line from Wades-
boro' north and become a very formidable
competitor should the Sea5oari succeed In
getting the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley
road. The Coast Line holds several strong
points which, II necessary, could be made
to tell against Seaboard composition AS to
the Southern railway. 1t is much better off
than the Coast Line at the present time
but II necessary it could do some ccnstruc.
tion work which would prove detrimental
to the Seaboard's plans
'The Seaboard Air Line manageme,t will
leave nothing undone that will secure the
consummation Of Its plans. 1t has not vet |
secured an entrance into Florida or New
Orleans, but 1t will make O great effort
In that direction with the prospects Of
success. The Louisville and NashvliIa Ia
said to be deeply interested in the Sea-
board Air Line. and to be solicitous for its |
success. 1t wants 1t to enter Montgomery.
and II 1t gets into Richmond It Is believed
by many that the Pennsylvania viii want
to buy IT.