Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-22


The following special telegram to the
Register from GAINESVILLE, O., tells of an
important new railroad enterprise. now
pronounced to be "go":-
Col. Albert E. Boone arrived here
to-day, after accompanying Sir Thomas
Tancred, the expert English engineer,
sent here by an English and Dutch
financial syndicate, to report on the
proposed road from Columbus, O., to
Port Royal, S. c., preliminary to an
advancement of the money necessary
to build the road by the syndicate. The
project is backed by the citizens of
Knoxville, Tenn, and they have adj
vanced about 100000 to make the sur
veys which are now complete, and for
three months Sir Thomas Tancred and
Hon. VIM. Kirby, ex-railroad commits
sioner of Ohio, and number of prom
inent citizens of Knoxville have been
going over the re-surveys. Sir Thomas
reported to Mr.. Kirby and the other
directors of the company that he would
make favorable report ON the system
and this will be the source of much
pleasure to the projectors. The line
and the provisions of the subsidy
aggregating s5,O0O00O have been voted,
and the provisions of the subsidies
grants are that this money is to be
used in meeting interest deficiencies
for the first three years of the opera
ton of the road.
The project is not a new one, and for
this reason has not attracted as much
public attention as it would otherwise,
but when completed the road will be
one of the great trunk lines of the
country. John c. Calhoun, back in
1899, projected the road, and the State
of South Carolina spent five millions
of dollars on it and one hundred and
sixty miles of the line is now ready for
the ties, with the exception of an
eighth of a mile of tunnel to be COM
pleted. This tunnel is mile and an
eighth in length and fifteen hundred
men worked on it for three years, and
mile was completed. The tunnel was
put through granite and was not cut
from the ends. but from shafts from
the top.
Col. Boone said to the Register re-
porter that while he had been in name
the promoter he was not entitled to
any special credit for the consumma
ton of the project, as the people had
been the projectors and he had simply
directed them in the right direction
Col. Boone has the contracts for build
ing the entire line of the road and said
to the Register correspondent that
work would be begun by May LIST, when
the syndicate which is to advance the
money will have headquarters estab
lished in this country. Col. Boone says
mineral deposits in the world and that
the supply of granite is ineXhaustible.
He thinks the road will be completed
in two years from next May.
The financing of the road has been
conducted by Hon. VIM. B. Dickinson,
of Washington and London, and while
he has been here during the stay Of
Sir Thomas Tancred, he will sail for
London in two weeks to complete the
negotiations for the money and the
arrangements for establishing head
quarters in this country for the syndi-
cate, so that the money will be i'd
vanced as the work progresses.
Col Boone built the GAINESVILLE and
Ohio River road against tremendous
obstacles, and although many have
been against him, there is no question
now that he has many of the richest
men in this country ready to back him
in the Port Royal road. Your CORE