Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-11-03
Ii 4 IS S / .Ac K iAA0qNf,.
col. BoeNE,s GREAT. scHEM i. j ! !
Mr.. j. ID. Cappelmann Talks OF his
Visit to Port Royal to Meet Sir,


Thomas Tanored aud his Rarty. IA 1
[Charleston News aud Courier, Oct. so ]
Mr.. John d. Cappelmann, howent to
Beaufort to moot Sir. Thomas Tancrod,
returned to tho city yesterday, and whom
asked about his visit, said; &EcS IS
'tAt tho request of Mr.. w. II. Welch,
president of tho Young Mems Business
League, of this city, of which am a
membeI, aud of his Honor tho Mayor,
wont yesterday, with Mr.. John A. Smith,
tho active and we'll posted representative
of tho Charleston Freight Bureau, to
! meet personally Sir Thomas Tanored, of
London, England, and tho members Of
tho Black Diamond Railroad scheme.
"Wo found these gentlemen at Beau
fort, quartered at tho Sea- Island Hotel,
and shortly after our arrival we wore
introduced to tho distinguished British
engineer, who .graciously received the
invitation to visit the city of Charleston.
It was q pleasure to meet hifii, and ho
said that ho hoped nt some ether time he
would be enabled to visit Charleston, rs
bis appointments now would prevent his
doing SO. ....
GAS far as tho Black Diamond project
is concerned, everything will depend
upon tho report which Sir Thomas shall
mako TO-, English capitalists, who, it
sooms, will put up millions if his report
bo favorable. 1t is refreshing to meet
with mon so hopeful and confident as are
tho projectors and promoters of tho Black
Diamond Railroad enterprise, as repro
sontod in tho persons of the Hon. II. 9.
Dickinson, Of Washington, D. G.; Mr..
Wm. Kirkby, of Toledo, Ohio, as also
| Mr.. Samuel w. Stairs, of Dover, KY,
| who, by the way, is tho only newspaper
man in tho party,) and Mr.. j. l.. Tribblo,
of Anderson, in our own State. Mr.. w.
| Il. Cronshaw, of Knoxville, Tenn, is tho
| engineering chief, and has dono the sur
voying of the line beyond the limits of
our State, and if reports arc correct,
| about tho only opinion that Sir Thomas
| has expressed so far is ono commanding
tho work of Mr.. Cronshaw.
''The whole party was enthusiastic and
delighted with the trip ovcr tho noun
tains from Tennessee into South Carolina,
and gave interesting accounts of thoir
experiences and narrow escapes in tho
| mountains.
"Col. J. L. Tribblc, of Anderson, is tho
! representative of tho project 80 far as
South Carolina is concerned, and his
| interest and solf-sacrilico should draw
forth great sympathy and corporation
from tho people of tho State along the
proposed limo of tho road. Tho party
| will meet again during tho coming week
in Cincinnati, at which point Sir Thomas
| will join them, after going on profos-
| Cincinnati tho party will enter again
upon the line of road westward, inspect
| ing the section which is to reach Colum-
| bus, Ohio.
"rho promoters arc considering only
q double track line from start to finish,
insisting that the first cost of building a
double track is so littlc in eXccss of tho
| rf h,,i OF, ,n1n thot fl,o
| additional cost will be far ovorbalancod
| by the facility for traffic and tho saving
| of expense in tho operation of tho road.
| Besides this, tho English capitalists will
not consider anything short of double
| track road.
"Mr. Smith and mysolf on Monday will
make report i'll detail to tho presidents
of tho various commercial bodies of tho
city, who will bo invited by his Honor
the Mayor TO meet with him to hear this
report. 1t appears that tho project
which Sir Thomas was engaged originally
to inspect and consider contemplated
trunk line to Port Royal, with branches
from appropriate points leading to
Charleston and Savannah AS to what
is expected of Charleston in it's relation
to the enterprise further data will be
submitted at some future time"
Interview Of Mr.. j. b. Harrison.
Tho New York Commercial of October
| 26 contained All inverview with Vico
President j. B. Harrison, of Knoxville,
in which he spoke of the Black Diamond
as follows:
"rhe idea of such railroad was origi-
mated in 1880 by John G. Calhoun, and it
was then planned as line from Cincin-
natl, via Knoxville, to Charleston, S. G.
Prior to tho war actual construction was
begun, and over $2,000,O00 was spont.
Our project calls for tho building of a
railroad from Columbus, Ohio, via Knox
vile, to Port Royal, S. c., and $250,00O
has been spent in surveys and in taking
up rights of way. For ono hundred and
fifty miles tho limo will run through tho
rich coal fields of Southeastern Kentucky
and East Tennessee. 1t passes through
tn" marble fields around Knoxville,
where there is an inoXhaustible supply
of tho finest marble in America, and
through the slate quarrics at tho head of
Little Tennessee River and Rabun Gap,
where nature scoms to have lot down
| tho Allcghanies for the purpose Of allow
ing a railroad to pass through.
"FCr tho last twelve months the finan-
cial agent of the company, II. G. Dickin-
son, has been in London presenting tho
plans of the company to English capital
lists. AS result Sir Thomas Tancrcd,
an eminent English engineer and rail
go over tho line and carefully report on
the resources of tho country through
which it passes. | just left him at
| Knoxville, whore ho was on his way to
Port Royal, and he expressed himself as
being surprised at tho immense coal
fields and marble quarries ho had already
gone over on tho route.
"Ucrotofore tho trend of railroad con-
structiOn in this country has been in
building trunk lines East and West. Our
road is practically North and South
line. The object in going to Port Royal
was to secure tho advantages Of tho
splendid deep water harbOr there. IL is
an inland harbor, with shipping amply
protected, and has 3S feet of wator. From
Port Royal to the coal fields, via this
now road tho distance is only four hun
dred miles. Tho limo will Oo ,2ID miles
long and double-tra Calculations
made show that it can bo built for about
$l0,000,000."
Port Royal Water Front Examined.
| BEAUFoRr, October 28.-Sir Thomas
Tancrcd and party concluded TO lay over
several sites Of wator front for possible
should its projection be on this harbor.
Savannah has tolcgraphcd that dclogar
tion from that city would bo hero to- day
or this evening to confor with tho pro-
jcctors, as tho time of the visitors is linn
in London by tho 18th of November.
Tho party will leave horo tomorrow
morning for tho North, preparatory to
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