The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-08-17
THE SEABOARD AIR LINE.

CLAIM or Sill &nedteI kaHWdy
Enterprise-Rspid Progress Being |
Made in Perfecting the System
Extensive Terminals at Savannah
Ridgeway to Richmond.
Mr.. J. William MiddendOrf, who is
largely interested in the system OF
Southern railroads to be consolidated
under the Seaboard Air Line Railway.
has lust returned from business trip
South. in connection with the affairs
Of the Williams syndicate, which con-
trolls the Seaboard Air Line, Georgia
and Alabama and Florida Central, and
Penins ular Railways. President John
SHELTON Williams, of the Seaboard
Air Line, and the head of the syndi
cate, who has been at Savannah. Ca,
and Columbia, 5. C.-the two CEN
tres of the system where the greatest
amount of work is being done-was
in Baltimore yesterday, and left in
the evening for Niagara Falls.
Both gentlemen spoke very en-
couragingly of the great amount OF
work being done, and seem to feel
confident that the trains of the sys-
TEN will be running between New
York and Tampa by Jan. 1st.
The officials are not prepared to
announce as vet how the system will
reach New York from Washington,
but it is learned upon good authority
that the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad will
be used to take the trains Northward.
1t was thought for time that an
alliance would be made with the Bal
| timore ana Ohio Railroad, but it now
seems that other arrangements have
been made, or are soon to be closed.
The Pennsylvania is also to be used
between Quantico and Washington.
In speaking of the work on the
terminals of the Georgia and Ala
bama division of the Seaboard, on
the Savannah River, Mr.. Williams
said:
I'VE have two gigantic steam
dredges at work there, excavating
and filling. One of them is among
the largest in the world 1t is csti-
mated to do the work of ), 900 men.
1t will excavate and distribute for
distance of from 1890 to 1000 feet
per day, from 5000 to 10000 cubic
feet of earth.
| 1.-The company's terminals at Savan-
nah embrace more than one mile Of
water front. They are to be COM
pleted by about the first of January.
Rapid progress is also being made on
the line under construction from
Mcldrim to Hutchinson's Island, a
distance of twenty miles. This road
will be completed in October, includ-
ing steel drawbridge across the
Savannah river.
'.At Columbia the work is being
pushed forward on the new terminals
of the Seaboard system. These ter
minals embrace thirty acres in the
heart of the city of Columbia, where
the company's freight and passenger
depots will be located. The conces-
sions which were granted by the city
of Columbia are very valuable, and
were cheerfully and promptly given
by the city council of Columbia,
which realized the great advantages
that would follow the entrance of the
Seaboard system into the city. A
great steel bridge will be thrown
f'Nio9o IhS NoH iINCI dC NOiuil-
bia, and another steel bridge over
the Wateree, between Columbia and
Cheraw. Contracts have been closed
for all of these structures, and the
work of filling in the link between
Columbia and Cheraw, to connect the
Seaboard Air Line and Florida Cen
trail and Peninsular, is being pushed
forward, the line being laid with
eighty-pound steel rails
The Richmond, Peters burg and
Carolina which will bring the Sea-
board from Ridgeway, N. c., to Rich
mond, is well under way, and work
has been begun on the line which
will connect the Seaboard at Cheraw,
with the Southbound at Columbia,
S. c. Surveys have been made to
run an air line from Augusta to
Columbia. Tracking agreements will
likely be made with Tie Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail
road from the terminus, just North
of Richmond, to Quantico.
The connection between the Sea-
board Air Line and the Florida Cen
trail and Peninsular is to be COM
pleted by December 18th, according
to contract, and the connecting link
between Ridgeway, N. c., and Rich
mond is to be finished by December
lst.-Baltimore american.