Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-08-22
ON TO BIRMINGHAM
Talk of Extending the Seauoard
Air Line System.
AusUstn. Gin and thnrIcston, =. G..
cleared up Iron yields TO Bc
Tapped.

The following. taken from the At
lanta Constitution. will be read with
interest in this section of Virginia:
The seaboard is headed for Biz
nincham.
The great coal and iron district of
Alabama is the Seaboards objective
point.
The announcement in yesterday $
Constitution that application would
soon be made for the charter eff the
Chattanooga Augusta and Charleston
Air Line railway was II surprise. IL
cleared up the mystery of the survey
bstwecn Augusta and Charleston. but
IT does not follow that the road Will
be built to Chattanooga. AS pointed
out in tho Constitution. there is no
visible inducemcnt to carry the Sea
board to CHATTANOOGA. but th"re are
abundant reasons for believing that the
system means 10 80 TO birmingham.
And instead of building from Attn
ems across To CartcrsVillc to connect
with the East and West. il would h.
more natural for the company To build
from Atlanta to Marietta and thence
to some -ioint on the East and West.
southwest of Cartersvillc This would
make a more direct line. and at Mar
ictia connection would be made with
the Atlanta, Knoxville and Northern.
Which Is tDNlOuS To :srt mo Atlanta.
'Ihc East ana West extends to with
in about twenty miles of Birmingham.
AT the latter noint Scaboard interests
own Il belt line, nnc terminal propcrty
and a large tract of mineral land
The Seaboard has probably obtained
| control of the East ana West. About
a month ago President Williams and
Vice President St John. Of the Sea-
board. had a conference at Savannah
WIN Eugene Kelly. whose father owned
the control Of the East ana West. AS
an independent lire that road has, :,
hard time. but if 1t is made part OF the
Sea aboard system, the little road would
become great coal and iron route.
The advantage Of building from At
lania and via Marietta is apparent. At
the latter noint the Seaboard would
zap "a connection with considerable bust
ness coming into Atlanta and going
east. Major Thomas has always re-
fused to give the Atlanta. Knoxville
ana Northern any division of rates
which the latter considered rcasona hlr
II would jumo at a chance to get into
Atlanta over friendly connection. The
Seaboard has a freight terminal here
| which 1t reaches over the Western and
Atlantic tracks from Howell's junction.
The cost of building from the belt
road 10 Marietta and thence on to the
East and West would probably amount
10 $1,000, 600.
The cost OF building from Athens to
charleston will be not over s.. 500 600.
according to the estimates of engineers
me South Carolina and Georgia is said
To have cost the Southern nearly three
times that sum.
The Southern touches the Atlantic
coast ut Norfolk Wilmington Ghrouch
the Atlantic Coast Limo Charleston
ana Brunswick. and it is building to-
ward Savannah
THE Seaboard reaches Portsmouth.
Wilmington. Savannah ana Fcrnan-
dina. If it builds into Charleston il will
reach all the principal South Atlantic
ports except Brunswick. and it is ONLY
twcnty-thrcc miles from that city at
Everett.
The Seaboard's new owners have
started in To build up strong system.
and they appear 10 have plenty of
capital"