Evening star., 1899-01-03
RAILWAYS SEEKING OUTLET
Vanderbilt System Prospecting for Line
Through Washington.
Probable Effect Upon Sale of c. and
D. Canaf-Proiected Connections
i'm West Virginia.

There are indications that within the
| near future the railway facilities of Wash
| ington, to the northward, especially, will
| be largely added to. 1t is known to those
who have watched the trend Of events that
| the national capital is receiving a large
| share of attention from the management of
! railway lines that are without an entrance
| into this city. II is urged that as the capi-
| tai of the United States it is the center Of
| an enormous passenger traffic.
The recent action of the Pennsylvania
| Railroad Company in placing on sale tick
| cts between the east and west via WASH
| ington without extra cost has given the
| movement contemplated by some northern
lines tremendous impetus and there is a
general belief in business circles that one
| result will be that the state of MARYLAND
| will be able to get much better price for
| its holdings in the Chesapeake and Ohio
| canal than would otherwise have been the
| case.
In discussing the subjects of the sale of
| the Chesapeake and Ohio canal and in
| creased railway facilities as they relate to
| Washington and Baltimore, a banker who
| Is largely interested in railway matters
| said:
| Vanderbilt Systems Plans.
| Events seem to be so shaping themselves
| that the great Vanderbilt system may move
| " iSSSl washington. W neither TINS Would
| be done openly or through some less pre-
| tentious means is matter of detail This
system now passes through Pittsburg and
runs southeasterly in Pennsylvania to New
| Haven, which is about fifty miles from
| Pittsburg-and not an appreciable distance
| from the Maryland state line. While a
| mountainous country would have to be
| traversed, a careful examination of avail
| ahla data of ar.bx fnI; bas
| satisfactory line can be built that would
J connect the Vanderbilt system with the
| West Virginia Central and Pittsburg rail-
| road at Piedmont, w. Va. This would
/ bring the Vanderbilt system into that great
] and practically undeveloped coal and tim
| Der section OF West Virginia touched in its
rich spots by the West Virginia Central
| The possibilities of this section are al
| most illimitable, and to the Vanderbilt sys-
| tenn. which in its ramifications enters most
| of the larger industrial centers, whose fac
| tories could be fed for generations with
| raw material from West Virginia. the rea-
sons for the construction of such a road
| are apparent. With access 10 the ConnelIs-
vile regions in Pennsylvania West Nir-
ginia, West Virginia Central in West Vir-
| ginia and the Georges creek region in
| Maryland, which the construction of such
| a railroad would permit, the Vanderbilt
system would take a commanding position
| in the bituminous coal trade.
TT is difficult to estimate how many miles
of road would have to be. built from New
Haven to reach Piedmont, but about sixty
five miles would cover the distance. A
practicable route could be found by con-
tinuing the present Vanderbilt line along
| the west bank of the Youghioghe eny river
| to a few miles north of Oakland, thence
| through gaps made by mountain streams
| in the Alleghanies, traversing Garrett coun-
| ty and probably passing through gaps TO
the south of Negro, Meadow and Great
Savage mountains, striking the Potomac
river and crossing over this stream to Pied
mont.
West Virginia Central.
with the West Virginia Central a party
to this plan the Vanderbilt system could
secure an entrance into Cumberland over
| the formers tracks. Once at Cumberland
| the Chesapeake and Ohio canal would Of
fer easy route to reach Cherry Run, and
from that place Baltimore could be reach
ed over the tracks of the Western Mary
land railroad Objection may be made that
the heavy grade on the mountain division
| of the Western Maryland would not make
it attractive for through trunk line, but
this could be remedied by improving this
division. When the old South Penn scheme
was under construction a contract was
made to use the Western Maryland rail-
| load from Hagarstown to Baltimore that
called for the tunneling of South noun
tain at or near Pen-Mar. The South Penn
read, backed by the Vanderbilt system
was being built to take that system
through Pittsburg and on TO Hagerstown.
there to join the Western Maryland and
get to Baltimore. This was defeated at
| an immense cost by the Pennsylvania rail-
road.
Washington would be an objective point
for such big system, and it may he pre-
ferred to go to Washington, following the
canal, and thence to Baltimore. Going
via Cherry Run and joining the Western
Maryland railroad there, the total new
mileage to be built to enter Baltimore
would not be over 125 miles.
"A union of interests between the West
Virginia Central and the Vanderbilt system
would no doubt be followed by the build
ing of the projected extension of the West
Virginia Central south to join the Chesa-
peake and Ohio and thus reach out after
the southwestern markets. In the Chesa-
peake and Ohio canal there are offered
many attractive possibilities of bringing
another trunk lire to Baltimore. In these
days, when capital is available so readily
for new enterprises, the wideawake rail-
road men of the country are not likely to
lose sight of this chance to reach a city
which, in the fiscal year ended June So
1898, was second to New York In exports"