Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-31
RAILROADS
GREAT BUSINESS,
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PACED

dation freight engines, ntteen Oh winch
are 10 be delivered in January, 1900, and
The remainder in July and August, l@o
Passenger-cars in service, 2i2. Contract
has been made for eight modern coaches
and one diniug-ear for the T. +. "
trains. Five postal and baggase-cais
are now under construction IN the CUM
pany's shops; IL ,JlZ freight cars no" III
service; 100 coal-cais ana coAe-e"is
under contract to be delivered carry ~
1850. work Is progressing rapidly on 'he
track elevation through Richmohu' an"
il is expected to have The same com
pleted within year. The afchitecls are
working al rapidly as possible on lne
detail plans for the new passenger sta
ton, and as soon as completed the CON
tract will be made. II Is expected 10
have the station in operation early III iJVl.
AL Newport News, a new grain eieNd-
tori 5000 bushels cdpacity-an export
pier. an additional coal pier, ana also
additional tracks 20 accommodate the
same. Will be completed BY July, lN0
and a new passenger steamer OF the
best construction and speed, Will soon Ue
built TO ply between Newport News ana
Norfolk. which. with the steamer Louise,
thoroughly ovcrhauled, will fuihish
greatly improved service between Ken
mond. Newport News, and Norfolk.
NEW BRANCH LINES.
A new branch line Is being constructed
from Whitcomb, following the Gfeenorlei
river to the Forks, a distance or Jul
miles. passing through some Of the finest
grass. stock. and grain lands and pene-
trating a region of vast forests OK the
finest timber, opening up an entire ne"
country for Richmond traihc. rms me-
when completed. will form at It's termi-
nous a northwest connection Of rail-
roads Of great importance TO the Chesa-
pealxe and Ohio railway ana virginia
A branch line fifteen miles In length,
following Piney creek, TO develop cDul
properties. will be completed early IN
1900. Additional Developments are beihs
made in the coal-helds In the way Oh ao-
ditional coal-mines and coke ovens.
The southern Railway.
The Southern railway has shown
great growth during the past year. ana
the additions to this important system or
the South have been most important ia
rounding it out and I'm improving The
TRANSFORMATION interests and facilities OF
the Southern States. The growth Of the
system has been a part of and in keeping
with the industrial and commercial de-
velopment of the whole southern terll-
tory. and that development has been OF
tho most substantial character
Richmond is one of the chief points on
this railway and her interests as wei as
nearly the whole State Of Virginia, are
closely bound up with it. The Southern
has lines reaching TO nearly every section
Of the State. and to nearly every section
of the Southeast Of the MISSISSIPPI river.
It's Richmond division. from the main
line at Danvile TO Richmond and west
Point, furnishes to the jobbers and the
manufacturers Of this city an outlet 10
the West and TO the entire South ana
Southwest, and the facilities for distrl-
button thus given have a most important
influence upon their business.
NEW EQUIPMENT AND TRACK
The Southern Railway System. includ-
ing the Alabama Great Southern and the
Northern Alabama roads, has mileage
of 6,S6 miles, making it one Of the lead
ing great systems OF the country. In the
State of Virginia the mileage - Y8 miles.
1t has constructed more than 100 new
IL has purchased a large amount
Of rolling stock. During the year 10 has /
placed orders for 43 passenger coaches /
dining, cafe baggage-cdrs, &c, 300 |
freight and POO coal and coke-cars, and !
IS locomotives. OF which l6 are for pas
senger service, an Of the ten-wheel type.
Of the locomotives orders placed - were
with the Richmond Locomotive orks'
and most of the car orders We're TO south
en car-shOps
The policy Of the Southern railway In
working for the development Of the coun-
try tributary TO its lines is Well known
and il is having the greatest influence
%
Through the efforts of the company there
have been added very large number OK
new manufacturing concerns IN "a wide
variety of lines, capital has gone in
outhern timber lands, Quauies, and
mines. and hundreds OF families from tho
states h8ve settled upon south
,rn farms. The new factories built on
he line OF the Southern railway i'm 1873
include iron and stce. furnaces and mills,
and foundries. tanneries,
urniture. wagon bOboin and shuttle.
,ud other woodworking plants, canneries,
,lass-W0rks h0ur-miIls, cotton and knit
ng-mills. and many other works. Rich
uoud viii this year be given a magniii-
vent new depot-ona which win be an or
lament 10 the city.
The Norfolk aud Western.
Nothing can convey a better idea OF the
prosperity Of the Norfolk and
Western than comparative statistics. in
ISL the number OF passengers carried
was 1929; 1899. lSlSoO. Passengers car
led one mile, 1881, S3i0-5.; 1899, n 1893 .09S.
Number Of tons Of freight transported,
SSl. 3l9 937 1889 S.87 .739. Tons Of FIRE ght
'arried one mile, 1881, GsH4lS2; 1899. 2i56,
Us sos.
Length of road IN 1881 n232 miles; I'm
I'D |
.engers, 1881. SC3.9359S. 1899 $LC0S,flL45.
Earnings from freight 1851. $3S5.95G2; 1899
9,1n,G5.35. Earnings from express, 1881,
M, 1862; express. 1899 sil6.21O31. Earn
ngs from mail. 1881. $l0.47S4j; 1899 $780,
1925. Miscellaneous. 1851, Sj.7506l; 1899
me-. SJ733 Total earnings 1881, Si7S 1922;
S99 $ll, 81. 1850. Operating expenses, 1851,
1859: 1899. S7339.10314 Net earnings. 1881.
33l 90953; 1879. $is88@G5j.
locomotives 1881. 81. 1899. 473. Pas
1881. pa 1899. 23S: Freight
ears. 1851. 1906 1883, 1927. Barges. 1881.
!; 1859. 10.
HOW TT HAS GROWN.
The Norfolk ana Western has PLAYED
IN important part I'm the DEVELOPMENT
II Virginia and the South. The Oldest
'art of this system was opened for traf-
he I'm 1872. This road ran from Norfolk
o Petersburg, 81 miles long. known as
he Norfolk and Petersburg railroad. The
econd part Of the present system s. the
iouthside Railroad Company, chartered
n 1886, but opened for traffic I'm 1857 be-
ween Petersburg and Lynchburg. In the
anne year the Virginia and Tennessee
abroad, chartered IN March. 1919. opened
or traffic between Lynchburg and Bris-
oil, so that the old main line on the Nor
old and Western system has been In