The times., 1899-12-09
FROM COLUMBIA TO SAVANNAH.
Tourists Enjoy Trip Over the
Southern RniIMay,s NeM Line.

southern Railways New Line.
SAVANNAH, Ga, Dec. S.-The leading
officials of the Southern Railway system
and about forty of their guests reached
Savannah this afternoon at o'clock on
al inspection trip over the Southerns new
line, between Columbia, s c., and this
city, mentioned in our despatch of yester-
day from Charlotte. \. c. At Charlotte
and Columbia the party was joined by dele-
cations representing the principal news
papers Of the Carolinas and western Geor-
gia and at O'Clock this morning the
special train bearing them pulled out of
Columbia. The acquisition last spring by
the SCaboard Air Line of a controlling in
terest in the Florida Central and PENN
sular Railway Company over whose line
from Columbia 10 Savannah the Southern 5
Florida trains have heretofore been oper-
ated. made il necessary for the Southern
at once 10 secure a new connection TO
handle that important traffic.
With characteristic pTomptness and
energy the Southern bought the old Caro-
lima Midland made arrangements for track
/ age with the Atlantic Coast Line and Plant
I System, and. within five months, surveyed.
/ secured rights Of way, and built connect
ing link of thiTty-One miles. between Cayce,
+ a station about five miles west of Co
lumba on the Southerns line. to Augusta
and Perry on the Carolina Midland. This
stretch OF track, together with the repaired
ana rebuilt track OF the Carolina Midland,
was highly eomplimented yesterday by the
I Railway Commission OF South Carolina,
( who. as required by law inspected il
4 thoroughly and found it good-so good that
/ in their report they pronounced it the best
! piece Of track In the State. Over this the
/ SCuthern's special was run today at an
/ average speed Of fifty miles an hour, which
was increased at times 10 over seventy
miles an hour, as shown by the speed indi-
Gators il the six private cars of which the
! train was composed. Over a new piece OF
( track this is a record run. The train
( pulled into Savannah at l o'clock, on
schedule time, although nearly half an hou
/ late cat Of Columbia, and, after drive
through the city the party was taken tc
/ the De Soto Hotel. where Col. i. 5. Cannon
I ably presided over an elaborate luncheon
/ given by the Southern to its guests, and
about fifty of the leading citizens of Sa-
( vanuah several of whom in brief addresses
I extended TO the Southern the freedom OF
/ the city for railroad purposes at least.
/ President H. H. Vreeland. Of the Metro
pciitan Street Railway Company, of New
/ York. pronounced the benediction and
eulogium on Colonel Cannon, which coy
cred that gallant railroad warrior with en-
/ barrassed bushes. and wound up the func-
+ tion in a medley OF cheers for the Southern
and Savannah.
The visitors were then driven through
the city past the site Of the new union
! station, soon to be built for all railroads
] running into Savannah, to the station OF
/ the Plant System where, at O'Clock. they
/ boarded the special for the return trip tC
Washington. Beginning en- Sunday. Deem
( Der 10. the Southern Will run its Florida
( trains over the new line and the Plant
I system leaving New York at about noon
midnight and $3.50 p. m, and leaving
/ Washington at 11:15 a m. and $50 and
/ 1875 p. m. and reaching Jacksonville il
about twenty-five hours running time from
/ New York Later when the Florida limited
i is put on this schedule will be somewhat
( imurOyed