The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-05
WILL USE F C&P AT ONCE
\ TEMPORARY FLORIDA ROUTE
VIA CLINTON, s. C.
THE SOUTHERN MAKING UP TO FLAGLtR
Want to Join With Him at Jacksonville anc
Use His East Coast Road and
Steamers for West In
dian Trade.

1t was learned on authority yesterday
that the Seaboard Air Line has drawn
plans for ten new fast train engines. IN
stead Of eight as stated in yesterday $
paper. Il is expected that the order for
them will he placed in n few days.
They will be powerful locomotives, of
the most approved pattern and highest
speed.
For these engines five new vestibuled
trains will be built. The drawings and
specifications for these have also been
made. but the contract has not yet been
given out Each train will consist of one
full mail car. baggage and express car,
and two passenger coaches. or course,
ON each of these trains will be run
full complement of Pullman sleeping,
dining and chair cars.
These trains will be ready by the time
the CAMDEN Columbia and the Rich-
niond- Ridgeway short cut are completed
In the meantime however, i'll order to
advertise its new Florida line. the Sea-
board will temporarily inaugurate Il
through route from Norfolk to Jackson
vile. via Clinton, $. c., over the I. y.
& l.. This Clinton elbow will make the
route some $50 miles further than it will
he ON completion of the Camden-Colum-
link. but it is the only way by which
the Seaboard can get into Florida over
the f. c. & p. until that link is con
structed.
In the matter of trackage the Seaboard
will lose nothing by this longer route, as
it will get a differential rate, nor VIII
the passenger lose in fare. The only
handicap will Be that of time. But once
the Camden road is finished, the tables
will be turned and the Southern will
labor under Il similar disadvantage. No
matter what route it takes it will find
itself getting into Florida several hours
late
The Southern's plan, now that it has
lost the +. C. & r. Railroad, is to form
a temporary alliance with the Plant peo-
pie: and later. when the Plant System
shall come in competition with 1t by
reason of the construction of the North
and South Carolina Railway and its con-
nection with the Atlantic and Danville,
the Southern will pool its fortunes with
Flagler and his Florida East Coast rail
road and lines of steamers to Havana
and Porto Rico.
The first arrangement, they reason, will
enable them to keep up their through
Florida travel until they can build a line
into Jacksonville to take the place of
the F. C. & p. Railroad so recently and
so unexpectedly snatched from them by
the Seaboard. The second deal will en-
able them, after that line is built, to
largely control the East Indian trade
which will be something enormous.
The new line to be built by the
Southern will probably begin at Summit.
s. c., on the Charleston, Columbia and
Augusta Railroad, which belongs TO the
Southern.
From Summit to Columbia is about 30
miles As has already been announced
in these columns and as President
Spencer has since publicly stated. this
link will be built first Then on to
Savannah, Ga, a distance of about 80
miles more-or 10 miles for the entire
Summit Savannah link.
At the last-named place the work of
construction will stop until it becomes
evident that the present arrangement
with the Plant System can, for any rea-
SON be no longer maintained. Then the
Southern will again take up the work
OF construction and build the Savannah
Jacksonville link. This will require 128
miles of new road if they take the old
+. G. & p. route as is now contemplated.
This route, they claim, is much better
than the one finally selected for the
Il. G. & Z. and is ten miles shorter
Once into Jacksonville over its own
road the Southern will form an alliance
with the Florida East Coast Railroad.
as above indicated Flagler. they claim,
controls the key to the railroad situation
in Florida His road certainly runs
through the most fertile section of the