Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-12

One of the plans under consideration by
those having the matter in charge is said
to be to make use of the charter granted
tomac above GEORGETOWN and extend its
tracks to point in Fairfax county; an
other contemplates the ferrying Of trains
and Shepherds, Md, from which point the
Baltimore and Ohio tracks north. east and
west could be made use of. and still an
other is to make such arrangements as will
enable the Richmond and Washington
Company to avail itself of advantages
which. 1t is said. can be secured from both
the Pennsylvania and Baltimore and Ohio
systems.
1T is the intention said a high official
OF the Seaboard Air Line. Ito bring Rich
mond into direct connection with the Balti-
more and Ohio system. a privilege the
city has never enjoyed. The idea and plan
of the Seaboard or. more specifically the
Richmond and Washington Air Line. will
mark a new era in the history of Rich
mond and Virginia
1t is the further intention of the Sea-
board to build and operate its own line be-
TWEEN Richmond and the Potomac. The
Seaboard will secure outlets north east
and west by means of the PENNSYLVANIA
lines and the Baltimore and Ohio system
The Pennsylvania will he tapped at Guam
llco or at some point between Quantico and
washington The Seaboard will. IN using
this connection. cross the Potomac on the
Pennsylvania's tracks, and thus gain en-
trance to Washington.
1 lie ctieT pi;ln proposed Is To connect
with the Baltimore and Ohio This road
has two lines into Washington. one to the
| north and the other to the south. As
yet it is undetermined which of the lines
will be used in making the connection
Arrangements already exist by which the
Potomac can be bridged and thereby give
the Baltimore and Ohio through line
south and the Seaboard through line
north and west
The Route Selected.
THE Richmond and Washington Air
Line railway proposes to run through the
counties Of Henrico. Hanover Carolina
Spot sylvania, Stafford Prince William.
Fairfax and Alexandria and the cities of
Richmond. Fredericksburg and Alexandria
and the taxes which this road will pay to
the cities and counties through which il
will pass will probably amount to from
$1,000" to 10000 per annum. in addition to
the taxes which it pays the state.
III dcr the ordinary circumstances such
an application as We ask for would be grant
ed without hesitation by the legislature of
virginia. and the only reason this charter
was not promptly granted Is that the state
of Virginia is int rested in he Richmond
Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad But
competition is good. and d parallel case
may be found in the Western and Atlantic
and the East Tennessee. Virginia and
Georgia railways. The former is owned
entirely by the state of Georgia but in
1857, when charter for the East Ten
nessee, Virginia ana Georgia was asked
tor. by which il could open up "A paraIlel
line between Atlanta and Chattanooga 1t
was granted. Later Years have demon
strated the wisdom Of this course. Not
cnlE mas Georgia protitcd enormously by
the competition but new business was de-
Neloped to such an extent that the average
gross earnings of the Western and Atlantic
road for tie eight years following the
opening of the competing line showed an
actual increase over the earnings for the
eight nd ha los al
report of the railroad commission of
Georgia shows the net earnings of The road
tor the past fiscal year to be about fifty
per cent more than the average earnings
Tor the eight years prior to the competi
ton"
In talking with a Star reporter in Rich
mond Saturday evening, President Will
liamS said he did not wish ii TO he under
stood that the Seaboard Air Line and the
Baltimore and Ohio companies have al
ready. as has been inferred in some quar-
tiers, made arrangements for through serv-
ice in the event of the construction of the
Richmond and Washington road.
Statement by President Williams.
Continuing, Mr.. Williams said:
Eve have yet have no contracts or
arrangements whatsoever with any rail-
road or transportation company north of
Richmond, except the traffic contracts
which We have with the Richmond, Fred
ericksburg and Potomac and the Pennsyl-
Vania companies.
so far as 1 know the Baltimore and
Ohio company has not now and to the best
OF my knowledge never has had any finan-
cial interest in the Seaboard Air Line nor
has the Seaboard Air Line any interest in
the Baltimore and Ohio. Notwithstanding
TINS TACT, L have no objection to saying
that if the charter for the line from Rich
mond to Washington is granted u.s. as
asked for, it is our intention to build a new
line to the Potomac river and secure out
Lot to he /,
east at that central point over the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad and the Pennsyl-
vania railroad, with both of which com
panies the Seaboard system is on entirely
cordial and pleasant terms"
Prohibits Consolidation.
Reports having gained considerable circu-
lation that it was the intention of the in
corporators of the Richmond and WASH
ington Air Line Company to consolidate it
with the Richmond, Fredericksburg and
Potomac, the following amendment to the
charter of the proposed new road will, at
the suggestion of President Williams be
also reported TO the Senate tomorrow, the
Senate's committee having accepted 1t:
1T is made a condition upon which this
charter is granted that neither the COM
pany hereby incorpora ted, nor any other
company with which it may be CONSOLE
dated. or which may control its rights and
franchises, or which may acquire the right
to use its properties or franchises shall
lease, operate, purchase or otherwise con-
troll the properties, rights or franchises of
or consolidate with the Richmond, Fred
er1ckSburg and Potomac Railroad Com
pany, nor consolidate its capital stock
property or franchises with the capital
stock of the said Richmond, Fredericks-
burg and Potomac Railroad Company
either by agreement or other arrangement
with said company, or with any other
company which may hereafter consolidate
with or otherwise acquire the capital stock,
property and franchises of the said Rich
mond Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail-
road Company
In the United States court at Richmond
Saturday, Judge Waddill refused to grant
the injunction asked for some weeks ago
by Mr.. Thomas F. Ryan OF New York, to
prevent the consolidation of the various
properties now under the control of the
Seaboard Air Line people, and it is eX-
pected the plans for consolidation which
have been already printed in The Star will
be carried into effect at an early day.