The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-26
RAILROAD WORK IN FLORIDA.
BEGUN IN 1s3x AND is STILL con-
TINUING.

First Line Was 515 Miles in Length
and Ran From st. Marks to Port
Away-In 1850 There Were Only
600 Miles of Railway in Florida.
To-day There Are 800 Miles, VAL
ned mt over O,0OO-Many
New Lines Are building in Which
Considerable Georgia Capital Is
Interested.
Tallahassee. Fla, Oct. 25.-It is claim
ed that railroad building was COM
menced in Florida at Tallahassee in
1888, when the railroad was built to st.
Marks and to Port Leon. four and a
half miles south of st. Marks and
across the St. Marks river. In the
early 4O's the town of Port Leon was
destroyed by a Gulf storm, and the
railroad on the south side Of the river
was washed away. Since which time
the road has been operated between st.
Marks and Tallahassee. 1t has always
been claimed that this was the third
railroad constructed in the United
States. This road was operated by
horse power for many. years. steam
power being applied not many years
prior to the Civil War.
There was not much railroad building
in Florida for a long period after the
construction of the st. Marks road.
Up to about the year 1880 the rail-
road mileage in Florida was only about
500 miles, but during the following five
years, was perhaps the greatest period
for rapid railroad building in the his
tory of Florida, the mileage being given
in 1885 at 1907 miles, valued at over
So, 000, 900.
on Jan. /, 1901, the railroad mileage
was reported at 3,109 miles, and valued
at more than $19000,000.
There are a number of new railroads
in course of construction, as follows:
The Georgia, Florida and Alabama,
from cambridge, Ca, to Tallahassee,
Fla, about forty miles, which will be
in operation by December. More than
forty miles of this road are being oper-
ated in Georgia, and it is being built
northward in that state. MI. ). +.
Williams of Savannah is president.
The Tallahassee Southeastern, from
| Tallahassee to Deep Water on the
| Gulf, at or near Tampa, over 400 miles.
This road is completed and in operation
| q miles from Tallahassee. and it is
said will be completed to Perry, dis
| tance of so miles, within 80 days. r.
G.. Peters of Manistee, Mich, is the
| chief promoter. ]. L. Thomas is super
| intendent.
A railroad without name is being
| built by George l.. Drew from Column
bia City to Perry, a distance of about
go miles. This road is already COM
| pleted and in operation to Mayo, 80
miles.
The South Georgia and Gulf Rail-
way, projected from Heartpine, Ga,
to Tampa, about 500 miles. This road
| is in operation from Heartpine to
| GreenviIle, Fla, about so miles. Perry
| is also on the route of this line, and
| construction from Greenville will short
| ly be commenced southwark. ]. w
Oglesby of Quitman, is president.
The Valdosta Southern, projected
| from Valdosta, Ga, to the Gulf OF
Mexico. is completed and in operation
to Madison, Fla, % miles.
The Pensacola and Andalusia. from
Escambia to Chumuckla, E. T. Skinner
| president, rs miles in operation.
Pensacola, Alabama and Tennessee
81 miles in operation, H. Mclaughlin,
president, Pensacola.
A great many new railroads are pro-
| jected for Florida. Among those likely
| to be built in the near future are a
line from Dothan, Ala, to st. Joseph
Fla, distance of about IA miles. cap
italized at $4,000, 900. Southern Florida
and West Gulf Coast, from Fort Pierce
to Punta Rasa, $50 miles, ]. NJ. Roach
Chicago, president; capitalized at ST.
Co0OOO The Florida West Coast Rail-
way from Tampa to Braidentown, &C
miles