The Washington times., 1902-12-24
WORK ON GOULD SYSTEM
BEGUN At BALTIMORE
Hoped to Have ROAD Com
pleted by Summer

Plans Of the Goulds for reaching the
eastern coast for their great railroad
system have approached the stage where
the public can see physical signs Of
progress. Heretofore. news has been of
what was 10 be done toward making the
connections or what had been done in
buying this or that road.
Last week saw a change. Work was
begun on the tidewater terminals at Bal
umoTe- Il was modest beginning Con
tractors began pulling piles from four
old piers on the water edge Of what is
known as Fort Covington, where some
thirty acres at the head OF one Of the
channels in the hafbors mas been Sc
cured for terminals. Test piles for the
long bridge which is to cross the middle
branch OF the Patapsco River on the
line-seven miles long connecting the
Western Maryland Railroad prope. with
the Fort Covington property. were sunk;
a hearing as 20 the character Of the
bridge was given by Gen. Peter c. Hams.
of the United States Engineering Corps.
and best OF all, as viewed by BaIti-
moreans, grading was begun.
Less than year. ago announcement
was made Of the purchase OF the West
Virginia Central by the sc-caIIed Fuller
syndicate. Six months later. that syn
dicate elected winsIow S Pierce presi-
dent. and F. s. Landstreet vice presi-
dent Of the Western Maryland, having
Mn the meantime bought the Baltimore
and Washington county interest in the
road. Such was the faith OF Baltimor-
cans in the Goulds that the city refused
an offer OF $4,000 900 made by the Read
ing Railway. and took $S.761 900. the Of
fer OF the GouIds
A guarantee that $1,000 600 would be
spent on terminals and connection be
made with the coal mines in West vir-
ginia was exacted This was not alb
solutely necessary. for almost before the
road was turned over to the new man
agement. arrangements had been made
for the purchase Of the Fort Covl7gton
property and engineers we're making
surveys for the tidewater line.
The tidewater line itself viii be equal
to that Of any road in the country-ir-
deed. this may be said OF the entire sys-
TEN. The route Of the former is gov
erned by the franchise granted a decade
ago. Baltimore Is hilly and there are
some steep grades on the line between
the Western Maryland and the termi-
nails The heaviest grade will be %
per cent with traffic. and the sharrast
curve degrees, properly compensa. ed.
The line goes under the Pennsylvania
Railroad once. under the Baltimore and
Ohio twice. and has one grade crossing
on the latter road. There are compare
lively few street crossings At grade.
the highways as a rule going over or
under the tracks The work will be
heavy, some Of the cuts being forty feet
deep.
1t is hoped 10 have the road finished
next sumnar Much will depend on the
attitude Of property owners. Some
right-of-way has been secured. and on
this grading has begun, but in other
cases condemnation proceedings are on.
and still others are in prospect.
The main line OF the Western Mary
land must be rebuilt. Curves mast
come out. grades cut down. bridges re-
built. and heavier rails laid. Except in
the broad outline Of doing away with
the worst features nothing has been
decided upon. The main line climbs 10
the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
and on each side Of the summit the
worst grades are tn be found. Surveys
have been made for a ID. O.000-foot tunnel
through this ridge. the building OF
which would entail the construction OF
a road twenty-six miles long from tho
Monocaey east TO smithsburg. west Of
the mountains. This is about the dis
tance Of the present line with it's curves
and grades. To construct this line would
take about two years.