The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-19
RAILROADS BATTLE
OVER COAL FIELDS
iSeaboard Fighting to Enter
| Southwest Virginia.
ALLIES IN OPPOSITION
Norfolk and Western Backing
Chesapeake and Ohio.
EFFECT ON HAMPTON ROADS
The Seaboard Would Garry Virgins Coal to
Port Royal-Territory Fought Over.
Extension OF the Big Sandy
Road-The Gladesvills
charter-Railroad
Gossip.
Norfolk and Western Backing
Chesapeake and Ohio.
EFFECT ON HAMPTON ROADS

The fight before the Senate Conm1ttsa
on Roads and Internal Navigation yes
terday afternoon over the bill incorporat-
ing the Gladesvlle Railroad Company.
threw considerable light on the relations
of several railroad corporations Of con-
siderable larger moment than that whicif
proposes to borrow It's name from tne
town of Gladesville.
The splendid coal fields of the largo
Southwest Virginia counties OF Buch.
anan and Dickenson are untouched ana
undeveloped. The coal deposits OF Wise
county are only partially reached by thss
Ciinch Valley Division Of the Norfolk
ard Western and the Southern. formerly
the Louisville and Nashville. which msse
at the town of Norton, in Wise county.
These three Virginia counties lie alonS
the Kentucky line from northeast to
southwest The high range of the Cum
berland Mountains divides them from
Kentucky. An equally high parallel range
walls off the counties Of Tazewell. Rus.
sell and Scott. The three counties ta,serl
together form a rectangular area eighty
miles long and thirty miles wide. Each
cne is twice as large as Henrtco county.
and the whole territory is pronounced b;-
e. perts to be the finest coal field in the
Allegheny Mountains.
COMPETING RAILROADS.
Competing railroad interests have
awakened to the Importance of pre-empt-
ing this territory. Those one time rivals, the,
Chesapeake and Ohio and the Norfolk and
Western, are acting in this matter with
r. harmony of cooperation, which tells
Of the close alliance and community oe
common snterest and ownership. which
have come with recent movements IN
the world OF railway finance. Only
fau RI fI,a( A mas
ed. and the Governor signed. a bill per-
milting the Big Sandy Railroad to enter
Buchanan and Dickenson counties. And
no word of opposition came from the
alert representatives of the Norfolk and
Western. This road. as now constructed,
runs from a point on the Chesaneake and
Ohio at the junction Of the Big Sandy
and Ohio Rivers some ffty-seven miles
up the Big Sandy River. In Kentucky
Forty miles more will bring the ROAD
UP the Big Sandy to the Virginia line.
The company proposes to build this ex-
tension at once. and to divide upon en-
tering Virginia, running one branch up
the Levisa River through the center oL
Buchanan county and the other up tho
Russell Fork through the center OF DICK.
enson county. It is publicly announced
that the so-called Big Sandy Railroad II
merely a branch of the Chesapeake ana
Ohio. Mr. Wickham told the committees
that the company proposed to push tne
DEVELOPMENTS of the Buchanan and DtcK-
enson coal fields at once. and Mr.. w. a..
Glasgow. attorney for the Norfolk ano
Western argued long and earnestly "11n
the committee that the Chesapeake and
| ohio should be given this territory w1t1rs
out competition
sEABOARD INTERESTED.
| Mr.. Bruce had spoken In favor OF tha
charter of the G,adesviIle Railroad. which
! proposes to enter and develop the sama
| territory from the Southwest, starting at
| Norton or Big Stone Gap. The feature
.f Mr. C;lasgow's speech In opposition
| to the Gladesville Railroad charter was
| HIS statement that this road was prob
ably backed by the Seaboard Air Line.
| that the Senboard had recently pur-
| chased the Virginia Southwestern or At
| lant!c and Ohio. running from Big Ston7
Cap to Bristol. and that It was believed
! that the purpose of tho Seabcnrd waS
| to build forty mile link. connecting its
| system in North Carolina with it's re-
/ Gently purchased property at Bristol
| This. Mr.. Glasgow thought. would re-
| suit in the Virginia coal from Buchanan.
| Dickeason and Wise going to tidewater
al Port Royal the seaboard's deep water
| port in the Carolras. rather than to
| Newport News or Lambert's Point. this
| terminals of the Chesapeake and Ohio
| and Norfolk and Western. The Sea-
/ boards development OF this Virginia ter
| ritory would be grer1tLy to the injury OF
| the Hampton Roads coaling terminals.
| thought Mr. Glasgow. especially as ves-
/ sells can coal at Port ROYAL. which Is
| on the coast. in twentv-fonlr or thirty
| six hours less time than at Newnort
/ News or Iambert's Point The Sea-
| boards development of this coal terri
! tory and the line to Port ROYAL would
| lose to Virginia the income from the
! percentaee the long rf,r1 to dsen 49,
| fer over either the Norfolk and Western
! or chosa ceake and Ohio.
Mr. R-rcs o,1 NJ --ardaren, w~-e Of
! the on'nion that Chicago capsta'i~ts In
| t>1es+e1 w 'he coal aa'ds ~.e-" hrct-j os
| .h.. c,aGo~rilie road brt NJ w,cbha.r
! ard M Glasgow were cc-@1e-t th,. she
/ seahoard AIR Line stood back Of the
/ proposed road.
THO c1edeevil1e Rail-nnd cha-.s- ws-s
| referred to n anhro-r-,ittee rc~-'-.'~~. -
L ~ IL " y>ak