The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-07
IN LOOM AND RAIL
Industrial Progress in
South Shown.
MANY Additions to Spindles in Old and
Well Established Mills. Double
Tracking and Other Railway
Improvements.
(special to News ana Observer.)


Baltimore. Oct. 6, 1904.-In consiG- |
erinc the progress of the Southern cot
ton manufacturing industry as related
to the building of new mills ana the
enlargement of old plants during the |
past three months. credltaDle ue-
gree of activity is noted IN TINS
weeks issue of the Manufacturers
Record, which says
1.-THE third quarter of the year COM |
prising July, August and September, |
has resulted in announcements show
ing a total of 119,S04 new spindles
This is 10000 less than the number
reported during the third quarter OF
1903. In previous references to quar-
terly mill progress the Manufacturers
Record has remarked upon the slgnla-
cant fact that the greater part OF the
spindles being added to the South's
quota are those being installed by es-
tablished and successful cotton manu-
featuring companies. rather than by
new corporations. During the past
quarter this tendency has been espe-
cially marked as only about 29,000 out
of the 119,S04 spindles are credited to
new companies and of this number
some $4,000 are to be installed in one
plant in North Carolina. Although
this plant is new one its protector is
one of the experienced manufacturers
of the South, having for years man
aged an important plant.
1.-THE total of 119.S04 spindles for
| the quarter will require an investment
( of about $2,396.0S0. of which amount
about $5S0,000 will be the portion OF
| the investment in new mlllS-thal IS
strictly new cotton. This $oS2,0OO
| includes 100000, the cost of the 2o,-
! 600 spindle mill before referred to.
The new spindleage reported is as
follows by states Alabama 22,2OO.
| Arkansas $500, Georgia 10000, Ken
lucky 1856, Mississippi $500 North
| Carolina $500, South Carolina 16,-
| 54S."
The growth of general business in
the South is we'll indicated by the
increasing density of railroad traffic
demanding the building of second
tracks upon various roads. On TINS
point the Manufacturers Record says;
| For some time the Southern Rall-
way has been engaged in the construc-
ton of second track on a large part
of it's main line from Washington
South. Much of this is already COM
pleted, and more is being built. The Lii
nois Central r. r. has also been build
ing a second track for several years,
and at the close of the last fiscal year
of the company. on June goth. last,
it had more than $50 miles OF second
track. Moreover ViCe-President Mar
ahan was lately quoted as saying that
between Fulton KY, and Memphis
Tenn. an important part of the main
line would be pushed as fast as pos
sible to meet the demands of operat-
ing. The Norfolk & Western Railway
has been building for some time long
stretches of passing track on its main
line in Virginia and these will event
ually be connected UP and made
second track The Atlantic Coast
| Line is also constructing second track
at several places. one between Rich
mond and Petersburg. Fla. to tacli-
late the handling of many trains
which now crowd the track. Last but
not least. is the double-tracking of the
[ Richmond. Fredericksburg & Potomac
Railway and the Washington Southern
| Railway between Richmond. Va. anc
Washington, d. G. This stretch OF
line is the very throat of The railway
systems along the South Atlantic coast
as all traffic to and from the North
! is obliged to pass over 1t. everything
considered. it is surprising that this
t bit of road at least had not long age
been made a tWo-track line, as II i
! used by the trains Of several grea1
systems.
. .In addition to this double-trackina
{. Is another outgrowth of the heavy
demand, and that is. the constructors
!, of an immense freight yard on th'
| Washington Southern Railway neal
Alexandria, Va, the building of which
has just begun. This yard is to d
t. built on the gravity plan. as an
e nounced when it was first designed
and will be used for the purpose Q
rapidly making up freight trains go
r ing in either direction.
"These trackage improvements ar
but the beginning of much more OK
tensive work. which will be demande
by traffic conditions within COMPARE
lively few years. From the facts her
stated it may be observed that doubi
track will soon exist continuouSl
- from Washington as far South a
Petersburg. Va, in one direction, an
from Washington as far as Charlottes
VILE Va in another. Gradually thes
lines will be double-tracked farthe
T. and farther from the capital. becaus
. the roads south of the Potomac ar
going through a period OF exlstenc
II similar to that of the lines west Q
the Ohio, which were started as sinGi
track roads, but which are graduall
X being converted to double track trun
49,