The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1905-04-13
NEW RAILROADS
FOR VIRGINIA.

Never before perhaps in the history of
Southwest Virginia and West Virginia.
has the vastness Of their mineral wealth
attracted SO widespread a degree of at
tention and interest ~ has been the case
within the past two years This fact fnds
conclusive manifestaiion in the plans
which have been formed during that period
TO furnish additional railway facilities
for coal carrying parposcs. The Manu-
fAeturcr's Record ia its current issue.
notes the condition referred TO-. and says
in the course Of a lengthy editorial upon
the subject, that 1.-The efforts OF several
railway corporations to build new lines
from the southern coal fields 20 searoris
on the Atlantic coast promise 70 rival the
cndeavors Of various gFAin-carryiug rail-
roads to provide themselves with tcrmin-
ais Of the Gulf Of MEXICO" Five new
roads from the mountains 10 the sea viii
probably be in operation within the neat
few years-this aside from others whose
construction is nov in serious couicmpla- I
ton. With respect to those which give I
promise ofeasliest completion. the Manu- I
lecturers Record SAYS that .tbey cover .
two lines from the Toms Greek I
aud Cranes Nest coal fields. another from
the interior of West Virginia, another
from the northern part OF West Virginia
coal region, and a 6f,h from the Birmiue-
ham district" Our Baltimore contempor-
ary continues:
"Considerabla attention has for some
time been directed to the rivalry OF sever
al railroad companies to get lines up che
Ciineh River Valley to the coal territory
lying around Toms Greek aud ia the re
gion Of Cranes Nest river.
This situation has lately been rendered
more interesting - survey Tor the
Southern Railway Company between
Marion, North Carolina, and johnson
City, Tennessee, presumably. though not
lssuredly, for the purpose OF connecting
With either the Virginia and Southwest
sFn Railway or the South aud Western
Railway both Of which, as has heretofore
been announced, project lines to points in
he Vicinity Of Toms Greek Il must also
be noted that the extension now under
by the Interstate Railroad Is
to be connected with the sspira-
ions Of some larger corporation to GET in
o those rich coal fields"
Referring TO a matter which is Just now
Il especial interest here, the Mauafact-
lrer's Record says:
"Bnt Interesting and important as is the
abroad situation With respect to toe coal
erritory in Dickinson and Buchanan :
ounties in Virginia, another coal carving l
ilau. first disclosed a year or more ago.
as lately sprung actively into pabiie no 2
-ee. This is the deePwatsr and tidewater 8
always scheme to convey coal frorn the .
Interior Of West Virginia 20 sewaiPs
'oiEt, near Norfolk, with the intention Of c
ondacting large export bushes. That y
ortion Of the railroad lying in West Viz ;
mia Is well advanced in construction, "
aving been started some time ago with a
We mile stretch CT line as a nueieus. But
} Virginia portion, knoan as the Tide q
ater Railway, was apparently in danger G.
being abandoned; in fact, there we're q
-om time time ramors that it had been q
lsen up, notwithstanding the fact that a
mrltaneoussy With these rumors came
ports Of engineers and right 81 way -
seats being at work al various points in q
isginia preparing for the impending con- q
Faction Of the line. Until recently,
swsser, nothing defaiie respecting she =.
aiding of this road had for some time y