The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-03
All Doubts Have Been
Eliminated.
THE ROAD ACERTAINTY
Capt. Walkers Surveying Corps in
Four Miles of Town. How The Line
Runs. Not Hunting Towns or Mon
eY. As 1t Affects the S. A. L.
Railway and RuIheriordton.
(Rutherfordton SUM-

o DH OT nOl TO Dc is ilO iOnSGT lDG
question. Some things are doubtful,
prospective, or protective, or all to-
gether; not so with the proposed
building of the South & Western Rail-
way. 1t has passed the period of
doubt, it's prospect is certain and it's
projection is an assured fact. Uncer-
tainties that have been seriously con-
sidered for the past two years by its
beneficiaries and promoters have been
eliminated and its salient factors fix
ed in the determination of strong
minds with ample capital to forge it's
way from the coal fields of Southwest
Virginia to the Atlantic Seaboard at
Charleston, S. c., which is destined
upon the completion of this line to
naval coaling stations on the Atlantic
coast in the maritime business Of the
United States and of the world.
This prospective line had its origin
possibly first in the fertile brain of
Gen. Geo. l.. Carter of Bristol, Tenn,
president of the Norfolk &, Western
five or six years ago. 1t was sCn UNI
dertaking presenting such difficulties
as to awake and resurect sleeping
Alchimides. Hercules or an Atlas;
the blue Ridge must be crossed; its
precipitous accents encircled or its
granite bases Iierced with dark and
extended tunn is, whose grades we're
to be kept down to the hauling capaci-
ty of even the prairie regions of the
west, that long and heavy trains might
freight the valuable cargoeS OF coal
from the mountains of Virginia at
minimum tariff to tide water. To ac-
compliSh such result millions of
capital would be required, which,
when judiciously expended, would
insure to the promoters of the enter
prise millions in return. This capital
has been secured and active work is
pushing the arduous task to compile
ton as rapidly as these ample means
and we'll directed energy can point the
way.
The part of the line extending from
Johnson City, Tenn, to Sprucee Pine.
Mitchell County, in this State, has been
in successful operation for some four
years. Two years ago Messrs. Walker,
Abbott, Gteenlee and others, civil en-
gineers, with their respective corps of
surveyors. extended the line from
Spruce Pine through Mcdowell and
Rutherford counties to Spartanburg.
S. c. When the topography of the
country is considered it is one of the
most remarkable features of engineer
ing ever achieved in the railroad
world.
The Western North Carolina Rail
Way--noW the Salisbury and Ashe-
Vile division of the Southern-at the
time of its survey by Capt. Wilson, be-
fore the Civil War, was considered the
most remarkable achievment of the
kind in history. Not SO now, though
still wonderful. the grades are very
steep in places, especially between Odd
Fort and Black Mountain station.
where a helper engine is always kept
in readiness to assist all trains in max
in ho tn nf fIaa
tain
The grade of the South e. Western
at no point on the line will exceed one
half per cent or &c feet to the mile. No
sharp curves are tolerated, and when
curvatures are made. they extend
sometimes for several miles in length.
The South & Western crosses the
Southern in Mcdowell County on
a thirty feet cut near Eberman, eight
miles north of Marion, and four miles
south of Old Fort, from which point
it runs by what is known as Bynums
cross roads to theheadwaters of Haw
branch passing through tunnel
4,400 feet to the headwaterS of Cove
creek, then down that stream by way
of Sugar Hill and Otter Creek to A. F.
MOrgan's. Here the dividing ridge
between the waters of Cove and Noun
tain creeks are safely passed and it
follows the latter stream to its juno
uOn WIN Broad river at Mcclure
bridge. Here it will either cross
Broad river or follow the stream to a
point near Poors Ford before crossing
which will save bridging Broad and
Green rivers separately before their
juction above Poors Ford. In the
event the crossing should be at Nc
Clures, the approach to what is
known as the Cowpen's ridge will be
more easily acces sible, but an addi-
tional bridge expense of probably fifty
or seVenty-five thousand dollars will
be incurred. These two proposed lines
from Broad river to Spartanburg will
be carefully considered before the line
is permanently located.
Capt. A. l., Abbott, of the surveying
corps, is located at Old Valley Springs
II miles north of Rutherfordton, and
the location of the line has been estab-
lished from Eberman to q point near
Nanito, some nine miles north OF here.
On last Saturday Capt A. c. Walker.
who ran the preliminary line here two
years ago, moved his camp from Cur
few, Mcdowell county. to the resi-
dence of Capt. A. L. Rucker four
miles west of this place on the Hick-
orynut road, and has begun active op-
erations in conjunction With Capt. Alb
bott in locating the road bed to Spar
tanburg, S. c., which will be finished
sometime in October AS soon as
these surveys and estimates shall have
Continued on Page Five)