The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-21
FROM MEMPHIS
TO PENSACOLA
The Pensacola, Alabama and
Western to Be Great
Il Trunk Line.
AN ENGINEERS STATEMENT
Will Make Short Route for South
ern Products to the Panama
Canal.

A connellsville Pa, newspaper has an
exceedingly Interesting interview with
w. Kreppg Allen, a we'll known civil and
mining engineer, who has recently re-
turned from tho South. where he has been
employed making preliminary survey
of tho Pensacola, Alabama and Western
Railroad, which is being planned by a
French syndicate. Mr.. Allen had charge
of one OF three parties OF surveyors that
were engaged In running lines from Mem
phls, Tenn, to Pensacola Fla. Mr.. Allen
was seen- in his office in the First Ma
tional Bank building recently. and gave
out very interesting talk on the new
railroad project, as we'll as on the inn
pressons that he formed during the fif-
teen months that he was in the South.
Mr. Alien has, in the course of his busi-
ness. been employed in fifteen States In
the Union, and his wide experience has
given him the faculty Of describing the
county in an entertaining and instructive
manner.
MEMPHIS 10 PENSACOLA.
The Pensacola, -.labamn and western
Railroad, when completed. will have q
main line 420 miles In length, extending
from Memphis. Tenn, to Pensacola. Fla.
AS there is only one line running into
pensacola. the Louisville and Nashville.
this sea port Will make an excellent ter
minal for the new company
From a point in either Marengo or Will
cox county n branch line. about 15o miles
long, Will be run to Birmingham, Ala,
in order TO draw some OF the Immense
steel and iron traffic OF that city. The
main line OF the road runs through
sparsely settled country. but one that Is
riCh
The road will traverse a portion OF the
famous Black Belt" where the proper
ton OF negroes is very large, compared
with the whites.
II will also border the Tombigbee River
VALLEY. where one and a half bales OF
cotton are raised to the acre. represent
Ing sI5 in gold. AT Demopolis. Marengo
county. the line will touch the celebrated
cement rock district OF Alabama. Here is
located the Alabama Cement Company.
whose works have q capacity OF 800 bar
rels OF cement day. This company Is
one OF the most prosperous in the New
South A dividend of twenty per cent.
Was declared In the year 1905. which
amount will be spent on improvements TO
their plant. a branch line Will also be
run to Blockton. Tuscaloosa county,
where the Tennessee Coal and Iron Com
pany's mines are located. This company
land the product of the mines resembling
the output OF the Penn Gas Coal Com
panys mines. Practically all of this coal
Is shipped to Pensacola for export, which
his now handled by the Louisville and
Il Nashville. The main ine-of the proposed
rev road Will be double tracked.
The present temporary headquarters
OF the Pensacola, Alabama and Western
are at Selma, Ala. William X. Knowles,
In of ~, NratT~ IL, 49,
Pensacola. is president under the tempo
rary organization, and John e. Stiilman,
collector OF the port of Pensacola Is vice..
president. William Barclay Parsons. who
superintendent the erection of the New
York Subway, is consulting engineer. The
road. when completed and ready for
operation, will represent the expendi-
ture of between s25, 0CA.000 and $50. COO, 0t0.
Nearly $4,000 was spent on the preliminary
surveys. 1t ia not known when the actual
construction of the road will be begun,
but 1t is thought that this will he taken
up in the near future. All the lines for
the road have been run.
There were three forces of engineers
engaged on the work. One party sur
Neyed the line between Columbus Miss,
and Memphis; another party from the
Alabama River to Pensacola. while the
party under Mr.. Allen ran the lines from
Columbus to the Alabama River includ-
ing the Birmingham branch, besides sur
yeyinS for the terminus at Pensacola.
The country through which the road
will pass is excellently adapted to rail-
road construction. The maximum grade
would be twenty-six feet to the mile,
with curves averaging three degrees.
LIGHT GRADES.
This is unusually light, and would in
sure the transportation of maximum
amount of tonnage at minimum ex-
pense. One peculiar feature of the pro-
jectis that there is not a stick of timber
to be used in bridges or trestle work
This is remarkable inasmuch as the road
passes through great timber country
All of this work will be of steel and con-
crete While the first cost will be much
more than timber work, the structures
will be more stable and large amount
of money will be saved in the end.
Pensacola, the Southern terminal of
the road, Is one of the most perfect
harbors in the country. 1t is in a land
locked bay, with water SO feet deep over
the bar at low tide. 1t can be readily
seen that vessels can leave the harbor
drawing more water than most harbors
VIII permit. During rough weather in
the Gulf of Mexico, ship can load or un-
load at Pensacola. three forts and
light house. The spring manoeuvers of
place hire. tits peculiar phenomenon
that during these naval evoutions, when
the great guns are fired frequently, eggs
cannot be Matched, on account of the
vibration caused by the discharge of
the guns. The ground shakes for miles
around when one of the large pieces of
artlilefy are fired. even when the ships
are several miles away from the harbor
Pensacola is great seaport town. Nor
mally It has population of more than
1900 people.
II Is an open secret that the new rail-
road project is an effort to gain an out
let on the sea coast close to the Pau
anna Canal. Pensacola is the best harbor
on the Gulf. and would be in direct toucn
with tho new canal when 1t is opened,
The Far East, including Japan, China and
the Philippines, would then be opened
to the mineral and agricultural products
of the South. The Pensacola, Alabama
6 Western would divide traffic with the.
Louisville and Nashville. which latter
road controls the field at present.
It<~o r,i- ". a. L. 1.