Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-02-22
TRUNK LINE PLANNED
FOR The SEABOARD
Ali Construction Arrangements
Have Been Made.
FROM CINCINNATI TO THE SOUTH


Already Ten Thousand Men Are at
Work on Extension of the South and
Western Railroad.
Pittsburg, Pa, Feb. 21.-A great rail
road project, destined materially to
change the face of the industrial south,
will be officially announced by the Sea-
board Air Line Railway company in
few days from its headquarters In
Portsmouth, Va.
The project is nothing less than the
construction of trunk line from Ten
nessee to the states Of Alabama, Geor-
gia and Florida, and to ports On the
southwest Atlantic coast.
This line will also afford the west
and middle west the shortest route to
the gulf states from Cincinnati, the
gateway to the south.
Plans for this gigantic undertaking
have been under way by the Seaboard
Air Line for long time, but they have
been closely guarded until they were
we'll enough along to guarantee that
they could not be thwarted.
South and Western Purchased.
The trunk line project of the Sea-
board had its inception In the purchase
of the South and Western railroad, of
Tennessee. This comparatively insig
nifcant line is in operation between
Johnson City, Tenn, and Spruce Pine,
In the same state. With a short
branch it's operative mileage Is only
rs miles.
The Seaboard purchased the prop
erty, the rights of way, and the fran
chises Of this little Tennessee line
several months ago, but it has kept the
purchase quiet, fearing that If it leak
ed out it's rivals would obtain an ink
ling of its plans and thwart them.
Now, however, ownership Of this line
by the Seaboard in a few days.
. In pursuance of the Seaboard Air
Lines trunk line plant extensions to
the South and Western has been quiet
ly going on ever since the line was
i bought. The work is now being ac-
celerated by large additions to the con-
structiOn forces, which, on Feb /,
were brought up to 10000 men.
Connection has been made with the
Norfolk and Western at Dante, Tenn.
The road will next be extended north
ward though Tennessee to Elkhorn.
KY, where it is proposed to connect
with the Chesapeake and Ohio rail
road, road allied with the Seaboard
at other points, and over whose tracks
it will obtain entrance into Cincinnati.
To Build Into the caroIinas.
Southwark the South and Western
will be extended to point at or near
Columbia, S. c., where connection will
be made with the Atlanta and savan-
nah division Of the Seaboard. When
these plans are carried out they will
give the Seaboard the leading position
among the railroads which reach the
Ohio river from the south and a great
change in the face OF transportation
facilities for the south's industrial sec
ton will inevitably come.
The new trunk line will also give
the Seaboard, which has heretofore
confined itself to eastern coast travel
to and from the south, and entrance to
the middle west, and will make 1t
formidable rival to the Louisville and
Nashville and the Queen and Crescent
The last named lines, as we'll as others
between the A1leghenies and the Mis-
sissippi, will undoubtedly bitterly re-
sent entrance of a rival into their
territory, but the Seaboard's project
has the powerful backing of the great
Pennsylvania system. both financially
and in traffic way.
The Pennsylvania lines west of
Pittsburg especially will cooperate
with the new line south from Cincin.
nati, and will give it big freight and
passenger business from the first days
of its operation.
The. extension will be costly for
the SeabuaId The construction of
2G0 miles Of railroad is necessary to
give the new line the South Carolina
junction to Cincinnati
1t will take about two years, it is
stated, to complete this construction
and trains will be moving over the
new line from the Cincinnati gateway
by the spring of 1908