Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-20
mile for branch lines and $4,000 for mai
line second track"
Great Mystery Solved at Last.

| BALTIMORE, September 20.-Just a year
| ago facts not before known were exploited
| in this city about the mysterious railroad
I that was being constructed from Deep
water W. Va. through virgin coal and
| timber lands. It's promoters and financers
were kept in the background, and as no
stocks or bonds were placed on the mar
ket those in charge declared that the pub
| lie had no occasion to know. 1t was sur
missed that some big fnanciers must be
| putting money into 1t, and the members of
the Standard Oil group were touted as its
packers. 1t was only when the note issue
of $1O,UOO,OOO was put out that 1t was
known that 1t was Mr.. Rogers who was
| behind the enterprise practically single
| handed.
! The Tidewater- Deepwater road is being
| constructed through one of the richest coal
| fields in the country, and is now nearing
| completion. 1t extends from Deepwater,
w. Va, to Hampton roads. Va, about 800
miles. Deepwater. the western terminus
of the line, is merely a whistling point on
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, about
thirtY-five miles southeast of Charleston,
W. Va. the Kanawha river. The 1900
census placed the population Of the place
at only 135.
There are many things about the new
road which are causing railroad men to
take a deep interest in the company.
First is the substantial manner in which
the work Is being done. Elghty-five pound
rails being laid. while the grades
easy ana much less imam those OF either tne
Chesapeake and Ohio or Norfolk and West
ern. with which the new road will come
into competition at places. The viaducts
are all of steel built of double tracks. while
the tunnels are larger than others In that
territory. On the Norfolk and Western the
average height OF tunnels is seventeen feet.
while none Of those on the Tidewater- Deep
water Is less than twenty-five feet Then,
too the track is well balasted. and there
are comparatively few curves on the line.
Can Be Operated Economically.
All of these things point to the fact that
the new road can be operated at an eco
nomcal figure. and hence the other COM
feeling no little concern. The new railway
Is being built from starting point to desti-
nation without reference to local business
of interior points. The route followed by
the road is through the best steam and
coking fields of West Virginia, and those
behind the project are doubtless figuring
on getting the bulk Of this business The
interests backing the company are also
credited with owning thousands of acres
of coal lands only awaiting the completion
of the road to be developed with all the
rapidity that ample funds will assure.
The cost of the road. with terminals. etc,
Is estimated to be about SS6.0OO.UOO. 1t
goes through mountainous country,
which makes the construction both diff
cult and costly. The builders. however,
are apparently taking little account or
the expense. tie idea being to provide
are saying nothing whatever about their
plans; in fact some OF the officials of the
company have remarked from time to time
since the work began that the public need