Evening capital., 1907-04-20
TO ElECTRIFY SHORT LINE.
The Contract For The Work Is Awarded 10
J. &. White & Co.

The Maryland Electric Railways
Company has made contract with j.
q. White " Co., the well-known cleo
trical contracting firm of Baltimore.
10 supervise the electrification of the
baltimore and Annapolis Short Line
railroad. The latter was merged with
the MARYLAND Company last summer.
and il was snnounced at the same time
tnat it would be converted into an
electric line. During the last few
weeks extensive preparations have
been made for starting the work.
II is said that several of the contracts
in connection with the conversion of
the road into a trolley line have been
let, aud that some of the material is
already on the ground. The White
firm, which is to supervise the con-
strucuon, has opened an office in Bal
timore in the Continental Building
and Mr.. Waldo IL. Sawin placed in
charge of the b-anch.
The Maryland Company has, as
yet, named no date for the completion
of the work, but Il is probable that
from now on no timo will be lost fn
the building, and il may be ready for
operation BY the time the Washington,
Baltimore and Annapolis Electric
Railway Company has its branch To
Annapolis running. The latter has
been at work for nearly year, but
has devotedits attention principally
to the line between Baltimore and
Annapolis. The Annapolis branch of
this road leaves the main line at Oden-
ton, and is now operated as steam
road, using the Pennsylvania railroad
tracks from odenton TO Baltimore.
IA .f a. 4 T..
Annapolis is about Twenty-Five miles
in length. At present this Company
uses the tracks of the Baltimore aud
Ohio Railroad i'm entering Baltimore.
but Just how il will arrange TO enter
alter the electrification has not been
announced. Originally the intention
was to go into the city over the tracks
of the Baltimore Terminal Company.
which is to furnish the entrance for
the Washington Company, but IL Is
said that this deal fell through. The
Terminal Company is understood to
have demanded rate of 10 cents per
passenger for every one hauled over
its line, and, according 10 reports. ID
was largely because of this rate that
the agreement was not made. The
Washington Company is understood To
have made a contlct with the Teribi-
nal Company on these terms, blt
then the latter is owned by the fonv
mer.
In some quarters il is thought prob
able that the Short Line may make an
agreement with the United Railways
and Electric Company for the nso OF
one of its lines, most likely the West
port branch, for an entrance into Bal
timore, though it is possible that IL
may build its own road. So far no
agreement of this kind has been made
between the two companies, but their
relations are very close, and IL is
unlikely that any difficulty would be
encountered should such step be
decided on. 1t would be necessary,
however, to lay an additional rail on
the streets used by the Westport line,
as the Short Line is of standard
guage, while the guage of the United's
tracks is fixed by ordinance and is
wider.
Just what arrangements the Short
Line will make about power is anoth-
er matter which has not been made
public. 1t is thought likely, how
ever, in some quarters that Il may get
its current from the Consolidated Gas,
Electric Light and Power Company.
which has large power plant at West
port, or from the United Railways in
event of the latter corporation having
any power to sell. The Consolidated
Company recently contracted with the
McCall's Ferry Electric Power Com
pany to get its current when the plant
on the Susquehanna river is put In
operation, and it will be in position
to serve large territory. The uni
ted Railways Company has also been
given the opportunity to get some OF
the current from the Susquehanna
river plant, and the matter is now
under consideration by the officials OF
the Company.