The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-24
1S[ABOARD Will
LEAF. .COALERS
Ryan Plans to Open
Vast Coal Fields in
Virginia.
WILL EX PEND
$50, 900, 900
South and Western Will Con
meet at Marion, n. c., With
S. a. T., and NillsRun
North to Great Lakes.
Plan May Ward Off
RecciyershiD.
Reccivership.

( 4 A>S>~A y - ~ II
Thomas Fortune Ryan and his asso-
friates in the world Of finance have on
I foot a plan to make the Seaboard Airl
Line the greatest coal carrying read
in tho country. by opening up an enor-
! nous coal field in Virginia and con-
injecting 1t with the Seaboard Air Line
I by means OF a 2oOmle railway line.
! now being built and known as the
! South and Western Railway.
The news comes with peculiar force
\ at this time when persistent rumors
sof a receivership for the Seaboard AirI
line are abroad and when the earn-I
| ings Of that road have fallen to SO lew
1 an ebb that for the past six months.
mot even fixed charges have been paid
4 by freight and passenger traffic
Despite these conditions the future
lbs bright for the Seaboard.
From reliable source comes the
Information that 100000 acres OF coal
/ lands have been purchased by thel
sfClinchfield Coal Company, the hold
4 ing company for the syndicate in
(which are Messrs. Thomas f. Ryan;
Blair. of Blair & Co; Norman 3.
lReams and George l.. Carter, of Nir-
Einia, who. nominally head OF the
/ syndicate and president of the South
Aand Western Railway, planned the
scheme and engineered the gigantic
IDEAL.
TO Cost s5o,o00,ooo.
The road which, now has It's ter
minus in Russell county, Va. is being
pushed rapidly, Is already half
FINISHED and vii cost when
lcompleted to Marion. N. c.. $4,000, 900.
for the question of expense has not
entered into the plans OF the finan-
ciers who arc behind the movement.
Despite tight money and so-cal1ed
ihard times in Wall Street, there has
been no let up in the construction OF
the road which Ia being built in the.
most up-to-date manner with low
grades and easy curves. willie the
mountains are being tunnelled at all
points to save high motive power.
The Sonth and Western Railway
now has its beginning in the northern
end of Russell county. runs south
Through Russell. Wise and Scott coun-
ties. tunnelling a mile through Clinch
Mountain to the Holston River. a
branch OF the Tennessee. and down
the valley OF the TENNESSEE River to
tllingsport, where q large town Will be
built. 5000 acres having been acquired
for that purpose.
The road crosses the Southern Rail
way line at Johnson City. runs south
y
across a gap OF the Blue Ridge Noun
aans and connects with the Seaboard
LAir Line at Marion. N. c., from which
point all the Southern sea ports are
fwithin easy hauling distance.
The South and Western will open up
I by its main line and spur tracks
the richest and most extensive coal
fields in the world, and with unlimited
.capi,al behind the vast undertaking. It
lbs said the seaboara Air Line will lead
inl the roads Of America as a coaler.
To the Great Lnkes.
The present plan is only the be-
ginning OF the Clinchfield Company
scheme, for, the connection with the
Seaboard Air Line being completed. 1t
Is the purpose of Mr.. Ryan to extend
the road north to he Great Lakes by
way Of the Ohio River, where 1t will
# connect with the Detroit, Toledo and
1ronton Railway, known as the zim-
ulerman Route, which is controlled
by the Ryan interests. This Is the
Z road which threatened two years ago
to enter the coal fields controlled by
si the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, by
building a bridge across the Ohio
River, thus operating a short route to
the Great Lakes The plan was frus-
trated by Zimnerman's lack OF funds
and the road went into the hands of~J.
+
MIR. Ryan.
To reach the Ohio tunnel three
miles long will be bored under Sandy
Ridge, and the road will run down the
Valley of Sandy River to connect with
III the D. T. and I. r. r.
II Million Acres of COnl
The millionaire coal field which
rs practically inexhaustible, was pur.
chased by the Ryan syndicate through
Mr.. Carter from the estate Of Mr.. Dale
Carter. of Virginia, from the Interstate
Coal Company, from John II. Inman
OF New York: the Clydcs, of Philadel
phia, and from the native land.
owners Of Russell and Dickenson
# counties. The plan has been kept 81
cret for two years, Mr.. Ryan's anc
Mr.. Blairs names not having beine
connected with the deal, all the bus
4 Iness being carried on through Mr. Geo
j. Carter. whose offices are at John
4 son City, but who Is Virginian, hay
Ing been born in Carroll county, Ii
1857.
lie entered the railway service ii
1880 as president OF the Virginia AM
southwestern Railway, having had M
q railway training before that time.
well known railroad official wht
lately went over the line OF the new
road, Is authority for the statemen
that the construction Of the road bet
Is even more expensive than the Tide
M wafer Road now being built by th
Standard Oh interests
CNftf
4 r II ~ Aru,at