The Washington herald., 1907-05-27

While the eyes Of the whole country
have been centered on r. H Hartman as
the master manipulatOr Of the railroad
world. a greater and more extensive COM
bination OF railroad interests than he
ever fashioned, has been In process Of
perfection. until now the plans are near
ly matured for the public declaration Of
this gigantic merger
More than a thousand million OF capital
is involved. and the mileage Of the new
system will extend practically from the
most northern point Of our Atlantic coast
TO the Gulf ports. with net work of
tracks gridironing New England, the
East and Middle West, tapping the great
est freight producing territory in thu
world.
This colossal merger, when perfected
viii be known as the Greater Pennsyl-
vania system. II viii embrace practically
all the railroad mileage IN New England
together with the present Pennsylvania
lines east and west Of Pttsburg, with
through connections TO New Orleans and
Mobile. Instead Of projecting a trans
continental line from ocean TO ocean. the
keystone of the new system will be the
Panama Canal Traversing. as II does
the most c0ngested sections OF the United
States. and reaching every great indus
trial and manufacturing center east Of.
the Mississippi. IL will afford an outlet
10 the products Of this vast section to
all parts Of the Atlantic north Of the Po-
tomac. and also give them a direct route
to the orient. via the Gulf and the new
isthmian canal
MeIlen Behind Move.
Charles 5. Mellen is credited with being
the master mind that has wrought this
vast protect although 70 is understood
that the consolidation was under consid-
alton before the death Of the late A.
J. Cassatt. former president Of the Penn
sylyania.
Mellen is a close personal friend Of
President Roosevelt. as was also Prem
dent Cassatt. II is IN 1orstood here that
the Federal administration has been
sounded as % its attitude toward the
contemplated consolidation Of these great
interests. for President MeIlen has been
a frequent visitor TO the White House
and has taken an advanced position in
the railO7d world as favoTiug the policies
Of the administration in the regulation u
public carriers. He has come out for
valuation Of railroad properties. and re-
Gently retained John T. Stevens. former
chairman and chief engineer of the Pan
anna Canal Commission, to supervise this
appraisement Of Nellens New England
lines
The present Pennsylvania system is the
nucleus Of the merger. though Il is un-
derstood President Melen. Of the New
York, New Haven and Hartford. will
head the new greater system. 4 board
Of control will be elected representing
all the various interests which dominate
at present not only the Pennsylvania sys-
TEN. but the consolidated roads OF New
England and the newly acquired Southern
connections
Properties to Be Merged.
The main properties to be merged are,
as learned here:
The Pennsylvania Railroad. controlling |
all the lines east Of Pittsburg.
The Pennsylvania Company, controlling
the lines west Of Pittsburg.
The New York, New Haven and Hart |
ford Railroad, controlling practically all
the mileage Of New England outside Of
the Boston and Maine system.
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad. |
The YazoO and Mississippi Valley Rail- |
road, and some other connecting Southern
lines.
The first step in the merger was the |
to consolidate the Pennsyl- /
vania Railroad and the New York. New |
Haven and Hartford, with the individual /
branches Of each. For many months this /
community of interests has been strength |
ened, until finally the links of the chain
have been made complete. For some
years the Pennsylvania has had a repre- |
sentatiOn on the board Of directors Of the /
New Haven line. Close traffic relations |
also have existed especially for the dis /
charge Of freight from New England |
points at New York City
MOntauk Point the Goal.
The Pennsylvania made its first advance
toward the New England territory when /
it acquired the Long Island Railroad. The
great terminal Improvements it has been |
putting in at New York and on Long
Island have been a part of its campaign
to the eastward. Montauk Point was
destined as its great eastern terminus
for transatlantic business. Then came
the advent of the Pennsylvania into New
York City by tunnel from the New Jer-
sey shore, With continuance of these
b0res under the East River into Long
Island. There remained q link TO he
formed between the Pennsylvania and the
Of New England.
This connection, II is understood. will
De made in two ways By the construction
Of mammoth cantilever bridge across
the East River from Long Island CITY
to Mott Haven. the latter point now be-
ing the general terminal of the New
York, New Haven and Hartford. It il
Furthermore, that the New
Haven Railroad has purchased a large
block Of property in the vicinity Of West
Thirty-sixth street. in New York CITY.
half way between the present Grand
Central Depot. into which its passenger
traffic has access, and the new THIRTY
second street terminal of the Pennsylva-
MIA road
taken TO assure a still closer and more
axpedient connection for passenger
traffic.
The plans for the new 140-foot can
-ilever bridge were fled only few davs
ago with the New York bridge commits
sion.
Great Secrecy Observed
Every precaution has been taken not
to let an inkiing of this stupendous en-