The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-26

Preparations will be made at meet ing this morning to give the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic railroads first train, which arrives on September 6, the most royal welcome ever accorded road fin the south. As the largest new system in the south completed during the present generation, and as the third great trunk line to enter Bir mingham within half year, 1t will be this great district.
 Arrangements will be immediately completed for a big banquet and other entertainment. A special train will run into the city from Brunswick bear ing the officials of the road, the mayors of all the towns and cities along the line, and some thousand representative citizens of these various cities. Atlanta will be requested to join in the cele- bration and everything will be done to make it a rou3ing success.
 Jackson Calls Meeting.
 Vice President r. M. Jackson of the Commercial club has called meeting of the directors and vice presidents, to- gether with the chairmen of the differ ent committees to meet at the Commer- cial club rooms this morning at II o'clock.
 He states that this meeting will be in charge of Richard W. Massey, who is chairman of the railroads and trans portation committee. MT. Ewing, pres- ident of the Board of Trade, has re- quested the directors of the Board of Trade also to be at the meeting. These two organizations will work together in making the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic feel that its advent into the city is more than appreciated.
 MT. Massey has done effective work as chairman of the railroads and trans portation committee since his appoint ment by MT. Raul.
 Mayor Ward and President Robert w. Ewing of the Board of Trade will at tend the meeting and cooperate with the members of the Commercial club to make the occasion a success
 Earlier Than First Announced.
 The Atlanta, Birmingham and At lantic will enter Birmingham a few weeks before the date previously an- nounced because of an agreement with the Louisville and Nashville whereby the new road will use the tracks of the Louisville and Nashville from Pelham to Birmingham. Officers of the new road state, however that they have not abandoned the original plan to come in over their own tracks, and that work of as possible so that the road will come through Feeders Gap and Bessemer as originally planned. The Louisville and Nashville arrangement Is temporary.
 Upon completion to Birmingham the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic will be connected up through to the sea- as originally planned by President H. M Atkinson. All that now remains is the proposed extension, as announced by President Atkinson on a recent visit he made to Birmingham of the road from Thomasville, the southern terminus, to Dunellan, Fla, where 1t will connect with the Tampa Northern, an Atkinson property which operates to Tampa. This will give a new and direct route from Birmingham to the west coast of Florida
 Direct Ruote To Brunswick.
 The main feature, however, is the di- rect route from Birmingham to Bruns- wick, which will assure local merchants, both wholesale and retail, of prompt service from the great markets of the east on all shipments, while the local coal fields and iron mines will have an- other great trunk line to facilitate the shipping of their products
 The road is 649.6 miles in length is constructed of all SO-pound steel rails has sidetrack a mile in length every four and a half miles-making it vir- tually a double track railroad; is con- structed on a maximum grade of 1 per cent with a compensated curvature of 6 degrees. Large orders were placed for rolling stock more than year ago, so that the new road will in no way suffer from car famine, being able to supply as much equipment as business condi- tions demand The equipment in the pa ssenger department is modern in every respect, constructed for speed, safety and comfort.
 Officials In the East.
 President H. M Atkinson and Vice President P. s. Arkwright of the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic. are now in but {u