The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-13
Last Link Will Be Completed.
April l9, When Birmingham
Division Will Be Opened.
ROUTE WILL OPEN UP
RESOURCES OF SOUTH
First Trains OF Illinois Central
and Mobile and Ohio Will En-
ter Birmingham on Same Day.
Great Fete Planned and
Banquet to Railway
Officers.
~ BIRMINGHAM. ALA. April i2.--
The official announcement by
the Illinois Central that the
~ ri alIacr LII.

The official announcement by
IN the Illinois Central that the
- new Birmingham division will
be opened for traffic April 18th
calls attention to the completion of the
last link in the great Hartman trans
continental route, for by controlling
the Union Pacific. Illinois Central and
Central of Georgia. this system will
extend from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
In addition to supplying the last link
In this chain, the opening of the Haley
Vile branch will give the Illinois Cen
trail an outlet to the great iron and
coal points. with their immense annual
tonnage. The Central of Georgia lines
connect with those of the Illinois Cen
trail, thus giving direct connection
from all Illinois Central points with
the sea at Savannah, over the Central
OF Georgia. Connections of the I'LL
nois Central with the Union Pacific
thus give a complete system from one
expected to benefit the Southeastern
states and to increase savannah's i'm
portance as q seaport. for. In addition
to making it the terminal for much of
Alabamas coal and iron. 1t will re-
ceive much OF the grain and other
traffic of the Mississippi Valley.
The Mobile and Ohio will open it's
new Birmingham branch on April 10Th
and present plans contemplating hav-
ing the first trains over both lines
reach Birmingham the same day. To
this end the commercial organizations
OF Birmingham have planned an elab-
in,s officers of the two lines will be
be given on the night of April Goth.
and presidents and high officials of all
the railroads entering Birmingham
have been invited. The entrance of the
Illinois Central has been accepted by
certain traffic arrangements and by
the building of an entire uew line
from corinth, Miss, to Haleyyiiic,
Ala. distance of eighty miles.
Route of Roads.
Leaving the main line at Jackson,
Tenn. the Illinois Central will come
into Birmingham by the following
route: Mobile and Ohio. from Jackson
to Corintll, Miss: Corinth to Haley
vile. Ala new line eighty miles;
Northern ALBANIA (owned by South
ern Railway, Haleyville to Jasper,
Ala, forty-onc miles; Frisco System
Jasper to Birmingham, forty-one miles;
Alabama Western (owned by Illinois
Central). into terminals 2.76 miles, al
total OF about 22O miles.
The construction of the new Haley
vile branch has been difficult and ex-
pensive because of the rough char
acter of the country. The route TO-
lows a watershed most OF the dis
tance, so that but one bridge of any
had to be built. This. how
ever. is one of the largest in the
Southern States. 1t is 1890 feet long
and III feet at the highest point.
Although the country through which
the new branch passes is very rough
the road has been built with the low
gradient of o5 per cent. on tangent,
and a maximum curvature of 8 IL de-
srees. The Mobile and Ohio, which
will run its first train into Birnling-
ham on the same date with the Illinois
Central, will accomplish It's entrance
without building any new track. It'll
will use the new Haleyville branch Of
the Illinois Central from Corinth to
eighty miles: Northern Ala
banla. Haleyville to Parrish, Ala, fifty
miles; Southern Railway. Parrishs to |
forty-two miles, making q |
Total of 172 miles.
The Mobile and Ohio is now build
ing freight terminals in Birmingham,
and for passenger business will use
the new terminal station.