The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-09-17
JUDGE PATTERSON SMILES
Entertainingly and InstruC-
lively About Our New
Trunk Line.

Judge n. A. Patterson, OF near Jones
boro, one OF the best posted men in
East Tennessee ON current events, has
just contributed the following to the
Chattanooga Times on the building of
the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio rail
way and its signifcance
East Tennessee and much of the 9th.
er wide-awake surrounding country is
not aware of the greatness and impor-
lance of this line of road nearing com.
pletion.
Practically the rough grading is COM
pleted, and now large and active force
is leveling the roadbed, and many cuts
- some of them quite deep; and this
work is to be quickly followed by the
standard track-laying forces so as to
get the prepared materials to the place
for the steel bridges; and hence it looks
as if the aim of the projectors will be
attained of sending oal.loaded trains
through from the Southwest Virginia
and Kentucky fields to the Atlantic
seaboard by the first of the coming
year, or possibly sooner.
1t has been an exceedingly difficult
and expensive road to construct; the
aggregate cost is to hover close around
$50, 000,0 900; but when completed it will
be no exaggeration to say that its prac-
tical value will be $t00, 900, 900, or more
than that.
The writer was shown the profile
maps of the line soon after the survey
was completed, and was surprised to
see that it presents practically an air.
line, and singular feature is that in
crossing the upper East Tennessee ba-
sin the engineers, instead of hunting
curved ways to avoid heavy and costly
work, located the line square across the
many valleys and ridges, and instead
OF numerous bridges, as found along
nearly all other roads over less rough
ground, slight cuts have been made
through the crests of the ridges and
deep fills in the valleys. This, the chief
said to me, was necessary in crossing
East Tennessee so as not to add to the
restricted grade Of half of one per cent,
Cor twenty-six feet to the mile) in
reaching and cutting through the Allie
gheny range of mountains.
Recently two eminent engineers rep
resenting two different trunk lines Of
road passed over this new line from
north to south, travelling most of the
way on horseback tour of inspection
but for what special purpose / do not
know, and this was their conclusion
"That the Carolina, Clinchfeld and
Ohio would practically have no compe'
tition in the coalcarrying trade from
the great Virginia and Kentucky fields
to the Atlantic seaboard, as its very
low rate of grade, at no point, all the
way through. exceeding one-half Of
one per cent, gave it superior ad
vantage"
10 illustrate this feature Of advant.
age compare the hauling power of one
engine that will easily pull twenty-foul
loaded coal cars from the fields TO the
Atlantic seaboard, if with its train il
was turned down the "Southern " line
atJohnson City, before reaching Knox.
vile, at two, if not three place, an ex.
ira or pushing engine would be requir-
ed; or if to go without such aid it would
have to make two sections of its train.
The steep grades on the Southern may
be corrected, and will be in the near
future, so as to participate with the
Carolina, Clinchfeld and Ohio in cheap
coal hauling to Knoxville, Chattanoo.
ga, etc.
see it stated in the press that one OF
two other great lines of road will seek
to get control OF the Carolina, Clinch-
field and Ohio and make it q supple
ment to great trunk line from the lake
regions to the Atlantic seaboard.
AS to that / can only guess, but my
guess would be this: If the promoters
and builders Of this new road have the
capital I suppose them to possess, and
the practical sharp good sense their
work indicates, the language is apt to
be so amended as to read: "The Caro-
lima, Clinchfeld and Ohio is apt to get
control of one or more leading lines OF
road, and with such addition form q
competing trunk line from the great
north and southwest to the central At
lantic seaboard."