The Washington herald., 1909-08-14
NOWCENTEROFSTAGE
c., C. & 0. Will Figure in
Future Coal Supply.
TAPS SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
New Railroad, when Its Extensions
Are Completed, VIII Begin Heavy
Expected 80 Provide Large Tonnage
for other Trunk Lines.

New York. Aug. 13-The entry Of the
Carolina. Clinchheld and Ohio Railroad
Into the railway situation OF the South.
with its hundreds OF thousands Of acres
Of partially developed coal lands. is in
teresting the whole South just now and
practically all Of the Southern trunk
lines. including the Seaboard. the Coast
Line, the Southern Railway. and the
Louisville and Nashville, have found
that they must readjust their demands
to meet the new conditions.
For a long time the success Of the
Carolina. Clinchheld and Ohio was but
n nebuIous prospect It's output was COM
I peted with on the east by the Chesa-
peake and Ohio. Norfolk and Western.
( and Virgin!an Railway. on the west by
the Southern Railway. and on the south
west by the Louisville and Nashville. and
/ II was proNlematical whether or not the
/ supply which this expensive road was 10
put on the market could stand the strain
/ other Lines at Disadvantage.
/ Now, however, Il is recognized that the
! Goals OF the four other roads are ar n
disadvantage from a mileage standpoint
and are scarcely more desirable from a
steaming point Of view. This fuel supply
must, It IS known. be reckonsd with and
/ the interests here and elsewhere which
have made the Carolina. Clinchneid and
/ Ohio possible are feeling optimistic over
: their investment
a high authority on the fuel situation
I in the South relating 10 the railroads
/ discusses the matter as follows:
! The Seaboard Air Line and the At
/ lsntic Coast Line. occupying respectively
! the center and the coast side OF this
/ district just as the Southern Railway
I occupies the rear. have 10 haul their coal
| considerable distances. especially the Sea
J beard Air Line, which until recently
/ has had no point from which the in
/ terror portions Of the line could be sup
/ Piled commercially with coal nearer at
hand than Petersburg, Durham, and At
lanta
AT present the Seaboard receives fuel
coal from six sources: For use on the
northern lines. from the Virginia Rail-
way; for use on the central lines, from
I the Clinchheld road. via Bostic: for use
in territory south of Savannah, from the
Southern Railway, through Everett. Ca.
and for use on the southern and west
ern parts OF the system, from the Louis
Vile and Nashville. Nashville. Chatta-
nOOga and St Louis, and St Louis and
( San Francisco, out of the Birmingham
and Atlanta districts Only an inconse-
! quenual part OF the Seahoard system
reaches any coal Of its own. and an ex-
! tremely long and roundabout haul has
been necessary 70 supply the central and
southern parts OF the system
VIII Help SeRbOard Air Line.
AN the coal for the use OF the Coast
Line from Savannah north Is purchased
in the Virginia fields on the Chesapeake
and Ohio and Norfolk and Western rail-
ways, while coal for the portions CT the
system which lie In Alabama and Geor-
gia south OF Savannah is purchased
from the Birmingham district. Coal for
Florida. however, is purchased IN the
East Tennessee fields. The relations which
the Atlantic Coast Line has with the
Louisville and Nashville are such. how
ever. that the extremely long haul nee
essary to supply the southern portions
Of the system profits the Coast Line In
directly, because Of the direct profit to
the Louisville and Nashville.
The situation in brief Is that the
Clinchheld road Is exceedingly well
adapted TO supply the Seaboard Air Line
with coal Of excellent quality. hauled
over a well-built line with favorable
grades, and delivered some hundreds OF
miles nearer the center Of the Seaboard
system than is that from the present
sources. The Clinch1eld road has not vet
been completed far beyond Bostic
the Seaboard Air Line connection,
on the southern end. When the ex-
tension to Spartanburg. s. c.. thirty
miles south OF BOstic. is completed,
the Clinchfeld can deliver coal also
10 the Charleston and Western Caro-
lima. associated with the Atlantic
Coast Line. which has its own direct
line through TO Augusta, Ca. and "a
Port Royal, S. c., in the heart OF the
Atlantic Coast Line territory.