The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-06-30
GOOD FOR CHARLESTON.
THAT PORT TO HAVE DJRErr
LINE no POCAHONTAS COAL
FIELDS.
Noriolk and Western and the Allan
TIC Coast Line Join Hands i'm the Tn.
terests OF Making This the Great
southeastern Distributing Port for
POcahontas Coal.
(From News and Courier ,

tFrom News and Courfer.D
New York, June 25.-The Norfolk
and Western and the Atlantic Coast
Line railroads. through the president
and general counsel of each road to-
Gay completed arrangement to fur
nish the Winston-Salem soutb hound
railway with funds required to COM
piete its line from winston-Salem N
e., to Wadesboro, N. c., distance of
about SO miles These two points are
the termini of the Norfolk and West
e"n and Of the Atlantic Coast Line re-
spectively, and when linked I'M will
establish short line from Charleston
through the Pocahontas coal fields to
Cincinnati and thence by other roads
10 points North. The new line will
De owned jointly by the two systems
building 1t. Although it traverses
very heavy country, it will neyerthe-
less be laid out in as nearly straight
line as possible, and will be construct
ed to take care of trunk line busi-
ness. No new financing, it was said
today. will have to be undertaken by
either road in connection with the
new construction.
Upon the completion of the new
line, 1t Is the intention to make Char
lesion the great Southeastern distrib-
uting port for Pocahontas coal and to
that end immense coal pockets will
shortly be constructed along the har-
Dor. While the, growth of Charleston
as a shipping port IL expected to be
very considerable upon completion of
the present plans. 1t is said that It will
not necessarily be at the expense of
Norfolk. Pocahontas coal can be car
ried to the latter point entirely over
the Norfolk and Westerns own lines,
whereas in shipping to Charleston
some Of the haul must pass over the
Atlantic Coast Line. It will, there
fore, be to the interest of the Nor
folk and Western to see that coal is
not diverted from Norfolk, while at
tho same time CharIesfon's tonnage
can be built up by. Increasing the out
put of the coal beds.
southern railroaders have long had
II In mind to take advantage of the
splendid harbor facilities of Charles
ton, which is known to have one of
the finest ports on the coast and with
that object in view the Winston-Sa.
lem and South-bound was incornorat-
eo some years ago. Construction of
the road, 1t was said yesterday, would
have been undertaken in 1907 had n
not been for the sudden advent of the
panic.
precisely what effect the new coal
routings will have upon the general
rreight situation in the Pocahontas
region was subject which traffic Of
hcials did not care to discuss today.
1t was sold, however, that the effect
OF the new arrangement would not
prove beneficial to Edwin Hawley's
plans. Hawley's road. the Chesa-
peake and Ohio, is closely paralleled
by the Norfolk and Western, which is
controlled by the Pennsylvania.
1t is certain that Hawley's scheme
TO establish trunk line to Chicago.
and thence a rans-continental line
Via the Alton and the Kansas CITY.
Mexico and Orient will receive the
hearty opposition of the PENNSYLVANIA
and this road is now in a position to
attack Hawley whenever it chooses to
40 SO, from two quarters at once.
Through the medium of the Norfolk
and Western it can hotly compete
with him on traffic to Norfolk. and AT
the same time will be in a position to
recover its losses by profitable ship
ments to Charleston over a new route.
which the Hawley lines do not paral-
lei. From the standpoint of the At
'antic Coast Line, however, the new
arrangement with the Norfolk and
western is said to be purely a busi-
ness proposition, and by no means i'm
plies that the pleasant relations be-
tween Hawley and Henry Walters
have ceased.
The Official Announcement.