The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-14
RAILROAD PLANS
 ID SHORTEN ROUTE New Tunnel Will Be Cut fer Road Near Chattanooga NERVY RUN OF FIREMAN Young Man is Sick But Goes Out Any how and After Finishing the
 Run He Falls from Cab
 and Breaks Leg.
NERvY RUN OF FIREMAN

and Breaks Leg.
 Chattanooga, August 13.-(Special )-Sur- veys preparatory to strengthening the line, cutting down the grade materially and digging a new and lower tunnel are being made by the Nashville Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad company at and near Summit, Wauhatchie and Hooker. If the project is carried to completion the roadway will be lessened and Hooker will be left two miles from a railroad track. For 10 days engineers have been busy at and around these three points, but few knew the purpose of their activities. It has developed that the Nashville, Chat tanooga and St. Louis intended to straighten the track and dig new and lower tunnel at Summit, and by the re- arrangement of the route leave Hooker off the right-of-way.
 wauhatcllie Hooker and Summit are adjacent stations. The railroad runs in a curvilinear route between the three and at Summit is tunnel over the apex of the Cumberland mountains The grade there is marked, so steep. in fact, that hardly ever can freight train pull over 1t except when run as a doubleheader, for this purpose. It is now proposed to remedy the whole situation to the ad- vantage of shippers in general and the railroad, and, in fact, to everybody and everything except the town of Hooker. The surveys now being made are for the purpose of calculating the cost the large ness of which is the only obstacle which can prevent the completion of the work. The new and strengthened line will branch of at Wauhatchie and tend toward Sum- init, thus entirely eliminating the curves by which Hooker is reached. Hooker will be two miles from the new route.
 Fireman Walter O. Dobbs, or Walter Gossett, stepson of A. M. Clifford, the baseball umpire, and nephew of Manager John Dobbs of the Chattanooga baseball team, distinguished himself one day this week in a most nerve-racking trip on the Southern railway from Cleveland to Atlanta Dobbs left Cleveland on his en- zine with Engineer Harry Young at the throttle. The fireman was so i'll that he could hardly stand, but thought he would stand the run without giving up. All dur ing the long journey from Cleveland to Atlanta Dobbs shoveled the coal into the frebox of the huge S-wheeler. Several tons were consumed during the trip. The fireman lasted until he reached the yards at Atlanta, when the Jar of coupling to a car in switching threw him in his weak ened condition from his cab He fell on the tracks and suffered a broken leg. The present home of Walter Gossett Is in At lanta, though he has extensive property interests here. and Is in a suit against his stepfather to regain part of his mothers estate. The wounded man is in hospital in Atlanta, and 1t will be many weeks be- fore he will be able to resume his regular run from Cleveland to Atlanta
 Twenty five prominent citizens of Chat tanooga have formed new accident in- surance company and a charter has been applied for. The capital stock Is s1oo,0oo. and the name of the company is ''The h. terstate Life and Accident Insurance com pany." The headquarters of the company are to be In Chattanooga. Practically all of the stock has been subscribed, and much of it has been paid in. Those who have subscribed for stock and whose names appear on the application for charter are as follows: N. H. Grady, o. F. James, J. R. Barnes, G. F. Neese, A. w. Palmer, J. B. Pound. Charles w. Biese. w. D. Sutton J. E. Green. M. D., D Thr,t,a DaSahla Chambliss, Charles D. Gordon, w. R. Crabtree s. B. Cook, H. L. Fancher, M. D., F. H. Dowler, J. S. Bell, J. A. Wiley, Walter Hampton, H. D. Huffaker, F. M. Jones, w. l.. Frlerson, w. s. Johnson, F. M Lowry It Is stated that the gen. eral management of the company has been offered to H. D. Huffaker, and that he will probably accept the position. N. H. Grady it is said. will probably be the president. At present the company will probably limit its endeavors to ,ob- taining business in Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and Virginia. Eventually they will push out and take in the entire coun- try as it's field for business. It is the intention to start business as soon as the charter is received. The promoters ex- pect to be under headway by October l.
 passenger train making all local stops between Birmingham and Chattanooga will be added to the present train ser vice of the Alabama Great Southern rail road August 22 This train, which will be known as the Chattanooga accom- modation will leave Birmingham at 6:l5 in the morning and will reach chatta- nooga at 1:15 o'clock. Returning, II will leave Chattanooga at D. m., ar irving in Birmingham at o'clock. The +l,io trai xxyi1l DeO- ple living at the stations along the Ala bama Great Southern to come to this city, do their shopping and return home the same day something heretofore 1t has been impossible to do.
 Bresnahan Is Suspended.
 New York, August 13-Roger 3rcsna-