The Washington herald., 1909-04-09

Henry II. Rogers, builder Of the new
Virginian Railway, and his party arrived
in Washington last night aboard a special
train from Deepwater. w Va. the west
ern terminus OF the line, and left again
at 1919 O'Clock for New York Mr. Rogers
has just completed the first official in
spection OF the new coal line. and is
highly satisfied with the construction
features Of his great enterprise
Mr.. Rogers never talks for publication.
He says that he has never been quoted in
print in his life with his consent. but the
members OF the party who accompany
him say that he is pleased with his prop
erty, and believes that IL will in a short
time take its place among the East and
West trunk lines. as well as take a posi-
ton along with the Norfolk and West
ern and Chesapeake and Ohio as coal
roads
Those in the party include Henry H.
Rogers, jr., HIS only son; Urban H.
Broughton. William T. Benjamin. and W.
F. Coe, sons-in-law: Charles Lancaster.
a London capitalist; 4. II. Hopkins Of
New York. and Raymond Dupuy. general
manager OF the Virginian.
Fast Run from Deepwater.
The party left Deepwater yesterday
morning and came direct TO Washington
over the Chesapeake and Ohio. The
special was given the right OF way. and
made a record run into this city.
Five days were spent by the party in
specting the divisions Of the new line
Mr.. Rogers and his associates left Nor
folk last Sunday morning and moved by
easy stages until Deepwater was reached.
The coal experts on the Rogers special
declare that the Deepwater section will
yet be the richest bituminOus producer
in the world. This Is claimed on account
OF the four separate and distinct m;nable
seams Of coal underlying the mountains
Of this new field. Two Of the seams are
above water level and two are below.
Each has a width Of from seven TO six
teen feet, and 10 the uninitiated. this
stOrehouse Of nature seems inexhaustible.
For eighty-flve miles the VIrginian pen-
etrates that new field. and is now pre-
pared 10 deliver its products to the coal
markets Of the world. This IS a greater
coal field mileage than is enjoyed by
either the Norfolk and Western or the
Chesapeake and Ohio railways main
lines But all this is not exclusively
Virginian territory. For ten miles in the
Makota section Of Mercer County the
Norfolk and Westerns Wide Mouth
branch parallels the new line, and he
ginning at the famous Jenny Gap, IN
Raleigh County. the Chesapeake and Ohio
parallels the Nirginian. just 10 nag the
new road along little
Opens New Coal Fields.
just to the west Of the POCahontag
land lies the tract OF the Beaver Coal
Company. in Raleigh County. This com
prises $500 acres. and already the Slab
Fork Coal Company has opened an opera
ton or the Rogers line and is now send
ing coal TO the seabOard. Then. again
the New River Galleries Company owns
coal land on the Virginian This is the
property Of the Guggenheins, Of Colo
rado They have operations now work
ing IN the New River field. and have one
big plant at work on the new road. Their
tract includes 1900 acres. and extends for
six miles along the Virginian. At Glen
White Junction a three-mile branch road
IS extended TO the z. z White Coal Com
pany's plant. This company has 5000
acres OF undeveloped property. which viii
in a short time become tributary 70 the
Virginian. A half dozen operations are
projected for this single branch line OF
the Rogers road,
One Of the largest undeveloped tracts
on the Virginian Is the Mckinley Land
Company's property in Raleigh and Fay
ette counties. There are 5000 acres in
this one piece Of property and one opera
tiOn at Herberton has begun to ship coal
already. The lands OF the White Oak
Fuel Company extend over three counties
There les IN Fayette, Raleigh, and Wy
Oming counties. ". Va, $1,000 acres OF
coal belted land.
Summing up the cCal resources reached
by the Virginian. Il IS found that 2OO, 900
acres are now touched by the carrier
These lie in four counties, and there Is
no richer coal section in the State Of
West Virginia There are over half a
dozen operations actually working now,
but score are being planned.