The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-05
ENGINEERS HERE ID BUILD T|DEWATER Work To Be Started On
 Schedule Time J. M. DEWBERRY TALKS President Says Scheme To Provide Outlet To the Gulf Is Now
 Being Literally Fol-
 lowed
J. M. DEWBERRY TALKS

In connection with the beginning of work on the Tidewater railroad, in con formity with franchise given by the city of Birmingham, P. s. Briggs of Philadelphia, representing the financiers of the enterprise, and two engineers ar rived in Birmingham yesterday. The en- gineers for the contracting firm are W. c. Sloan and E. A. Yates of New York.
 The officials were yesterday engaged in conference with local persons in- terested in the Underwater proposition and will be here several days getting the project under way.
 Under the franchise granted by the city work must begin on the railroad within very few days. Mir. Briggs announced that no delay would be encountered at started on schedule time.
 The visitors spent short while look ing over the work in the neighborhood of Bessemer which has been under way some time. They were later In confer ence with the local officials.
 The Tidewater company Is to construct a competitive street car line and freight Fifth avenue through this city. It will be of construction approved by the city engineer.
 In speaking of the Tidewater railroad, J. M. Dewberry, who has worked hard for its construction, said last night:
 The history of the Tidewater railway project has been one of contest for fran chises, opposition by competitive inter- ests and added to, the difficulty of the severest money panic the world has ever known.
 ''The cities of Tuscaloosa. Mobile and Birmingham have been intensely interest ed and often much inclined to criticise what seemed to be unwarranted delays and the inability of the promoters to make satisfactory progress.
 History of Project
 Seeing and realizing the need of an in- dependent transportation line connecting the Birmingham district with the gulf, some years ago it was conceived and planned to construct an independent rail- road from Gadsden through Birmingham to Tuscaloosa, there to connect with a line of steamboats and barges for Mo- bile and New Orleans, in order to re- duce the outgoing freight rates on the finished product. thereby enabling this district to become a great manufacturing center with not only shipping facilities but rates which would enable it to com peted with any of the great marts of the world. Prominently connected with this development have been Forney John- ston. Lewis Minor, R. D. Johnston, Jr., of Birmingham; R. H. Little of Tusca- loosa, and a number of others whose loy- alty and ability throughout the entire struggle greatly accounts for what seems now to be a most suspicious and suc- cessful situation.
 General Plan Followed
 Although the first general plans are not being carried out in detail, yet the scheme, as a whole, is being literally fol- lowed. The Tuscaloosa Belt railway has been acquired and is designed for the ter minal property in that city. The com pany ownes seven steamboats, some of which are now operating under lease on the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers; the organized effort of the company on the rivers having been abandoned for the present tand until the river Improvements between Demopois and Mobile have been completed and until the railroad can be built from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, thereby establishing a through rail and water route from Birmingham to Mobile.
 Contract for the road in Birmingham from East Lake O ReSener has been let to Macarthur Bros. of New York, and it is authoritatively stated that they will within the next few days begin actual construction in large way and push the work to an early completion, thereby completing a magnificent terminal proper 'ty for both freight and passenger service in the city of Birmingham.
 An Independent Outlet
 "When one looks the proposition over and considers the fact that the essential terminals in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Dauphin Island have been secured, there seems to be the carrying out of carefully laid plans in spite of doubt producing de- lays and in spite of the strong opposi- tion that has been encountered. With Tuscaloosa, Daphin Island and Birming- ham terminals in hand and constructed, the question of building the line from Bir- mingham to Tuscaloosa and establishing a steamboat and barge line from Tusca- loosa to Daphn Island, Is matter of quick work; and within few months time and ere the Panama canal Is com pleted, this proposition will be fully es- tablished and ready to take advantage of this great opportunity and at the same time affordng Birmingham the advan- tage of an independent outlet to the sea-"