The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-03-20

Executors of the estate of David
H. Moffat, Western empire builder
iand owner of the Chesapeake Beach
Railway, will carry out important
negotiations pending at the time of
HIS death, whereby Washington will
lbe placed directly in touch with one
iof the deepest and safest sea har-
bors in the world.
PLANS TO GO FORWARD.
Plans for the electrifcation of the
Chesapeake Beach line and its extension
to the harbor at Drum Point, on the
lower tip of Maryland. will go forward
as an item of the several great railway
projects which the Colorado millionaire
was pushing when heart failure brought
an end to his activities on Saturday in
New York William G. Evans and Fred
g. Moffat. of Colorado the likely execu-
tors of the MOffat interests. have ex-
arnined the undertaking from end TO
end, and have pronounced in favor of its
feasibility ami its practicabIIity MI
AofaL some time before his death rat!-
fled the scheme of equtpping the Chesa-
peake Beach Railway with electriCitS.
and cunning its trains into the heart O.
Washington Negotiations were on foot
with Edward Lauterbach, the New York
lawyer, who owns a graded line and
right of way from the. Chesapeake Beach
locality to Drum Point, to combine in
in 10.
would be accorded a useful freight line
running sixty miles south to the famous
lharbor, which is capable of holding the
entire navy feet, and where the largest
ocean vessels may dock with ease.
Planned Trip to Washington
Paul Y. Waters, secretary. treasurer.
and general manager of the Chesapeak,
Beach Railway. said yesterday that
David H Mnfat had been planning A
business trip to Washington. and that
possibly within the coming two weeks.
had he lived. orders would have been
ISSUED for the rehabilitation of the
road owned by Mr.. Moffat, which has
been under steam opera ton for twelve
years
There is no reason to believe that Mr..
Noffat's plans Will be laid aside" said
Mr.. Waters. -As soon as his estate is
settled, look for the prosecution of the
Moffat railroad interests here as in Colo
lado. Mr.. Evans and Fred Moffat. the
son Of David H Moffat were in Wash
lngtOn not long ago. If they are given
charge Of the interests of the late rail
road builder and banker. I feel certain
that their familiarity with the project
both as regards the application of cleo
trlclty to the Chesapeake Beach line and
its extension to Drum Point will lead
them to advise the expenditure of the
funds to place the whole system on the
broad basis which has been considered
for a long time
II is estimated that an expenditure of
between S3Go.0o0 and 100000 will COM
pIetely equip the present line Of railroad
with the facilities for operating its trains
by electricity and allow them to run
direct TO the Treasury Department. The
building cf PoworhOus2S has not been
included in the estimates, as il is planned
II use current supplied by the Potomac
Electric Power Company in Washington
which concern also supplies the electricity
for the Washington, Baltimore and An
napoIis line
Expense Not Great
Concerning the project OF connecting
Chesapeake Beach with Drum Point.
there is an estimate of 10000. The grad
ing from a station six mikes north of
Chesapeake Beach TO Drum Point was
completed several years ago. The build
ing nf bridges and the laying of rails is
all that is now necessary to be done
in order to connect with the harbor.
group of capitalists inspected the
Drum Point line within the last two
weeks, and il is known that ideas were
being advanced by the Lauterbach peo-
pie as to the hest method of COM
bininE the two interests. a purchase of
the I-auterbach property was considered
by Mr.. Moffat also a scheme to form
a combination Of the two concerns and
issue bonds.
1t is believed that the establishment
OF direct CUmmunica tion between Wash
ingtUn and Drum Point will at once lead
Tie government to establish a coaling
station there. The Navy Department.
Cor several years has been considering
the advisability of recommending the ex-
penditure of funds for this purpose, but
the abaence of land transportation placed
4 damper on the project The navy,
however, has found use for the harbor
at various times. 1t is recalled that the
famous dry dock Dewey was towed there
from Sparrows Point. where ii was
built, and there given its trial sub
merGence il the deep. placid waters OF
the harbor.
Almost LandIocked.
Drum Point IIarbor is almost completely
landlocked, thus affordinS sppIerdid pro-
lection from storms The shore descends
with such abruptness that the deepest
draft vessels may come TO dock
W. F. Jones. formerly of Washington,