The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1912-05-31
CONTRACT LET.
Continued from page one)

Ol tue advantages that tue oSuuodii
Air Line could reap from come :
tions with the Clinchfield,
The Ciinchfield at present is 2i2
miles long from Dante to Spartan
burg. with small branch from st,
Paul up Dumps Creek in Virginia.
The through route which will he
formed by the construction OF the
extension to the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway will be over nearly
the same territory as was consider
ed by the projectors of the almost
forgotten Charleston. Cincinnati a
Chicago Railroad. or Three Cs. rs
| 1t was called. The great obstacle
to the building of line as first
proposed was the immense noun
tain barrier which the Clinchfield,
started by George l.. Carter of Bris-
toll, Tenn, as the South and West
ern, was finally able to surmount,
Now 1t is going into an equally un-
known country in Dickinson county,
Virginia, and will doubtless score
there success like that which 1t
made in North Carolina There is
no railrs ~ in Dickinson now, nor
/ Is t.,eie one in Buchanan county.
Just north Of 1t. They are up IN
the highlands and SO fun of noun
tains as to discourage attempts to
run railways through them. But the
undaunted men back OF the Clineh-
field have faced Just as severe con-
ditions on the Blue Ridge in the
Old North State, and they are go
ing ahead to overcome them just is
confidently as they defied the peaks
and spurs OF Mitchell and Mcdowell
counties, North Carolina.
1t is perhaps Unnecessary to say
that the new work win be done with
the same careful regard for easy
curves and grades, so as to permit
the hauling OF the largest number
OF loads by one engine, as was done
in building southwark The many
tunnels and bridges on the extern
sion indicate that this will be done
as nearly as possible Moreover, rail-
road men are realizing more and
more that in sections of country
where traffic win be great from the
beginning OF operation there is no
economy but instead actual lossl
If construction is cheapened with
the Ideas OF upbuildlng the road
later. Pour in the money from the
start and the results will JUSTIFY
it," seems to be their opinion. Th,,t
was what was done with the Clinch.
fields southern line and also with
the Nlrginian's road. which latter
has. however. nothing to do with
this subject. excepting as an illus
tration, II will, therefore, take mill
ions TO build from Dante to Elk
horn City, but it is assured that
the men backing the work see many
other millions to be earned after
the extension is finished The grade
set through the Carolina highlands
was one-half of 1 per cent, or 26
feet to the mile, and 1t may be as
sumed that the Dickinson county
grade was equally easy Record
breaking trains are now going south
from Dante and one may confidently
count that similar trains win also
go north from there when the new
line is finished
The Rinehart and Dennis Com
pany is preparing to put its forces
on the work Immediately, and the
job win be covered with about Is
steam-shovel outfits, 10 tunnel out
fits. concrete outfits and numerous
team outfits. 1t will provide work
for about 1000 men. Construction
camps will be established at num-
erous points along the extension.
ucIt viii NC OtoVVfVVV ghTub VI "a
cayation, of which IS per cent. Is
solid rock and the rest principally
loose rock; also 10000 yards OF con
crete masonry.
Concerning the underlying reas-
ons for the construction of this
valuable extension. 1t may be re-
marked that the Manufacturer Re-
cord years ago published the facts
about the wonderful mineral region
which 1t will traverse and serve.
In its issue of August 3, 1911, II
also recalled some of the highly inn
pressive and wonderful predictions
made long since by men who had
studied the country there and who
realized the magnitude of It's natur
al riches. One of these was the late
Prof. VIM, b. Rogers of the Boston
archaeological School, who expressed
the opinion that the time was not
far distant when the center of iron
and steel manufactures in the Unit
ed States would be situated between
the eastern part of Kentucky and
the western part of North Carolina.
In view of the development now In