Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-09-27
B. & 0. WILL TAKE
OVER COAL ROAD
Road Taps Extensive Coal Lands In
the Elkhorn Valley Of
Kentucky,


Baltimore. Sept. 25-President Jere
II. Wheelwright, of the Consolidation
Coal Company, announced today that
the Elkhorn and Sandy Valley Rail
road which taps the companys extern
sive coal tract in the Elkhorn Valley
of Kentucky, had been finally com
pleted. and would be turned over to
the Baltimore & Ohio railroad
which will operate the line, On Octo-
Der /. On that date, Daniel Willard,
Of the Baltimore & Ohio. win succeed
Mr. Wheelwright as president of the
road, and it will then become a part
of the Baltimore & Ohio system.
The line which extends from Shell
binana, on the Chesapeake & Ohio, to
jenkins, Ky, a distance of 40 miles
has been built by the Consolidation
Coal Company, but the expense of
construction has been borne by the
Baltimore & Ohio The entire cost
of the road with equipment repre-
sents an expenditure of $4,000, 600
and there is no bonded Indebtedness
on the property, the cost of building
operations having come out of the
treasury of the Baltimore & Ohio
railway company.
The building of the Elkhorn and
Sandy Valley railroad was one of the
important features in connection with
the extensive development of the
Coal Companys Elk
horn Valley coal lands. AS soon as
President Wheelwright mapped out a
definite line of development for his
it was decided to construct |
a railroad into the heart of the tract, |
so that the Consolidation would be af /
forded adequate railroad facilities for
getting It's product to the various mar |
kets.
The railroad is of modern construc- 4
ton, and is laid with 90-pound rails. |
1t has also been equipped with 1000 |
lll-steel drop-bottom gondola cars,
each with a capacity of 10000 |
pounds.
President Wheelwright of the Con |
solidation. accompanied by number |
u QUIET Gbdl company ObLNlbAof WIZ |
cave in a day or two for Kentucky |
ior the purpose of making a final in
,pection of the railroads prior to the
ransfer of the road to the Baltimore
9 Ohio.
The Consolidation has eight mines
opened along the Elkhorn Sandy Val
ey Railroad, and now that the line
las been finished, shipments will in
,rease rapidly. The company has
1een shipping fuel at the rate of
ibout 1000 tons per day from these
mines for nearly a month.
On the west side of the Elkhorn !
Valley tract the Louisville & Nash
Vile railroad to McRoberts, a dis |
ance of about 100 miles, which when |
will represent an expendi- |
-ure of about $1S,000O0O. The Con
solidation will open five mines along |
his extension, and shipments of coal
from these mines will begin when the |
line is finished, which will be around |
December first
President Wheelwright is natural
" well pleased with the final compile
ton of the Elkhorn Sandy Valley
railroad, as it means that the Consol-
idation can from now on begin TO Do
rive the full benefit OF mining opera
tions in the Elkhorn Valley. Mr.
Wheelwright has devoted much time
TO supervising the work and has made
numerous trips out IN Kentucky to
note the progress of construction OPP
erations.
Mr.. Wheelwright says thac the coal
business is booming and that for two
weeks or more his COMPANY has not
shipped any coal except under ex-
listing contracts. The head OF the Con
solidation Coal Company is optinis-
tic over future business conditions
and looks for an excellent year in the
coal trade.