The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-01-23
|. IN. TO HAVE
COAL|NG PLACE
ON BON SECOUR
BALDWIN COUNTY is CONSIDER
ABLY STIRRED BY A VISIT PAID
PROPOSED SITE BY OFFICIALS
OF COMPANY.
specIaI 10 Tha IournaI.

Bay Minette. Ala, Jan. 22.-Through-
out Baldwin county there is at the
present time a great stir which
arises from the recent visit of Chief
Engineer Courtney of Louisville, KY.
and j. M. Mckinney. superintendent
Of the Mobile Montgomery division,
both officials being of the Louisville
& Nashville Railroad, which was
made to the site of the contemplated
and practically assured coaling sta
ton on Bon Secour bay in the ex-
treme lower portion of the county.
The location of the plant in Baldwin
county, as planned, will mean much
to the county and many are the ru-
mors that are afioat regarding the
coaling station, new railroads, new
boat lines and new towns.
Some years ago the Louisville &
Nashville railroad constructed a little
more than half way into the center Of
the county what is now known as the
F't. Morgan branch of the road, and
which branch ends at the town of F'o-
ley, with the remainder of the line
surveyed and staked on into FIT. Nor
gan. passing through the narrow neck
of land known as Palmetto Beach.
Alter completing their road to Foley,
it appears that difficulty was expe-
rienced in securing the right of way,
since number of other parties, with
the view of establishing a line from
the fort north, had gone in ahead of
them and purchased much land over
which it was necessary for the Louis
vile & Nashville to go. This called
halt and the branch line was dropped
for the time being.
1t appears, nevertheless, that con-
tinual efforts have been made by the
Louisville & Nashville officials to SEE
cure control of the right of way be-
yond Foley, with the view of locating
their coaling station at Navy Cove
but have met with some reverses and
have been quietly working ahead, en-
deavoring to avoid any notice. A re-
cent agitation for the development of
Dauphin Island, south of Mobile and
to which point the Mobile & Ohio has
planned to extend their road and which
place is to be developed into a sum
mer resort and a park located there.
has caused, it is said, the movement
on the part of the Louisville & Nash
vile toward the completion of their
original plans to extend their road to
the waters edge in this county. Their
recent movements, though kept under
cover as much as possible, have been
noticed by enough to create a stir.
Find Much Trouble.
In their stealthy efforts to reach>the
waters edge, they find considerable
trouble. Practically the entire length
of Palmetto Beach is owned by for
mer residents of this county but VINO
are now in the west and who decline
to give the Louisville s. Nashville an
outlet over their ground. This fact
alone will force the railroad to make
an outlet somewhere to the east and
north of the point which is considered
ideal for the terminal of the road. To
do this, the railroad company will
doubtless swing their present branch
to the west, after passing Foley, and
meet the bay near Oyster Bay or Bon
Secour river, to which place reason
ably large boats can go as the waters
are at present, and with a little.
dredging the largest vessels can come
in.
Considering the location on Bon Sc
cour bay as ideal for a harbor and
coaling station, the fact is taken into
consideration that at Navy Cove and
to the east of that point, after round
Ing the point at Fort Morgan, is re-
garded by noted engineers as one of
the best natural harbors the country
offrds, it being stated that some en-
gineers have declared it the second
best in the world, both because of the
deep water there and because of the
protection afforded by the arm which
juts out into the gulf and forms part
of the south border to Mobile Bay.
These statements being true it is
evident that at some time in the near
future town of no mean size will be
located somewhere in this county in
Bon Secour bay
Foreseeing the advantage of the To-
cation at Navy Cove. some two or
three years ago a company was or
ganized for the purpose of putting
through the project of building rail-
road outlet from the fort and of de-.
veloping large townsite on the cove.
The company was known as the Navy
Cove Harbor and Railway Company,