The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1912-03-01
THE ELKHORN PROJECT
Greatest Enterprise Of the Kind in the
World.

The greatest coking-coal develop
ment ever undertaken in the world
is doubtless that of the Consoh-
dalton Coal Co., which is now OPEN
| ing up ON a gigantic scale its 1907
lO00-acre tract in the heart of the
Elkhorn field Of Eastern Kentucky
accounted by many TO be the best
colSing coal known in the world and
region which is destined TO have
far-reaehing influence upon the
development Of the iron and steel
interests of America. for high-grade
cooking coal is as essential as the
iron ore itself, and the supply Of
cooking coal is doubtless less than
the supply of iron ore.
The purchase and development of
this coal property, and the railroad
construction necessary to provide
1.-THE facilities that will be needed for
the handling OF the coal, will re-
present ain aggregate outlay 81
probably s40,OOO,OOO to $5O,OOO,000
the Louisville & Nashville Railroad
alone having work now in progress
for the construction of its line into
that territory at cost which VIII
probably reach lS.0O0,O0O.
Mr.. ]. H. Wheelwright, president
of the Consolidation Coal Co., in
an interview with the Manufacturers
Record about the work which his
company is doing in the Elkhorn
field said;
THE 100000 acres of land pur-
chased by the company lies in the
eastern part of Kentucky and covers
portions of Pike, Letcher and Knott
counties. The principal workable
seam, the Elkhorn No. 8, has a
comparatively high elevation, and
it is only at the heads of the prin-
eipal streams that it is approached
at water-level At the point where
the watersheds of the Kentucky
River and the Big Sandy River
divide there is large unbroksn
area of this seam, and it was to-
this point the railroads were direct
ed for its most compact and econ
omical mining. The entire area Of
field is practically equally divided
between the kentucky and Big
Sandy rivers. The topography of
the country is mountainous. but
the approach by railroads to desired
points is made by easy grades,
THE eastern portion of the pro-
perty, on the Elkhorn and its tri-
butaries, viii be served by the
Sandy Valley 4 Elkhorn Railways
line 40 miles long, which is being
built by our company. from con-
nection with the Chesapeake &
Ohio at Shelby Junction, on the
Big Sandy division, The consolida-
ion Coal Co., has contract with
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co.,
by which the latter agrees to equip
the Sandy valley & Elkhorn Rail-
way with the necessary cars and
motive power to move the output
OF the mines on that read, which IL
is estimated will not be less than
3, 100000 tons within two years
from the date of the completion of
me road Two thousand all-steel
cars of 100000 pounds capacity
have already been ordered and are
now being built,
"The Louisville & Nashville Rail
road Co., is building a line from
jackson, Ky. into the property, a
distance of SO miles. which the
engineers estimate will be completed
" August of this year.
The terminals OF the two roads
as at present proposed will be
about two miles apart. but it has
been proposed, though not author
lied, by the Louisville & Nashville
Company to connect the two by
means Of an additional line of some
six miles and a short tunnel Such
a connection would give the Louis
lille K Nashville route down Elk
horn Creek to what is known as
the Breaks of Sandy and an ulti-
mate connection with the Chesapeake
& Ohio Railroad and the Clinchfield
Carolina & Ohio when completed.
"lt is the intention, as far as pos
slble. to concentrate the operations
about central point. This plan
resulted in locating the town Of
jenkins. which will have the general
offices, the main store, the bank
ana the residences of the officials,
and which VIII be the general dis
tributine point fer all the opera
tons Here. too, will be located |
the central power plant, with an
ultimate capacity OF 10000 idlo-