The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-22
TO PLETE ROAD
STARTED YEAR AGO
LINE WOULD CONNECT NORFOLK
WITH BALTIMORE AND WASH
INGTON IN NEW FIELDS.
SUCCESS is ASSURED
ROUTE HAD BEEN SURVEYED AND
PARTLY GRADED AND EsTI-
MATES AND BID SECURED
FINANCES HANDICAP.

a railroad PROJECT, connecting Nor
folk with Washington and Baltimore,
| started nearly half a century ago.
traversing some Of the most produc-
tive fields in Virginia, is on its way
TO completion and according to those
| financing the plans it will be one of
| the finest.
The new line is called the Norfolk,
| Yorktown and Washington railway.
The rights of way have been secured.
Much of the roadbed has been graded.
| Charters have been secured and the
money with which 10 construct the
ne Is already being accumulated
| through Baltimore and Philadelphia
| banking houses. The most sanguine
| prospects are being held out and
| present indications point to the opera
| ton of line within two years at least.
To give a four-hour service between
| Norfolk and Baltimore will be the
| browning achievement of the new
| enterprise. The route will be from
| Hampton Roads. nothward through
some of the most fertile counties OF
| Virginia. linking up scores of rich set
| Elements which at present have little
| or no outlet for their products. In
with the Richmond. Fredericksburg
and Potomac railroads and go into
| Aiexa ndria.
| For getting into Baltimore the
| tracks of the old Baltimore and An
napolis line will be used and the total
| length of the line win be 11s miles.
| The main southern terminus will
| be at Norfolk. The tracks of the
| virginian railway VIII be used TO Pine
I Beach, where a ferry service will be
| inaugurated to Hampton, distance
| OF 2 miles, where land and terminal
| facilities have been secured.
The original plans for the railroad,
1 which was to run from Washington
| to Point Lookout, the southern ex-
| terminity of the Potomac peninsula. q
| distance of az miles, were made soon
| after the conclusion of the War Be-
! tween the States In 1855 the project
| fell through after the route had been
| graded three-fourths OF its length.
! Subsequently the grade was used for a
| single track road running for II miles
| from Bradywine, In Charles county,
| Md, to Mecfanicsviiie IN ST. Mary
| county.
1t Is planned by the company TO
! use, for local business. gasoline cars,
similar to those in use by the Union
| Pacific railroad with good success.
! These cars are said to be giving sat
| isfaction for the reason that the cost
| of operation is small and that for
| local business this type of car Is most
/ desirable
| The new line will be rich in re-
sources Beginning at Norfolk where
/ much may be expected. the -eesstr'aAa--
| ing wealth of Hampton, Newport
News. Old Point. further up at Po-
| quosin. great fish and oyster center
/ and on TO Yorktown which, besides
| its remarkable historical interest IS
rich i'm manufacturing assets. notably
! In the turning out OF cement ana
chemicals.
| The company plans to bridge the
| York river with span $500 feet long,
bids for this already having been
| turned In and work ready to start as
soon as construction of the road Is
started.
Opposite Yorktown is Gloucester
Point, an important shipping place
for oysters, fish and truck. and a
| few miles north lies Ordinary. an
other important congregating point for
commerce which is in the center of
| thickly populated country. In this
section ard that contiguous TO III the
melon industry is very large. many
of the farmers cuitivating as much
| as fifty acres. In addition to the va
ried productiveness of this country
through which the new line traverses
| there is large acreage In grain
which now finds outlet only by boat.
| The fact that practically all of the
commerce of thi sFfch section Is de-
pendent upon an irregular boat SER
vice has been a big factor in prevent
| ing its development. With a regular
| train service, running on fast sche-
dule, the fruits Of this territory will
| find a quick market. and another fea-
ture will be the earlier delivery Of
produce by several hours.
| II ia estimated that the cost OF con-
structing the new road will be about
| 81. ZOO. 900 In round numbers. although
enc estimate places the figures at a
| half a million less than this. II Is
planned to issue Ave per cent bonds at
ering the whole line of 1l6 miles. the
mortgage TO cover the rights Of way.
roadbeds, franchise. rolling stock.
terminals and all other property.
| The president of the line Is w. j.
/ Burnley. of Richmond, and Carroll T..
| Hobert, OF Norfolk. an engineer who
laid out the roadway, is vice -presi-
dent Mr.. Hobart has been working
| on the line for four years. having
! charge OF surveys. acquisition of right
OF way and all other matters per-
! tanning TO the physical preliminary
plans Just now MIR. Hobart IL i'm
/ terested in the financial end OF the
project and expects to have plans In
working shape In q few months,
] ". Bernard Duke. vice president of
the National Bank OF Baltimore. Is
one OF the leading financial lights be-
Ing associated with Francis T. Hoom-
or and George r. Willis, Of Baltimore:
-Mlifsxns 1Eurskn M6ntx0snsfy, sef PAIL
adelphia. and States Attorney General
John c. Beall.- ofYPhlladslphia.
s-------------------->
Wilson IAhes Breeding.
HARRISBURG, PA, Sept s1--