The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-17
ILLINOIS CENTRAL IS PLANNING ID BUILD THROUGH ID GULF Surveying Parties Now at Work Between Bessemer
 and Tuscaloosa TO REACH MOBILE
 AND NEW ORLEANS Railroad Lines in South All Have Eye on Gulf Ports to Be Ready
 for Opening of the
 Panama Canal

That the Illinois Central railroad has proposed line to connect Birmingham with Mobile and New Orleans and that an official announcement would be made regarding it within few weeks was the accepted opinion in well in- formed local railroad circles yesterday Inquiries directed to the leaders of railroad circles in this district yester day brought smile and why certain ly the Illinois Central intends to build without delay from Birmingham"
 Engineers for the Illinois Central have been in Bessemer some time only recently moving from that place to Tuscaloosa, where they are engaged in surveying the proposed line. It Is prob- able that the engineers will be- en- gagged on the preliminary survey for some weeks
 The Illinois Central plans to build, it is stated, from Bessemer to Tusca- loosa and from that place to a point on the Alabama, Tennessee and North ern railroad which is owned by John T. Cochrane of Mobile On that line the Illinois Central will be in direct touch with Mobile and enjoy unequaled harbor facilities there. In order to get into New Orleans the Illinois Gen. tral will build across the Alabama. Tennessee and Northern railroad to Jackson, Miss, there connecting with the Illinois Central main line running from Memphis and Jackson, Tenn, to
 
 volve any great sum of money in the eyes of the Illinois Central manage ment, and will be worked over just as fast as men and energy can perfect the details
 The Illinois Central line will possess by such move direct connections from Birmingham to the chief harbors of the Gulf of Mexico and will be in a posi- ton to give additional competition to the Louisville and Nashville, Frisco and Southern railway interests for southern trade.
 The plans of the Illinois Central railroad are identical with those of the Louisville and Nashville and Southern railway interests and the Frisco to get ready for the opening of the Panama caIal President Markham of the Illi- nois Central railroad enjoys the repu- 
 Hartman interests have not refrained from spending few million dollars when such game was to be played and such unlimited stakes were to be the reward.
 With the proposed line the Illinois -uoo losIIp 9Aeu ItIM ppoIIeI IeIlueD snections from Sioux Falls to Chicago. thence to Birmingham, thence to New Orleans and Mobile without any stop and upon it's own rails.
 The stragetic position that such work would give the Illinois Central railroad cannot be overrated as the company would be in an almost unrivalled position for successful traffic handling. With the Frisco lines the Illinois Central, the Louis- vile and Nashville and the Southern scrambling to get better fences up for the Panama canal opening, and with Birming- ham possessing a position directly as the hub of the whole situation, the future growth of this city cannot be overesti- mated. ltl fi,iN
 It is stated that the Illinois Central may buy the lines of Mr. Cochrane in south Alabama, but nothing definite is known in that connection
 From local Illinois Central officials yes tetrday nothing was to be learned, as the proposition of building the line is in it's first conception, and the operating and freight departments are not advised as to the proposed work. However, It is stat ed that the management has informed some leading business men here of their intentions, and that little doubt should be entertained as to the eventual realiza- tion of a long cherished dream of the late J. T. Harahan, who desired such a a piece of construction before he left the Illinois Central upon which line he re- gently met his death
 A. s. Baldwin, chief engineer for the H. is in district during the new week, and it is probable that matters will have pro- gressed to such an extent at that time as to warrant an official announcement as to the proposed newly constructed connec- tions.