Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-04-16
PLAN TO TUNNEL POTOMAC.
Pennsylvania Railroad Company may
Place Tube From Aqua Greek to
Maryland ~

That the work of probing the bot
tom of the Patapsco river IN the W
cinity of the Quarantine Station near
Baltimore, is preliminary to bigger
schemes by the Pennsylvania Railroad,
wa sthe definite statement given Ill
Baltimore yesterday by an interest
tclose to the company.
Similar work would be done, II IL
had not already been commenced, the
railroad man said, in the bed OF the
Potomac river. In both instances con-
crete tubes would be laid under the
rivers for railroad uses and the
Pennsylvania was doing The wo"k
! preliminary to building a cutoff i:ne
north and south on the western sA2:e
of the Chesapeake Bay. Continuing
the official said:
In the present instance am convin-
ced that the Pennsylvania has vc:'y
definitely determined upon what it
wants with these surveys in The Pat
apsco and the Potomac. In conte7l-
! plates q new line which will leave ohe
present Fredericksburg, Richmond and
Potomac road, which is the artery be-
tween the North and South used joint
ly by the Pennsylvania and other con-
Meeting Northern lines, at Aqua
Creek, in Virginia. From this point
the Potomac will be crossed to so"e
point in Charles county, in lower
Maryland. This will be done by a tube
or tunnel under the Potomac, which IS
not much wider at that location than
is the Patapsco at the point it is pro
posed to cross near Bal.imors.
"Once in lower Maryland from this
direction, The Pennsylvania could read
lily join up a new North and South
line with its already existing Pcre's
Creek line, which extends through
Charles and Prince Georges counties
from Pope's Greek, on the Potomac.
to Bowie, where it connects with the
line to Washington To secure this
connection will require some add
tional road building in Charles county
perhaps, as the point at which the
Aqua Creek tube will touch the Mary
land side in direct line is about is
or 20 niles from the Pope's Greek
branch. However, the building of this
link will open up anew and fertile
section of that county, which will o.
Itself make it's construction and opera.
ton profitable to the company
"The advantages of such line tt
the Pennsylvania are not difficult t.
see. 1t could relieve that part of It;
line which now relies or the facili:ic.
at the Washington terminals OF al
She through freight and perhaps some
of the xepress passenger traffic wh;ct
at times congests that point. All the
Southern roads bring their trade into
that terminal. When it is recalled
that this is furnished by the Southern
the Atlantic Coast Line, the Seaboa I'd
! the Chesapeake and Ohio and the Nor
folk and Western, it can easily be M,
derstood why relief is sought. Tho
Baltimore. and Ohio and the Pennayl-
vania furnish the facilities for moving
all this traffic north from Washngi Oh.
"Thc suggested link, therefore, vii!
not Interfere in any way With he
existing relations between the Penn
sylvania and its Southern connections.
1t will take all the through business
from the Southern, The Seaboard and
the Coast Line at its Aqua Creek
junction avoiding hauling it into Wash
ington. 1t will be sent north through