The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-18
DISCUSS POSSIBILITY
OF WESTERN EXTENSION
Will Street Journal Has Extended
Article on Virginia COnl
Roads.
PRAISES v,nGINIAN's noApnEI
hut Says q. 81 q. Illus Advantage In
Getting Cont Ours From Mines TO
Nnih Line by Gravity.

III u!ScuSSllS TIE DOSSlDlllly oil the
Nirginian Railway reaching out 70 the
westward for Lake traffic in addition
10 its present coal carrying line TO the
Atlantic scaboard. the Wall street
journal OF yesterday has an extended
article comparing the comparative ad-
vantagcs of the VirGinian and Chesa-
penkc and Ohio as coal carrying roads
giving the advantage 10 the Wiz
Rn!an in the matter OF terminals and
manner OF main line construction and
equipment. but to the Chesapeake and
OHIO In the matter of grades In the
mountains and convenience IN getting
loaded cars from the mines TO the
main line
The article says:
Although the Virginian Railways
stock, preferred and common. Is not
listed on Tie New York stock Ex-
change, II has an interesting connec-
ton. not only with the business Of
carrying bltuininous coal to tidewater
from one OF the most productive dis
tricts of tho United States, but also
with its possible extension westward.
IL was regarded as one OF the pos
s!bie purchasers OF the Chesapeake
ana Michigan, which would have en-
abled IL 20 send Goa! 10 the Lakes, as
well as To Hampton Roads. The road
has had 4 distinct advantage In its
: direct competition with the Chcsa-
peake and OHIO. not merely In respec,
- tapping the same coal district. but
because OF its facilities for handling
coal at tid.wAi-r. Its coal pier al
Scwells Point Is as GOOD, or better
than that Of the Norfolk and WESTERN:
and certainly better than that OF tn.
Chesapeake aud Ohio AZ Newport
News. although the latter is now build
Ing. and VIII hay" completed in "A few
days. pier which can load vessels
with coal TO the extent Of $4,000 tons
q day.
HIGH CLASS OF WORK
IN FIRST CONSTRUCTION
NO one who has Travelled on the
N!rrinian Railway could fail to no.
tee how good the work done In con
structing the road was. and how well
II compares with everything OF the
Kind ever done in the building OF new
roads 1t is. in Tact. altogether TOO
good. Between New York and Phlla-
deipAia the PENIS lvania is now run
ming on It's eighth right OF way. II
has straichtcned curves and corrected
the mistakes OF It's inception 10 that
extent. The Virsinian is running on
its first right OF way.
1T has built q road which It may
easily have to abandon. The grades
are excellent when it energies from
the coal fields OF the Allcghanics ana
runs 10 the seaboard. But In Tie coal
fields il is a positive switchbacE. To
rum over the road ia that region. In an
observation car with the locomotive
behind. instead OF in front. is 10 cXpc-
ricncc every sensation Coney Island
could give. The cuttings are deep. The
trcst!rs are built OF steel over lar.c
gaps, ana ar" expcnsivc!y curved. The
tunnels are numerous, and admirably
constructed The filings TO cmbank
u" road for something like "a work
O. a Il
reading simply cannot afocd. Being
very well Quilt at one time, all This
vii! fall in together, in future years.
the question wih then arse whether
TO renew II or 10 build different
western connection along the river
&. AZ -. GETS CARS FROM
MINES ALMOST Bl GRAVITY
Nothing is stiutcd on the rolling
stock Three are AIikado and even
N.llet engines to hau! the coal which
constitutes virtually the whole freight
traffic Eut 10 get this coal oui of ;ne
aiming districts, ana m the prepostcr-
GUS grades, 1t is necessary 10 US. TWO
big locomotives in front ana one 10
. I ';Sh behind The whole theory OF;
construction is wrong. The Chcsa-
pCaile and Ohio almost runs trains oul
oi the coal regions TO its main track
by gravity. IN other words. ali its
loaded coal cars run downhll. anu
only empticS haN.. To be carried uphill.
/ Tnc only pushing the Chcsapcake AMI
ONO locomotive does is up the west
eru slope OF the .illcghanieS to get Its
! heavy sevcnty-ton coal cars over the
:. 6oC-foot crest Of mat range. wnicn Is
the lowest elevation any road o"kin.,
from the Middle Wcst TO the seaboaru
has TO surlnount.
There is AN advantage which the
NirSinian has enjoyed in its compcti-
ton with the Chesapeake and Ohio
which should NOT he overlooked It's
cars are practically n"ver taken by
other roads. because I'll its business
! is on It's own system ard east of the
AlleSh;inies. But If il proposes to ex-
tend westward, 1t Will nave al tiic dis
advantage OF losin% It's cars for a
month or more. like The Cheaapeako
and Ohio.
But this cXtcaS, westward In
wolves an expense nHt ccncraiIy lprre-
citted and perhaps no: appreciated by
In" controlling interests in the road.
The Virginia already has Il mountain
section which was costly to construct,
Extending westward would probably
involve. not merely ii new line beyond
1t own rails. but the u;lding OF 4
new road, on grades which would not
require three engines to move the
heavy freight trains OF the competitive
business OF to-day"
SUFFRAGETTES START FIRE