The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-23
BELIEVE V|RGIN|AA RY.
WILL BUILD TO LAKES
Plans Once Talked OF For Outlet In
North Are Being
Revived.
n. & W. GETTING IN CLOSE"
Reported That the Virginian's Coal
Traffic Is Not Up TO Prospects and
That Western Market Is Needed.

1t is again believed in certain lin
terested quarters that the Nirginian
Railroad Company proposed to open
an outlet for itself to the Great Lakes,
says the Bluefield. w, Va. Telegraph.
1t is believed that this scheme for so
long talked of was abandoned by
the road at one time, the company
evidently believing that 1t could ade-
quately serve it's mining field with
only It's Tidewater outlet, but that
the European war brought about such
changed conditions 1t has since real
lied the need of Western route.
Coal Traffic Grows.
Statistics show that the growth of
the Virginian's coal traffic has not
been up to prospects, which Is &C
counted for by the fact fhat 1t has
not had the proper facilities with
which to accommodate its patrons
Had the Virginian a Western extern
sion, in the opinion of coal men, the
roads coal tonnage would have dou-
bled which, IL Is said. the operators
have had sufficient orders to dc. AS
the situation exists, IL is sad that
the Virginian one week has more
business than 1t can hardly handle,
while perhaps the next week 1t ex-
periences a big slump. The conse-
auence Is ii is asserted. that the coal
more or less dissatisfied with the
situation, while at the same time
thev are sharing their business with
the Chesa peake and Ohio.
Feeders to q. a. o.
The operations Of large portion Of
the territory which the Virg.uian Ia
supposed to serve were originally
feeders to the Chesapeake and Ohi,,
before the Virginian was built, ana
, r rNnty tn hA L. -,
and Ohio. 1t Is declared the operators
are filling Western orders along win
their Eastern traffic by the Virginian.
If they did not do this. 1t Ia explained
that With just the one outlet by The
Nirginian their loss would be a ve-y
material consideration.
y. & w. Getting In"
1t is said that the Virginian has
become quite eognizant of this situa-
it, while at the same time 1t is poin.
Cd out that the way in which the
Norfolk and Western continues 10
gradually encroach upon territory of
the Nirginian is source of concern
to the Firginian.
These several things are referred to
as grounds for the belief that the
Nirginian will be compelled to build
Great Lakes route to forestall COM
pelitiVe ROADS from ulNIuln& It's pusl-
ness with 1t, giving its patrons every
accommodation offered by either of the
other roads in its territory.
Old c. e o. Mines.
The mines which are available to
the Chesapeake and Ohio are old
mines for the most part, which have
Seen fully developed, and are the
largest feeders which the Virginian
has
j N-esois md Western Official said
the otter Gay that IL this road did
not equalize its traffic between the
East and West IL would be unable to
handle more than half of its present
big traffic. He asserted that the road
would be unable to supply the mines
with cars with a full allotment all the
while. while by its tonnage being d.
vided between the East and West. as
II is, he declared that the Norfolk
and Western could actually. by the
most systematic management, handle
twice its present volume of business.
situation which seems TO be the
problem of the Virginian Railroad.