Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-02
.CL|NCHF|ELD OPENS
NEW CONNECTING LINK
Important Line Through Mountains
Of Virginia Now in
Operation.
BRIDGE ON oCCoQUAN CREEK
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Po-
tomac Calls for Bids on New Loco
motives OF Pacific Type-Omcials
Praise George w. Stevens.

With the formal opening yesterday
OF It's Elkhorn extension. the Carolina,
Clinchfield and Ohio Railway has a
new direct route through the Cumber-
land Mountains. connecting the South
Atlantic States, portions Of East Ten
ncssee and Southwest Virginia with tho
Middle West and ports on the Great
Lakes. Vice-President ]. J. Campion
and other officials of the road were
present when the extension. which runs
from Dante, Russell County. Va. to Elk
norm City, KY, received its first through
freight and passenger trains.
Mark w. Potter. Of New York. is
president OF the Carolina. Clnchfeld
ana Ohio His company has spent 500
100000 or more in constructing and
are or the largest type, and an average
grade OF less than per cent, together
with It's direct north and south Connec-
tions. makes the road an important
coai-carryinE line. The construction Of
the Elkhorn extension as an expensive
proposition ono tunnel through Sandy
Ridge being two miles I'm length.
Announcement is made of the com
pletion of the new double-track steel
bridge or the Washington Southern
over Occoquan Creek, twenty-five miles
south OF Washington. This structure
is OF the latest design. and cost APP
proximately 100000 It's construction
was Oeeun In May, 1914, more than
year being required to complete It,
The bridge is SIS feet long, having
two steel spans of $50 feet each with
nVe ck-girder spans of seventy -fivo
rect each. Four million pounds of
steel was used In Its construction. with
to s,Ooo square yards of masonry and
fourteen tons OF REINFORCED steel One
foundation Is forty-seven feet below
mean low water. The work WAS done
under the general supervision of Cap
tain S. B. Rice. engineer of maintenance
OF way.
Tho old single-,rack bridge. which
the new structure replaces was built
twenty years or more ago. The railroad
has turned 1t over 20 the Boards OF Su-
perVisors Of Fairfax and Prince VIII
nam Counties to be used as wagon
bridge.
The Richmond. fredericksburg and
Potomac yesterday sent out requests
To- bids for six new locomtives Of the
racine type The engines will be
heavier than any now in use on the
road
An interesting feature OF the cere-
mony In connection with the pre-
ident George ". Stevens, Of the Ches-
apeake and Ohio, at his country home
in Rockbrfdge County Tuesday. was
the address OF c. W. Bradley, super
lntendent OF telegraph. The occasion
was Mr.. Stevens's sixty-fourth birth
day, and marked the completion of his
twenty fifth year as an official OF the
road. Mr.. Bradley is one of the veteran
railroad men OF the country, and has
been close friend OF Mr. Stevens for
nearly half a century. In his address
he told how he happened to give the
present head of the Chesapeake and
Ohio his first position as train dis
patcher. Mr.. Bradley said, in part:
TN 1913 l was invited by Colonel
Adna Anderson, vice-president OF the
Wabash Railroad, 10 accept a position
on that road. and In time was appoint
ed superintendent of the second divi-
Danville, Ill. Upon my arrival at La
fayette. Ind. soon found that first
class train dispatcher was necessary
One day. while at Logansport, l called
on Colonel Hill. superintendent OF the
Handle road, and asked him who
was the best train dispatcher in the
United States. Colonel Hill replied:
I have him right here and gave me
TO understand that his name was
George W. Stevens
Some weeks after that. when again
offered him the position OF train dis
patcher st Lafayette, which he ac-
cepted. The only instructions 1 ever
gave him after he began work was
that the Job was his. l had no orders
to give to the best train dispatcher
in the United States. II he held a
job down he was n good man. and
II not he knew what to expect. He
made good. and has continued to make
| good and more than good in every posi-