The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-13

insufficient space for future increased facilities if found necessary. the depth of water available being questionable and the extreme narrowness of the Locust
 Fork at this point rendering arrival and departure from the loading point diff cult, if not porhibitory, for steamers or barges, unless basin is constructed by dredging out the low bank of the river. which can probably be done.
 ?. Geographically it is an exceedingly rough line, following beyond Mulga the bone of narrow, rocky ridge, affording unfavorable line support, thereby in- creasing the cost of future maintenance. should a greater width of graded road
 bed than is used as the basis of this es- timate be decided upon, it will be propor- tonally difficult and expensive to se- cure it, classified material being probable In large percentages.
 5. Favorable alignment is difficult to secure by this route, curves frequent and or shorter radius than should be allow able.
 The above factors and considera tions should determine the selection of the route to be adopted. and are therefore stated here in detail in order to bring
 out if possible, before definite action is
 taken, full and free discussion of this
 most important question in all it's bear
 lngs, with consequent and valuable bene- fits from the suggestions of the various district interests who are competent to advise in this matter, and will be vii tally interested, which is the main pur- pose of this report
 The question of the building of an cleo
 tr1c line in connection with this road is a feature of the investigation requiring separate consideration, and was not in-
 cluded in the instructions issued
 No attention has been paid to it in the
 surveys made therefore other than the assumption of maximum grade favor able for such a line, which may be sub sequently built along the side by widen ing the graded roadbed to 5O feet if proven conditions developed a demand for and seem to justify it. A municipally operated line for this purpose being a debatable question. any company organ ized for that purpose should do the neces- sary work of widening for line support at their own cost and expense With the unusually favora ble conditions
 existing, however, in the district in con- nect1on with leased electric power, etc. electric haul to the river should be the most logical solution of the heavy ton mage question, and can reasonably be ex- pected to be its final solution The con- structlon, ownership and operation of such line being matters which can probaoly be adjusted legally or otherwise without much difficulty. Electric trac- ton over existing grades by the use or recent methods can be made adeouate TOT any amount or character of tonnage and would unquestonably present less difficulty as to necessary district feeder terminals than any other method of haul
 The use of a railroad leased or con- structed, municipally owned and built or otherwise, while apparently more ade- quate than any other means of trans- pGrtatlon for the heavy tonnage which
 may be reasonably hoped for in the inn mediate future if not at once, involves the consideration of terminal connec- tons, which may not be at present avail able, or if availa ble be furnished at pro-
 hlbitive switching or trackage charges or
 necessitatng the initial construction of such necessary terminals at consequent heavy cost.
 No consideration for a right -of-way has been used in these estimates. as a right of-way has been already voluntarily of fered on both lines. This could hardly 1all to be the case, in view of the m- mediate and assured heavy increase in values of all lands immediately adioin- ing the proposed road incident to it's con- struction, and it would be made a basic condition or it's construction that the nec- essary width be so given or donated The estimates of cost here submitted are merely preliminary estimates, being
 based upon preliminary lines and paper locations. They are necessarily approxi- | mate in estimated quantities and ob- viously in classification assumed. Should paved roadway be decided upon special prices might be reasonably expected on work of this magnitude from dealers in the necessary material: this proposition being largely up to them. in view of the added fact also that these
 materials will all require to be long hn mac railroad delivery points,
 Any form of high class paving, whether brick, concrete, bituminous or water pound macadam or whatever is consfd : cred best and most economic. cannot however, be laid upon a green roadbed until 1t has thoroughly settled and com pacted, requiring for this purpose from tions.
 The nature of the material constitutina. the roadbed on the river section in such, however, that it can easily be put into coEditlon Tor temporary and immediate use as first class dirt road. and kent IT. such condition as to allow of heavy tfa1flc over it pending it's compaction anu suosequent paving or macadamizing. In view of these facts the figure of cost on the various kinds of hieh ola paving should be called for competitivelv py specialists in each particular class ana no figures which we could make at this time would be of much value. Tn
 this report, therefore, the estimate is confined to the construction of the neaes sary gfadlng and waterways, together with an approximate figure of cost only on hlgh class paving, useful only in de- termining what approximate cost is ac- tually in view for any complete pro- vision for the plan proposed in its broad est conception.
 COST OF LINES
 The cost of the two proposed lines will be as follows:
 Route No. ?, Taylor's Ferry line. New River section, gradua- tion and waterways ....$111972S5 Chert macadam section, re-
 construction uniform with river section ............. 45000 % Total cost exclusive of
 macadam or paving ..$156,972S5
 Route No. 4, Wylam Mulga line.
 New River section, gradua-
 tion and waterways ......$165,325.5 50 Chert macadam section, re-
 construction uniform with
 river section .............. 29,000.00
 Total cost, exclusive of
 macadam or paving -.. S194,325.50 Approximate cost of brick or
 concrete paving, 16 feet
 wide, per mile ... S1SOOO. co
 The question of the form of macadam or paving to be used in the event that the construction of one or the other of the above described routes is de- af1 1NI