Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1917-06-28
BIG RAILROAD
development
Plans Assuming Form Which
Will Mean Much to the
Progress of This
Section,

\ A surveying force under charge OF
AEngineer Tallaferro is in Little Se-
quac6ie Cove.1 Eve miles from here.
car ped while taking new surveys for
th proposed railroad mp Sequatchis
Cove to the coal properties of the Dur
ham Coal Company, ten miles from
here on Gray's Creek. Two or three
surveys have already been made to
this property, which is very valuable,
but it is reported that they are not
satisfactory. The last survey left this
city about one mile north. crossing
the Sequatcbie Valley pike at county
bridge over Sequatchie River, and
climbing the mountain at once. The
result Of this survey was that the road
got too high in attitude to get coal
ont from openings previous to coming
to Gray's Creek. The first route sur
veyed had contrary effect as it was
so low that portion Of the road
would have had to have been built to
come back on itself over a mile SO IS
to get a higher altitude. The Durham
Coal Company. il. is said, is very anI-
ious to build this road, as it would
mean a great deal of money to them to
get this coal. One of their engineers
recently stated that if the European
War was to close, work would begin
in thirty days thereafter to construct
this coal road, but that the high price
of labor and supplies was prohibitive.
Just now the high price of coal seems
to have removed this objection and it
is possible that if more satisfactory
route is surveyed that the road will
be built Splendid seams of coal are
in the property, which lies to the west
of the Tennessee Coal. Iron & Rail
road property at Wbitwell. so valuable
that it is reported that the Whitwell
company have made tempting offers
to the Durham company regarding
its purchase.
The work of survey is being done
by the engineering force of the Nash
vile, Chattanooga and st. LOUIS Rail
way. This railioad company is plan
ming extensive road development as
follows to take place in the next dec
ade. First, the Sparta and Pikeville
branches of the N, .. & St. L. will
be connected by a railroad running
over the Cumberland Mountain via
Herbert. Herbert Domain, state prop
erty for the Reformatory, is located
here and pressure is being brought to
bear on the railroad company to build
to that point to get out coal products
and agricultural products produced by
the institution Second a road is al
ready being surveyed to Tatesville
from Coalmont in Grundy county. and
this engineering crew has just finished
u survey for that road. Arriving at
Tatesvlle the N, G. &. st. L. offic-
ials are unwilling foi it to remain "a
terminus and are contemplating one
of two things, either to continue on to |
Dunlap, or to turn to this southwest !
and construct road down Little Sc
quatchie Cove from Tatesville to this |
place, thereby opening up vast /
rsct of virgin timber lands and coal
Yields, among them being the NAM
moth fields of the Durham Coal Com
pany as mentioned in the first of this
article. 1t has been also proposed to
turn the road down into Little Sequat-
chic Cove from the extenuatiun Of the
Nashville, Chattanooga & st. Louis
road from Pryor Ridge on Cumberland
Mountain to Deer Lick. now being
built. This latter route, however,
would not go thru the Durham Com
rany's property. The route from
Tatesville to Dunlap is also objection
able as mel ely passing over mountain
coal measures, which will be worked
by mines on the extension now being
built up Brush Creek from Dunlap. II
the Durham Company can prove to
to the satisfaction of the N. c. q st.
L. R'y that it has enough coal to
pay for building the road. it is very
possible the N. G. &. st. l. R'y
will take the Tatesville- -Sequatchie
route. without counting the great
numbe. of other coal lands which
would be thrown open. Besides virgin
timber there are also valuable build.
ing stone, and oolithic and lithogrsph
limestone in good bodies.
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