Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1919-04-24

ton of the water route from the wes-
tern sections of Maryland, West Vir-
ginia and Pennsylvania, in its larger
concept and utilization of the bed OF
the old canal for a double track system
designated to distribute with greater
ease and at a greatly reduced cost the
thirty millions of tons of coal, in ad-
dition to other products brought to the
seacoast either by rail or water. II
also contemplates tunnel to extend
under X and L streets and Mas
sachusetts avenue to the Union station
to form a junction with the Baltimore
and Ohio and Pennsylvania railroads
there and extension from the station
underground to the waters Of the
Eastern branch. Stations will be built
under the proposed plan in the Dis
trict of Columbia for passenger traffic
at Mount Vernon square and at Market
place.
Proponents of the scheme, for which
the maps and engineering proposals
have been put in the hands of Secretary
Baker and are being studied by him on
his trip abroad, clam that by taking
the water from the canal bed and plac
ing rails in the bed the double purpose
will be served in eliminating the pres
ent heavy grade of railroads to westerA
Maryland and lower Pennsylvania and
in those States. Little or no opposition
is feared from the Baltimore and Ohio,
according to the men behind the
scheme, for the reason that ii is fels
that when railroad officials contemplate
the advantages of the scheme they will
fall in line and become its chief ad-
herentS.
1t is proposed to run double track
over the canal ditch from Cumberland,
or a point behind Cumberland, to
Washington. These tracks are to
connect at the Cumberland terminus
with tracks of the Baltimore and Ohio,
the Pennsylvania, the Western Mary
land and other intersecting railroad
lines, and at the Washington terminus
with the tracks of the Washington
Terminal Company, entering the Unio,,
station The canal line, it is claimed,
will afford through and direct easy
grade route from the coal
fields of West Virginia, Pennsylvania
and Maryland, and from the agricul-
ture, fruit and truck country lying II
the east of these coal fields.
Supplementary plans look for de-
velopment of the potential water power
of the Potomac river through construc-
ton of a chain or number of storage
and impounding lakes along the Poto-
mac river with minor power plants for
local electric power and light produc-
ton and a main storage power plant in
the vicinity of Great Falls for an auXil-
iary supply of light and power for
and nearby towns. In or
der to help finance the proposition it is
held that control of a subway under
the railroad tracks in the canal ditch
should be centered in the company
handling the project, such a conduit
to carry water, gas and oil mains and
pipes and electric light power, tele-
graph and telephone lines, leases or
which will be used to pay interest OF
part of the principal on the capital in
vested.
1t is also planned to combine and CO
ordinate the canal and water powei
developments within the District so
as to supplement extension of a pro-
posed park system in the western and
northwestern sections of the city.
Adherents OF the plan claim that the
entire project can be handled at
maximum cost of Sl5,0O0,000 and be-
lieve that when the railroads realize
the true value of the project they will
become the chief workers for the
scheme. Money raised on leasage OF
concessions, it is claimed, will pay
interest on the outstanding capital and
will even enable yearly payment OF
part of the capital.
Figures of coal tonnage transporta-
tion to the seaboards for the year 1917
show that more than 100000 tons
of coal were shipped from the mines
in Maryland, Pennsylvania and West
Virginia, centering near the proposed
railhead Of thirty million tons, was
diverted toward seaboard and travelled
over the tracks of the Baltimore and
Ohio, the Western Maryland or the
Pennsylvania, the frst-named railroad
carrying the larger portion. The Bal
timore and Ohio maintains great
transshipping yard at Point of Rocks
Washington Junction., Nd, and from
this point only small part OF the coal
is shipped to or through Washington,
the major part going OF east and north
through Baltimore along the Patapsco
river trackage. Under the new schemr
for transshipping at Washington and al
fhe Eastern branch by boat down the
river, instead of Washington getting
only a small part of the freight busi-
ness of the railroads, it would get =
major portion and become freight