Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE PICKENS SENTINEI4OURNAL Entered April 23, 1903 at Pickens, S. C. an second class matter, under act of Congress of March 3, 1579 39th Year PICKENS. S. C., MAY 20, 1909. Number 7 CllllllffIed System is S Completion of the New Road I tanburg and Columbia Wil opment of SOt Some of the Majestic Scenery, Marvelou bilities of the New Transmontane Lii tic Sel "I am confident that through trains for both passenger and freight traffic will be in opera tion by direct route over the new Carolina, Clinchfied & Ohio line from Cinciinatt, Chi cago and the Middle West to the South Atlantic states, Flori da and the Panama canal by way of the Flagkr road within the next few years. When this is done and the national re sources of the new section have been developed, particularly the coal interests.-the Panama ca nal having been completed and the South's industrial develop ment having reached that stage of growth that many predict for it- then there will be an era of Southern activity the like of which this country has little dreamed. There is need for Southern people to think on these thin id above all else to . eready for the time that Oto come.' This statement was made by one of the best posted and most intelligent observers of men and events in the South a few days ago just after having investiga ted the possibilities and oppotuni ties opened up by the new line. And those who have gone over the new road, which for scenic grandeur and engineering skill is not to be surpassed in Amer ica, will verily agree, says W. D. Adams in the Charlotte Ob server. His article in full is as follows: The Carolina, Clinchfiel & Ohio road is now practically complete from Dante, Va., to Bostic, this state, where connec tion is had with the Seaboard Air Line. Through trains are now being operated daily from the present northern terminus to Wilmington and Southport, and thus has been achieved the dream of many Southern states men and engineers in that the rich coal district of Southern West Virginia, .Southwestern Virginia and eastern Kentucky and the fertile fields of the Ohio valley have been brought in di rect contact with the South At lantic states and the ocean. FEATURES OF THE NEW ROAD. The new road presents so many interesting features that the whole story can hardly be comprehended in one brief arti cle. It is a difficult matter to determine just what particular feature merits first place. To lovers of the beautiful and grand in scenery, it will appeal more so than any other road on this side of the Rockies. A new and heretofore untraversed territory has been opened up, one that eclipses by long odds anything in the neighborhood of Asheville Saluda, Round Knob or Waynes ville and far in advance of any thing on the Chesapeake & Ohio along the Kanawha in West Virginia. Words are inadequ ate to describe the iruposing majesty of the towvering peaks .of the Black mountains, which are so overwhelmingly visible for a distance of more than 15 miles as this new line half-way encircles the Catawba valley. Mount MIitchell, the highest peak east of the Rockies, stands out in all its majestic dignity and so also a score of other lofty peaks which constitute the Black mountain range. Of broad and fertile valleys, of foaming, tum bling streams and of skyward reaching mountains there are hundreds, one following the other in rapid succession from Marion to Johnson City, Tenn., BOld to Panama Canal. TomR Elkhorn, Ky., to Spartan Mark an Epoch in Devel Atlantic States. Engineering Skill and Wonderful Possi e Connecting Middle West with Atlan .board. and then from Johnson City to Dante, Va. SOMETHING OF THE ROAD ITSELF. Surpassing in grandeur even the scenery, God's handiwork, if such a thing be be the road itself I regarded from the engineering point of view. On the line be tween Dante and Spartanburg, S. C., are 35 tunnels, the aggre ate length of which is six miles, aid in a distance of 14 miles of the 20 South of.:Alta Pass, in which space the road drops 1,330 feet, with a compensated grade of 1.2 per cent.,there are 18 tun nels of varying length up to 2,150 feet. The alignment of the road winds in and out among the mountains, crossing great ravines here and piercing mountain spurs there, never de viating from a specified course and constructed absolutely re gardless of cost. For instance, just South of the great Blue Ridge tunnel at Atla Pass, the highest point of the line, 2,629 feet, the road as built covers a distance of seven miles and re turns again to a point less than quarter of a mile from the start ing point.. At another place on this bend the direct distance be tween two points is but 182 feet, whereas the distance by rail is more than two miles. The road is intended primarily for coal carrying purposes and although it penetrates districts heretofore considered inaccessi ble the maximum grade has been maintained at one half of one per cent, compensated against southbound traffic. In order to maitain this grade many ex cave tions and an equal number of fills were necessary. One cut, that near Johnsen City, is 3,800 feet long with a maximum depth of 85 feet; from which 500,000 cubic yards of material was removed. A number of fills more than 100 feet in height were also necessary. In this connection, as illus trating the ingenuity of the locating engineers, the story is told of a smart promoter who acquired large holdings of real estate in Moccasin Gap, a nat ural pass to the North of Clinch mountain, the barrier to the Clinchfield district, through which it was believed the new road would have to go. By this route the road would paral lel the Virginia & Southwestern for some distance. From care ful investigation it was decided to take a short route through the mountain, much to the detriment of the schem ing promoter, who was lying in wait for the railroad company expecting the nest-egg of a fortune by sale of right of way on the basis of the lot prices. By means of a tunnel, which' while it cost something like a million dollars, saved several miles, the company side stepped him and escaped,. The guiding principle of those in charge of the new road has been to reduce grades and cut dis tances and by sparing neither time nor money, construct a system the future maintenance expense of which would be very little. THE NEW ROAD AND THE SOUTH Those who have interest nei ther in the scenery nor the en gineering skill displayed, should be concerned in the great propo sition of what the construction of the new road means to the South. Within the past two decades there has been a great evolution wrought. This sec tion is now a manifacturing re gion, one of manifold industrial activities and interests, so much so that the demand for fuel sup plies and the question of trans porting it direct from the near est district where high grade coal is available has been a matter of vital concern. It has been known for a long time that the most extensive and valuable deposit of coal of ex cellent quality for general man ufacturing purposes lie in a dis trict comprising some 15,000 square miles in Southwestern Virginia, Southern West Vir gini and eastern Kentucky. Heretofore these deposits have haraly been more than touched and the product evolved has al ways conmianded a higher price than should obtain by rea son of the long and circuitous haul. The recent rapid de velopment of the South industri ally, the completion of the Pan ama canal, and other agencies, has increased the demand for coal to a marked degree. The bringing of the South in closer contact with the Middle West by reason of this direct line will add to the general development, for it will undoubtedly in time reduce the price of coal and doubtless result in the readjust ment of general discriminating freight rates by reason of the new gateway points created. These gateway centres have heretofore been in Virginia, the Carolina rates being reckoned therefrom. It will direct atten to the South, open new and heretofore undeveloped territory and otherwise promote develop ment along lines of varied indus tries. Second only to the Pan ama canal, this new transmon tane highway offers wonderful opportunities for Southern up building. LIKE A ROMANCE. The history of the construction of this road, too, reads like a ro mance. It was not the product of one man's brain, nor the re sult of activity of any one fac tion or set of men, but the out come of the thought and efforts of many individuals covering a period of almost three-quarters of a century. The idea was enter tained even as far back as the 60's, Senator Robert Y. Hayne, of South Carolina, taking an ac tive part in the movement look ing to the building of such a road and was president of a com pany formed for the purpose. A glance at any map, particular ly one that shows the railroads and coal fields, will make plain the need of such a thoroughfare of traffic particularly by the South Atlantic states. All the roads heretofore have run either parallel to or partially encircling the great Appalachian range, the utilization even of the pass es being roundabout and on heavy grades. The mountains interposed so many impediments and barrels that any proposition that contemplated an actual di rect attack has been approached with hesitation. However, at last the great problem has been solved, and the South is the gain er thereby, a fact, certain in ex tent, for timie only to tell. TH E oLI 3 c's. As previously stated, the Car olina, Clinchfield & Ohio road, formerly the South and Western was designed primarily for a coal-carrying road. It was or ganized andl constructed by cap italists interested in the manm moth Clinchfield Coal corpora tion, a company owning some 400,000 acres of rich coal lands in the famous Clinch-district of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. When these gentle men, Messrs. George L. Carter, Thomas Fortner Ryan, W. A. Blair and others, acquired such large and valuable holdings, the first problem that presented itself was that of transportation, the getting of this coal to market. The proposition of building such a road through the mountains from the coal region to Johnson Citv Tenn.. and not through the mountains of western North Carolina to the Atlantic sea board was no new one. The old Charleston, Cincinnati, & Chi cago road, better known as the 3 C's, had been organized as far back as 1888, and much con struction work had been done up to the time the company failed during the panic of '93. This road was located along the Clinch river, in Virginia, from Fink to Clinchport, Tenn., and thence to Gate City on the Virginia & Southwestern, through Moccasin Gap and on to Johnson City. This line was largely graded and along the route from Hunt dale to Johnson City, a distance of 33 miles, track was actually laid. In 1902-'03 other parties continued the work to Spruce Pine, N. C. In another directi on the work was conipleted, the company owning 193 miles of road running from Marion to Kingville S. C., which was later acquired by the Southern. North of Marion, in the heavy mountain district, track laying had not begun whei the panic of ,93 came on aud all work ceased. MR. GEORGE L. CARTER. And now enters Mr. George L. Carter upoi the scene, to whose efforts more largely than to those of any other man is due the completion of the line. A large owner of coal lands, Mr. Carter appreciated the situation, realized the opportunity, and forthwith acquired the fran chises, rights of way, abandon ed works, etc., of the old 3-C's for the purpose of constructing just such a line as has been built. To tell of his labors would fill many volumes. He first interested Northern capital, additional coal lands were ac quired and the nucleus of the holdings of the famous Clinch field Coal corporation secured. The building of the road was then undertaken. Mr. Carter, keen business man that he was, looked into the future and re solved to construct a mountain road the like of which had nev er before been built in this coun try. He determined to spare no cost to build so that the future maintenance charges would be reduced to a minimum. Hence the road is on a one-half of one per cent compensated grade, with long cuts, deep fills, numerous tunnels and only the very best equipment of rolling stock, roadbed and track. The line is now finished from Dante, Va., to Bostic, this State, a dis tance of 207 miles, with freight and passenger trains in daily operation, and the work is now being prosecuted from Dante to Elkhorn, Ky., and from Bostic to Spartanburg, S. C., much work of general character hav ing been done on both exten sions. A little track has been laid in the direction of Spartan burg. This line is tentatively promised by October, and the Elkhorn extension by the fall of next year. The distance from Bostic, where connection is made with the Seaboard, to Ma rion, where the Asheville divi of the Southern is crossed, is ap proximately 28 miles; from Mar ion to Johnson City 28 miles, and from Johnson City to Dante 81 miles. The extension to Elk horn, Ky., will be about 45 miles and that from Bostic to Spatan burg 34 miles. A SPLENDID ROAD. The track all along the way has been ballasted with crushed stone and slag from furnaces and the rails are of 85-pound class, American Society section, in 33 feet lengths. The width of the roadbed on banks is 18 feet; in rock cuts 20 feet and in earth cuts 22 feet, including ditches. In many places where extra material was needed for filling, the adjacent cuts were excavated to a still greater width in preference to taking the ma terial from borrow pits nearby. This plan has not only provided more generous room for the roadbed and ditches, but will greatly reduce the expense of building second tracks or sidings. All passing sidings have been built 4,000 feet long between -clearance points. Some idea of the heavy con structing may-be had when it is stated that a total of 16,000,000 cubic yards of excavation was made between Dante and Bostic a distance of 207 miles, of which about 40 per cent was through solid rock, 20 per cent was through loose rock and the re mainder earth. From Bostic to Spartanburg the excavation will amount to about 2,000,000 cubic yards of -rock and earth and from Dante to Elkhorn about 2,700,000 cubic yards, mostly through rock. The av erage cost per mile of the line when finished from Elkhorn to Spartanburg, a distance of 286 miles, will be $125,000, while on the mountain grades on the south side of the Blue Ridge and along the cliffs of the Clinch river, the cost in many places ranged around $200,000 per mile. The cost for the road itself, ex clusive of the equipment, will be something like $36,000,000. INSPECTION TRIP MADE Last week a party of Seaboard officials, consisting of Mr. C.B. Ryan of Portsmouth, Va., gen eral passenger agent; Col. W. C. Coleman of Washington, gen eral traveling passenger agent; Col. C. H. Gattis, Jr.,of Raleigh, district passenger agent, Mr. James Kerr, Jr., of Charlolte, city ticket agent, accompanied by Col. F. A. Olds of Raleigh and an Observer representative made a trip over the new line from one terminus to the other in Mr. Ryan's private car. At Bostic the party was joined by Mr. Charles T. Mandel of Johnson City, traveling passen ger agent of the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio, and at John son City by Mr. J. J. Campian, traffic manager, one or both of whom were with the car as long as it remained in the Clinchfield territory. Among the other Clinchfield officials seen were Mr. M. J. Caples second vice pre~xent and general mana ger, Mr. Mark W. Potter of New York, chairmanof the board of directors, who was also on a trip of inspection. Leaving Charlotte Tuesday morning, according to regular schedule at 10:35 o'clock, Bostic was reached without delay on train No. 45, which runs direct through from Wilmington to Johnson City. Many improve ments have been make in the roadbed of the Seaboard from Charlotte to Lincolnton. New and heavier rails have been laid and the track splendidly ballas ted. Work is now being pushed in order that the ballesting may be continued on to Bostic, '73 miles, distant from Charlotte. The first view of the new road at Bostic is one to astound1 the ordinary observer. In addi tion to the heavy and splendidly constructed central track, there are a dozen parellel ones out in between the hills, far away from human habitation save the dwellings of the railroad people themselves hard by.' A coal chute stands on one side and along the tracts are four or fivel monster Clinchfield engines, shifting Clinchfield coal cars here and there. This is to be a terminus where transfer is made to the Seaboard line when the coal begins to move in great quantities. THE SCENIC ROUTE The road from Bostic north to Marion, while relatively heavy, is as 'nothing compared to what the line from Marion to Alta Pass discloses. For quite a distance along the way the new road is paralleled by the extension of the Southern from Rutherford ton to Marion, which serves for no other purpose than to display the difference between the con struction methods of a quarter of a century ago and those toi day The main line of the Southern stretching from Salis bury to Asheville is crossed about two miles east of Marion, the town itself not being includ ed for the reason alleged that no rights of way was procurable. The scenic part of the route is from Marion to Johnson City. A few miles north of Marion is the big bridge over the Cataw ba. 105 feet in height and over 960 feet long and containing more than 900 tons of steel. The veiw fron this point up and down the valley is one to be re membered. After leaving the riyer proper the valley is followed for quite a distance. the character of the country getting more and more rugged and the cuts and fills more and more precipitous. As the head of the valley is skirted, the view to the left of the Blacks, sentineled by Mount Mitchell and the other lofty peaks, is as grand and beautiful as is to be found on the conti nent. Linville station, one of the many undeveloped town sites along the way, offers a splendid view of the entire range. And just six miles dis tant is Linvile river, one of the finest trout fishing streams in western North Carolina. The other streams in this general section are well stocked. Lin ville Falls, on the Linville river, is one of the beauty spots of the State. From Linville up to Alta Pass, the summit of the range, there are tunnels after tunnels three in succession in terposing at one point in such direct line that one can clearly see through all at one time. The grade is 1.2 compensated, although the ascent is some thing like 1,300 feet. In the de velopmont this line turns upon itself quite pronouncedly at five points. From one of the deep fills as the road winds about the mountain, the whole valley of the Catawba, with the encir cling chains of mountains, is clearly visible. This has been designated Observation Point. A NORTH CAROLINA CANYON. After passing the Blue Ridge tunnel at Alta Pass, through which gap Daniel Boone is re puted to have made his first and second trip to the "dark and bloody" ground of Kentucky, in the~early days, the road descends lby gentle grades to Spruce Pine on the Toe river. This stream is followed until the Tennessee State line is reached, where its name is changed to the Noli chucky. The scenery all along the way is particularly beauti ful especially in what is known as the Molichucky canyon,the road following the river for eight miles with the mountains rising as much as 1,200 feet directly over head. After reaching Unaka Springs, near the foot of this canyon, the country is fairly level until Johnson City is reached. At Erwin the shops of the new road will be located. This is 18 miles east of Johnson City, where the head offices of the company have been estab lished. The party reached Johnson City at 8:10 o'clock in the even ing and spent the night there. The next morning the trip was continued to Dante, Va., which was reached about noon. Here actual operations are being con ducted under direction of the offi cials of the Clinchfield Coal cor poration, between 25 and 30 cars of coal noW being produced daily whereas in a few weeks this will be increased to 50 cars. The further development will be commensurate with the dem ands, the supply and resources being limitless. The scenic beauty of the line from Johnson City to Dante, while not so over whelming as that in the neigh borhood of Alta Pass, is no less beautiful. The longest and most difficult tunnel on the line is that through Clinch mountain over 4,000 feet in length, al though another is contemplated on the Elkhorn extension, which will be 15,200 feet in lngth, a1. most three miles. Dante is the very center of the coal district. A number of openings have al ready been made. Mr. John C. Winder, president of the cor poration, a North Carolinian and well known in Charlotte, whe now makes his headquagters in Roanoke, Va., will be located for the greater part of his time at Dante after July. THE EQUIPMENT COSTLY. At nearly all points along the line there is evidence of studied location and careful engineering particula-ly along the cliffs of the Clinch river and at Starne's Bend, where the new line grad ually gains an elevation over the old location in order to strike high up into Clinch mountain. The bridges are all of the hea-vi est steel with strongest concrete abutments. The equipment con sists of engines of the latest and most approved types. 100-ton passenger locomotives, 125-ton consolidation locomotives, and the Mallet type of locomotives weighing 182 tons. The coal cars are of 50 tons eath. One of the sights along the way from Bostic to Marion is a string of these cars more than a mile and a half in length. Fifteen hun dred more have been ordered, their cost approximating $1,200 each. A locomotive is now at the shops for the new road, but difficulty is being had in getting it home, owing to the refusal of onnecting roads to give it pas sage over their lines. The oper ition of trains over the new sys bem is entirely by telephone, this service being in accord with the Latest and most approved meth ds of railway operation. The party remained in the Dlinchfield territory four days, Afficials of the two roads discuss ing how best to arrange the sche dules in order to accomodate the bravel, and the lay riaembers of he party enjoying the scenery. l'hat there is to be a great move ment to the Clinchfield territory is certain for one has but to see the country to covet a summer home there. At present the hotel accomodations of the re sorts reached by the new line, such as Linville Falls and Un aka Springs, etc. are inadequate. Effort is being made to promote building along this line. Spec ial effort will be made to proper ly advertise it. Returning from Johnson City the cars leave at 8:20 in the morning Charlotte being reached without change at 5:15 in the afternoon. No more delightful two-days' outing is available in the State. Marriage Delayed. Measles, just plain measles, but aided and abetted by the Chicago health department have baffled young Cupid. In conse quence the marriage of Miss Louise Wilson, principal sufferer from the measles, inasmuch as she has them and must await their disappearance before she can wed Arthur McCracken, has been postponed at least two weeks. It was arranged for the ceremony to take place today: The wedding announcements were out and all preparations had been made Monday for to day's cesemony. It was to be at the home of the father of Miss Wilson. Then, Monday morning the bride-to-be became ill. "Mum," muttered Dr. Beaudry when he had seen the patient. A very light attack of the mea sles. I must obey the health de partment." And the health department quarantined the house. Pleading were of no avail. The bride-to-be became a trifle superstitious about postponed weddings and said so. She even said she would be married today or not at all, which caused the prospective bridegroom to urge that all means be used to per suade the health department. But his pleadings were in vain. The wedding ceremony re-. mains postponed.