Southampton-Greensville-Nansemond County Virginia USGenWeb Archives News.....Railroad, 1888 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ Atlantic & Danville R.R. construction, Jan-Nov 1888 "The Richmond (VA) Dispatch," Thurs., Jan. 4, 1888, p. 4, col. 1 KALE AND SHAD. THE TRUCKERS AND THE FISHERMEN IN NORFOLK'S NEIGHBORHOOD. The New Simpson Dry Dock and the Matter of Labor - Railroads - Personal. [Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.] NORFOLK, January 4, 1888. [...] General Thomas Ewing, of New York, president of the Atlantic and Danville railroad, addressed the council of the city of Portsmouth last night and urged that the $150,000 subscription of that city be paid on the completion of the road to Lawrenceville, Brunswick county, instead of Danville. The General stated that the road was now ready for business to Suffolk and would be running to Hicksford by May, and Lawrenceville three months afterwards. The grading has reached Jerusalem. "The Richmond (VA) Dispatch," Sun., Jan. 22, 1888, p. 3, col. 6 NORFOLK. DEATH OF CAPTAIN SPOONER, AN OLD SAIL-MAKER. Reaching Out for Improvements - Railroad Notes - Naval Matters - Personals and Briefs. [Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.] NORFOLK, VA., January 21, 1888. [...] There is some talk here of important changes in the Atlantic and Danville management. Mr. Thomas Breene, of Philadelphia, who is here with big railroad schemes on his hands, left for Richmond this afternoon to go before the Legislature. [...] The grading gangs at work on the Atlantic and Danville railroad have passed Jerusalem. The heaviest and slowest work on the line is the construction of the bridges caused by the delay of the contractors in delivering lumber. Traffic trains are now running four miles beyond Suffolk from West Norfolk, the station at the mouth of the Western branch. "The Richmond (VA) Dispatch," Tues., Apr. 10, 1888, p. 4, col. 1 [Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.] NORFOLK, April 9, 1888. [...] The commissary department of the Atlantic and Danville railroad has been moved to Jerusalem, the county-seat of Southampton county, and trains will soon he running to that point from Norfolk. A large number of hands are employed in the construction of the line at various points in Southampton and Greenville [sic] counties. A branch track from Hodges's ferry to the city of Portsmouth is to be built during the summer. "The Richmond (VA) Dispatch," Fri., Apr. 20, 1888, p. 4, col. 1 RAILROAD MATTERS. WORK OF GRADING THE ATLANTIC AND DANVILLE RAILROAD. The Strength of the Wise Republicans in Norfolk County - Fire - Personal. [Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.] NORFOLK, VA., April 19, 1888. The gangs at work grading the Atlantic and Danville railroad are within twelve miles of Jerusalem, the county-seat of Southampton, and between Jerusalem and Hicksford the work of grading is also progressing favorably. Colonel L.P. Harper, who is the contractor on this division, has now between five and six hundred hands at work. The greatest delay along the line is in building the bridge our the Blackwater river at Franklin. The officers say the road will be completed and in running order to Hicksford, on the Petersburg and Weldon railroad, by the fall. A force of hands of the Atlantic and Danville commenced work yesterday on the spur of road trom Beaman's Crossing to Pig's Point, overlooking Hampton Roads, where a watering-place hotel is proposed. "The Richmond (VA) Dispatch," Wed., May 16, 1888, p. 2, col. 4 Has Reached Franklin. [Special telegram to the Dispatch.] FRANKLIN, VA., May 15.- The first train of the Atlantic and Danville Railway Company reached Franklin to-night. They have their track laid into the town, and will commence laying rail between here and Jerusalem tomorrow. "The Richmond (VA) Dispatch," Sun., May 27, 1888, p. 4, col. 4 RAILROAD RUMORS. THE RICHMOND AND DANVILLE AND ATLANTIC AND DANVILLE. The Work on the Latter Road - The Simpson Dry-Dock - Personal Notes. [Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.] NORFOLK, May 26, 1888. There are all sorts of rumors of the movements of the Richmond and Danville railroad people in this section, and the latest is that they have been offered the Atlantic and Danville road on terms that will be accepted, and instead of parallelling the Seaboard and Roanoke a new road, the Atlantic and Danville will be completed as speedily as possible to a junction with the Richmond and Danville, probably at Clarksburg. On the Atlantic and Danville the track will be laid to Jerusalem, the county-seat of Southampton, within ten days, and trains will be run shortly afterwards. By the 1st of July the grading of the road will be completed as far as Hicksford, and the contractors have orders to push on with the work into Brunswick county. "The Richmond (VA) Dispatch," Sun., June 10, 1888, p. 5, col. 5 [Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.] NORFOLK, June 9, 1888. [...] GOSPORT NAY-YARD. PLENTY OF WORK PROMISED THE FIRST OF JULY. Will it Be Forthcoming? - The Late Floods - Bridge Buiding Retarded - Personals and Briefs. [Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.] NORFOLK, VA., June 9, 1888. [...] The late floods greatly interfered with the track-layers and bridge-builders on the Atlantic and Danville railroad, and the line is not yet into Jerusalem. It will be within a few days, however. The telegraph line along the read was finished yesterday and offices opened at the main stations from Norfolk to Franklin. "The Richmond (VA) Dispatch," Tues., July 24, 1888, p. 4, col. 3 NORFOLK. THE ATLANTIC AND DANVILLE RAILROAD. Personals - The Eclipse - Political - A British Steamship Sold, Etc., Etc. [Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.] NORFOLK, July 23, 1888. The construction work on the Atlantic and Danville railroad is pushing ahead quite rapidly. To-day the trains commenced passlng over the bridge built over the Nottoway river beyond Jerusalem, and the work of putting down the rail towards Hicksford goes steadily forward and the completion of the line to the Petersburg and Weldon road may soon be looked for. "Alexandria (VA) Gazette," Fri., Aug. 24, 1888 (Vol. 89, No. 201) p. 3, col. 2 Virginia News. [...] As the construction train of the Atlantic and Danville road was passing about ten miles the other side of Jerusalem Wednesday the track spread aud caused several cars to fall through. Three colored men were very seriously hurt. The son of Senator Plumb, of Kansas, was a passenger, and leaped from the train just in time to save himself. "The Richmond (VA) Dispatch," Tues., Sep. 11, 1888, p. 4, col. 2 THE ATLANTIC & DANVILLE R.R. Plans for Building - Extension of Time Asked of Danville. [Special telegram to the Dispatch.] DANVILLE, September, 10, 1888. There is no longer a doubt that the Atlantic and Danville railroad will be pushed through to this city if the people of Danville will give the road proper encouragement. In May, 1886, the city voted a subscription of $150,000 to the road, the conditions being that the road should be completed within three years. The subscription expires by limitation in May, 1889, and it is possible that the road will ask for an extension of time. The Atlantic and Danville Railroad Company will to-morrow petition the City Council for an extension of time within which the road may be completed to Danville. In May, 1886, the city voted $150,000 to the road, one of the conditions being the completion of the road into Danville within three years from that date. The road now asks the Council to order a special election in October upon the question of extending the time within which the road may be completed from May, 1889, to October, 1889, and also upon additional subscriptions of $50,000. The road has a subscription of $150,000 from Halifax county, but agrees to abandon the route through Halifax and come into Danville south of Dan river and through North Carolina counties if Danville will vote an additional subscription of $50,000, and also agrees to work from both ends of the line and push the work with all possible speed. If the city will not vote the extra subscription, but will extend the time and the $150,000 subscription, the road will be built through Halifax county. "The Richmond (VA) Dispatch," Fri., Sep. 14, 1888, p. 3, col. 2 DANVILLE'S DONATION. The Electric Line - The Atlantic and Danville. [Special telegram to the Dispatch.] DANVILLE, VA., September 13.- The work of erecting wires for the electric railway was begun to-day, and the road be pushed to completion as soon as possible. The road will be more than a mile in length. The Atlantic and Danville people have agreed to postpone the election on the question of the additional subscription until after the presidential election. The treasurer of the road telegraphs to his counsel here as follows: We have raised all the funds needed to build to Danville, subject to favorable action on the part of Danville. We have built and equipped nearly one hundred miles of first-class road during the past year. The parties behind this enterprise represent one hundred millions of money. If your committee could come here, at my expense, I could satisfy them in five minutes. [Signed] A. E. BATEMAN. There seems to be a growing sentiment in favor of the subscription. All tbe trouble about the injunction against the Bonded Warehouse Company has been amicably settled, and the house will be built as soon as possible. "Alexandria (VA) Gazette," Mon., Nov. 19, 1888 (Vol. 89, No. 272) p. 2, col. 2 Virginia News. [...] The result of the recent visit of the capitalists and railroad men of the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad and the new Atlantic and Danville road will be the more thorough equipment of these roads with through cars. These two roads, with the Danville and New River road west from Danville, will shortly form another important system on the railway map. Additional information: These items posted as part of the Library Of Virginia's "Virginia Chronicle" Virginia newspaper project, at: http://www.virginiamemory.com/collections/virginia_newspapers - text of articles corrected The railroad was later known as the Norfolk, Franklin & Danville, then Norfolk Southern. Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/news/18880104rd.txt