1907 - The Tidewater In Fine Shape

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Roanoke Times - December 25, 1907

THE TIDEWATER IN FINE SHAPE

Nearly All the Grading of the Great Road Has Been Completed

MUCH OF THE TRACK HAS BEEN COMPLETED

Out of Four Hundred and Fifty Miles of Roadbed, Only
Forty-Five Remain to be Completed - Three Big Viaducts
Now Being Erected Near Roanoke

   A gentleman, who is in position to obtain accurate information on 
the subject, stated to a reporter of The Times on yesterday that the 
talk that occasionally arose of the Tidewater promoters abandoning 
the enterprise is perfectly ridiculous. If, he said, the enterprise 
has just been commenced, there might be, in consideration of the 
financial stringency, some foundation for such rumors; but with the 
road almost completed, with the greater part of the expense already 
incurred, it is absolutely absurd to think that the owners of this 
great property would relinquish their efforts to make the road a 
profitable investment.
   This gentleman stated further that of the 450 miles, this being 
the length of the road from its terminus in West Virginia to 
tidewater at Norfolk, there remained only about 45 miles of the 
grading yet to be done, and that nearly all of this lay east of 
Roanoke; that of the 450 miles, track had been laid on 350, so that 
when the track is laid on the remaining 100 miles, trains can be run 
from one end of the system to the other.

Four Big Viaducts

   The gentleman further said that the Tidewater is at present at 
work building four large viaducts, all four of them being within 
three miles of Roanoke. The first one is what is known as Barton's 
viaduct; the second, is at Falling Creek; the third is at Beaver Dam, 
and the fourth is at Kate's Creek. It is thought that one of the 
reasons for the suspension of a large part of the grading and laying 
of tracks was due to the fact that the promoters did not see the 
necessity for expending large sums of money on this work, when the 
road could not be actually opened until the viaducts are completed, 
and it is very probable that when the viaducts approach completion, 
active work will be resumed on the grading. It will take about six 
months to complete the viaducts.
   The Tidewater, as it stands today, has been practically graded all 
the way from its West Virginia terminus to within a point fifteen 
miles east of Roanoke, it being stated on yesterday that the contract 
of Mac-Arthur Bros., which includes 108 miles west of Roanoke, will 
be completed some time in the month of February, 1908. From the point 
15 miles east of Roanoke, to Meherrin, there are spots that have yet 
to be graded, especially in the section near Brookneal.
   As a matter of fact it beings to look as if the Tidewater Railroad 
will receive its last finishing touches, so far as the roadbed and 
track are concerned, some time in the latter part of 1908.

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- Ron Davis, Roger Link