Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-11-10

1 Al ENSkON ~ DfHlsAA
4 The completion Of the Baltimore anc
/ Ohio Rail Road to Cumberland has beer
accomplished some days earlier than was
iniimaled previously. On Thursday last
IRAN OF ears, containing the President
and Directors, and few gentlemen lnvit-
ed 10 accompany thin, lsii the Depot il
Pratt Street, al seven O'clock, A. NJ, to
traverse the entire length Of the road from
Baltimore 70 Cumberland. The day was
pleasant and the expedition throughout
proved to be very agreeable.
The route from the city TO Hancock
has been for some time open TO travel
From the latter point TO Cumberland. a
distance Of City miles, the road is jus, fin
ished, and for the first time on Thursday,
the inhabitants Of the wild regions OF the
/ Allegheny beheld train Of cars drawn
By smoking locomotive smong their
/ hills.
The rails are heavily laid, Of the best
iron, and after the most approved style oil
construction and so well graded is the
road, and so firmly settled, that the cars
rolled smoothly EDWARDS at velocity un-
usual even in rail road travelling. The
entire distance from Baltimore u Cum
brrland. It's miles, was perfn.rned, in.
GLIDING stnppagrs, in ten hours and upon
! the new poriIuns OF the road the rate OF
speed was considerably beyond the aver
age OF the rste on that part OF the road
between the city and Harper's Ferry,
which is constructed with a different rail-
The route from Hancock to Cumbel-
land pursues the margin ofthe Potomac
river, with four exceptions. The first oc.
ours at the Doe Guiley, Is miles above
Hancock, where. by "a tunnel of 1900
fee, in length, bend Of the river is cut
off, and u distance Of nearly four miles
saved. The second is at the Paw Paw
! Ridge, where distance of nearly two
miles is saved, by tunnel Of feet $50 in
length. The third and fourth are within
/ 6 miles of Cumberland, where two bends
are cut across by the route with consid-
cradle lesse ming Of distance.
| In advancing westward from Hancock
the line passes along the western base Of
Warm Spring Ridge, approaching within
a couple OF miles Of the Berkeley Springs,
which are at the eastern loot Of that ridge.
1t thus sweeps around the termination Of
The Cacspon Mountain, opposite the le-
markab le and insulated eminence called
the Ground Top" Thence the road pro.
ceeds to the crossing Of Inc Great Caca.
I Nd l., h.
Hancock, which is crossed by bridge a
bou, 400 feet in length. Within the next
mile it passes dam No. 6, the present ter
mins,ion oflhe finished part ofthe Cbesa-
peake ard Ohio Canal. and soon after, il
enters the gap of SideIng Hill, that ia
nous hug bear Of The traveller, which on
the National Turnpike opposes such
formidable barrier TO his journey, but
which here is unnnticed except in the fius
profile which it exhibits on each side OF
the river, as ii declines rapidly to the wa
ter level.
In the gap Of this mountain are the coal
veins which r. Cuton, ESQ.,, with thai,
zeal which has always distinguished his
researches in this branch Of practical pe.
ology, is endeav"rlng to turn to proti,a.
! bic account. The slack water OF the Ca
nal dam extends some TWO miles above
S'dehng Hill.
The mex, point of interest reached is
the Tunnel al the Doe Gulley. The Bp-
proach"s to this formidable work ARE very
imposing, rs for several miles above and
below the Tunnel they cause the road TO
occupy high level on the slopes of the
river hills, and thus afford an extensive
view of the grand mountain scenery a.
round. The Tunnel is, as hefDre men
! toned, about quarter Of mile in length.
through compact slate rock, which is
being arched with brick to preserve it
from future disntegraiion by atmospheric
action. The fronts or lacades Oft arch
are Of n fine white sand stone procured
| from the summit OF the neIghborlng noun
tain. The work OF archiEg is proceed
ing wi,hou, interruption to the .ravel -
The width of the opening within the brick
work will be twenty one feet, and the
height twenty and half feet. atiording
room for two tracks. The height Of the
hill above the roof Of the tunnel is 10
feet. The excavation and embankme nts
adjacent are very heavy, and consist Of
the slate rock through which the tunnel
/ is cut.
Above this point the line pursups the
sinuous part of the river lying brtween
SldeIing Hill on the east, and Fawn Hill
on the west. The curves are mt how.
ever abrupt, but form fine sweeping cir
cults, passing sometimes along beautiful
alluvinl b,ttoms and again al the foot Of
PERCEPTIONS chas.
The Paw Paw Ridge Tunnel was next
rcachtd. thirty nit 5 from Hancock, and
twenty five miles below Cumberland -
! This tunnel IS through solt slate rock 4,
and is curved horizontally with radius
Of $50 feet. Ii IS OF the same sectional
dimensions with :he Doe Gulley Tunnel
and IS completely arched with brick and
frnnted with white sand stone. Thence
the route reaches Little Cacapon Creek,
2l5 miles from Cumberland. At the
mouth Of this stream there are fine flats
and beautiful view Of the mountains to
the eastward.
The viaduct over the Creek is li3 feet.
About s. miles further on, the South