Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-10-17


will render il necessary for the company still
to pursue the system, commenced in ISIS. of
gradually rcnoNating the entire line To Har-
per rs Ferry with substantial edge piil such
as !, usgd ives, oil that point; and in some of
the sections alonS the Patapsco, to avoid the
short cuf,cs which 81 seriously obstruct the
efficiency ct the motive power.
Indeed, Wise economy would suggest that
the accomplishment al 50 important a work
should not be- delayed b., ond the earliest prac-
ticablc period
An accident oCcwrcd to the Ilarpcr's Ferry
via,uct ON the 18th March l,sl, similar to tina,
Winch happened la the same structure on the
olh oil Scptcmb;r Previous. On. the evening
oil the former day, as a train was crossinpE
consisting oi the engine Gladiator nine hours.
cetS loaded With iilcrclindlzc aid produce. one.
gohdola with iron, and ten cars loaded with
coal, the most western span upon the curved
arm oil the bridge, OH the main stem of the
road, suddenly gave WAY, prccipitatiny into
the river the gondola aiid The Ten Gals loaded
WITH coal; The engine and the remaining
portion oil the tain having got hevond the pier
that sustained the arch which fell, passcd
safely over. The conductor of the train fell
among the broken tiinbers into the river. but
provijcot'ally escaped with but slight injury.
As Tile stiaight ann oi the bridge remained ,,n
injured, no delay oi consequence occurred i'm
al the road was not seriously interrupted. Tile
carS.wh'ch Tell into tile river, and their con.
! tetts were recovered, having suffered but lit
/ tie damage; aud the arch before the close of
! the year will have been rcstCfe ii in the mos,
pcniuncnt Manner, at a cost of about ST 600
fhearch which had previously fallen, las been
fcuui't IN the ssinie substantial style, and has
w'thstood, Tor the last two months, the sever
est tests of it, strength aud sufilciency. In
| a. Str. tf.ttn nj h,,,l
tunlty has bcen embraced of raising them out
oi the reach of high water, OF protecting them
securely from the weather and rendering them
,nevcry part accessible to constant and minute
! Inspection.
| The recurrence of such an accident. as will
be readily supposed, created the most lively
anxiety IN the minds oi the board. both as To
the durability OF the bridges along the entire
route, and the principle upon which they were
constructed. They accordingly ordered the
most riSid scrutiny In be- Instituted upop
both these points, and the result of that ex-
animation has tended To confirm the opinion
expressed IN their former reports of the cor
RICHNESS oi the principle of construction.
IN regard Ia the immediate cause of the last
accident, VI appeared. upon close cxamiua-
non oi all the circumstances, To have been
due III Part Ia detective workmanship andthe
u''sound state oi part oi the timber which
c"uldnot readily be Inspected, and which had
escaped the attention al the supervisor. al the
time il was placed in the work. II was also
attributable IN part To the premature removal.
10y II sudden flood in the Iivef, of the tempor-
airy supports which had been put under the
arch dining It's repair, and for assisting IL
while deprived OF the counter-thrust oI The
adjacent span, whicn had not then been recon
structcd.
Ut viii IT, rcfre irbcfcd that II was necessary
To hasten the finishing of the bridges along the
route, IN order tn avoid delay in tile opening
oil the road To Cumberland; and, the difficulty
which attended the procuring of the proper
description OF timber in sufficient quantities
made, IN some instances. a very rigid inspcc-
non, scarcely practicable. Under all these
circumstances, the board, taking into consider
auon the paramount necessity of preventing
any apprehension on the part of travellers for
their personal safety, and the certainty ,hat
the increase OF the trade, and the CONSEQUENT
passage al trains Ui Increased weight, would
render II imperaliyely necessary that these
structures should b. placed i'm the most ner(ect
condition, have had them all so ,homuohlv
reiitted and strengthened as to secure them
eiiectualiy against the recurrence of similar
casuallt ties Tor the future;
Tie outlay Incident 10 the accomplishment
oil this Important object, and which in strict
ness, Is indeed part of the capital or cost of
construction oil the work, will account fo, the
greatly Increased expenditure of The last over
that OF the preceding year, for the same pur-
pose. III VIII also he borne in mind, that as
Tie iirst accident occurred in September 1911.
just previous to the termination OF the linan
clal year, no portion of the expense ol lis re-
pair was included IN the statement of that
year.
The expenditures under this head for the
coming year, will be very much below those
OF the past, The work which remains 70 bs
done, will have for its object, not the strength
enInS OF the bridges, the security of this res
pecl Is complete, but in protecting them more
perfectly from tie weather, and preparing
tl'em Ia perform their duty for a long perioi
without iurlilcr cost than must necessarily be-
attended upon tile maintenance of every st,uc-
tufc. composed oil persllablc materials
we must not omit 10 mention that con
Siderable proportion OF the present years cx-
pense, under this head, is Tor materials now
on hand for work still to he done: and. there
lore, III iact, cllargeable to the operations Of
tile ensuing year
we may also observe that il is not surpris-
ing hoy calculated Ia excite misirust that
lley nave required ~ be- strengthened, when
u Is considered that, owing To the increase
IN the weight OF the trains, they are daiiy
b arinS burihen equal 10 that which they
Were originally designed TO Sustain ONLY AT
rare intervals. This great increase i'm the
weight oil trains has indeed taken place i'm
most oi railways OF the Il. States. aud with
similar effects upon their timber bridges. the
entlrc reconstruction of which, upon several
important lines, has become necessary-and
al cost lar exceeding that OF cftting and
strengthening those upon llp Baltimore and
ONO balIToad, when the number OF the bridges,
an tie mode OF their repair, are considered.
The other appurtenccs of the road. together
WIN the cars, cngiles, aud other machinery.
are f1 satisfactory condition
Ihe heavy engines, Oi - tons weight. built
ior tiS coal trade at the mrpulactory of MIR.
NhidIis IN this city. have proved themselves
very valuable machines. OF great power and
simplicity 81 consln,esiopi easily maintained
ln repair, and banning the Cumberland coal