New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-08
OPENING OF TGfE PARKERSBURGH BRANCH.
| Correspondence Of TIE n Y Thbune.

NIIIlSG yCNNFi. BAH. IND OHIO Is. H.,
June 2 1857. }
We left Baltimore yesterday morning at . g. NE, with
seven chr loads Of passeDgers for the excursion and
opening OF PaIkersburgh Branch the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad After c very pleasant run over hill
and dale, through and over mountains, we arrived at
Grafton, the junction. at . ?. NJ, on our regular tine.
Here we were received at the Grafton House owned
by the Railroad Company, where handsome supper
was prepared, for which the guests were furnished
with tickets by the Company. The ladies were pro-
vided with fleepingrooms, and some gentlemen were
90 fortunate as 10 fare as well but large number had
no resting place. TO night Of travel was pre-
ferred 20 one Of lounging about tie hotei; in com
pany with some ten ar fifteen others, ! took the
Wheeling train at 1870 ?. H., expecting toconnect
at Wheeling at 1890 &. III. with tie Ohio Central
Railroad for Columbus and Cincinnati; but after
going along pretty well TIL within forty miles Of
Wheeling we were broughtto a stand by warning fire
near the track at the mouth Of II the tunnels
numerous on this road. 1t seems that the timbers
which had been used TO secure the loose earth and
rock al the mouth Of the tunnel had become decayed,
and several Of them had broken down with the weight
Of rock and earth completely blocking the road This
was at about O'Clock a. N. The Conductor Of the
train at this place went forward and had the road
cleared ct least we only lost about an hour. We
started again. and had proceeded but short distance
before We stopped by similar occurrence at the
" UeIFrg Tunnel" thirty miles east Of Wheeling.
Here the Conductor failed us entirely; at least he
seemed give up doag and went to sleep in the bag
gage-car where he was found after a search by of
the passengers We were left here till ater days ht
before could perceive any efforts FOR our reease
On inquiry by 4 fellOw.passenger, we found within
stone throw telegraph Office belonging To the Com.
pany. The operator was asleep but was soon awak-
ened afier we had been detained several hours The
Conductor had told Us that the telegraph three
mics If. We induced him to inform the other stations
west of our situation. Meanwhile some men were set
to work to clear away the stone and timber while doing
which one man had his arm broken by falling ii n
ber Although we have been assured for some
three hours that in ten minutes we would again be
under way we are at 10 O'Clock still waiting, having
most Of us walked over the bill to the west end Of he
tunnel One serious objection to this route otherwise
very pleasant and picturesque must be the risk incur
red at these tunnels and until they all secured by
solid masonry they must cause much detention and
risk of loss Of life. At the tunnel where we were
first detained, man was nearly killed by the train
going east which met rs at Grafton. He was looking
out of the window passing through the tunnel and
was strutk by Of the timbers which had been put
in for supporting the roof and which had been tent by
the great weight upon il 10 reach very near the
car His name was said TO re DR.. Hughes or Lewis
from Cincinnati. His skull was badly fractured and
his brain proruded. Ii was thought he could not re-
cover He was cared for by DR.. McGlil OF Hagers-
town. who wac on the excursion train But the whistle
sounds the note Of preparation and we expect soon to
be OF west.