Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-08-18
Baltimore and Potomac Railroad.

Baltimore and Potomac Railroad.
A reporter of the Washington Star, who
attended the recent camp-meeting at Jack
sons Grove, Anne Arundel county. Md,
gives the following account Of trip overa
portion of the Baltimore and Potomac Rail-
road. He says:
The representative of the Star accepted the
invitation of Captain Joseph Withers, con-
ductor of the construction train, Baltimore
and Potomac Railroad, to take a ride over
that road on Monday morning last. The
signal was given, and the train rapidly NOV
ed back wards towards Baltimore, passing over
a substantial stone cnlvert on the Severn run
(about two hundred yards from the camp
ground), and then through three light cuts
and over as many filings, making but one or
two deviations from straight line, and these
by curves of very great radi to that portion of
the road where the track-layers were then at
work. This point was over 81 miles north Of
the camp ground, and about miles north of
the Annapolis Railroad, and within about 2
miles of the Patapsco, across which stream
substantial bridge is being constructed. Here
we found Mr.. George E. Baldwin, of the firm
of Baldwin Brothers, Of Washington, who
have the contract for laying the entire road
labout 80 miles,, including that portion from
Huntington to the Potomac river. This firm
had ut work gang of thirty men, which
would seem to be small number, but expe-
rience has shown that greater number of
men cannot be worked to advantage on one
end of road in laying the ties and track.
Leaving the camp ground again on Thurs
day morning last, Captain Withers' tran-or
rather Jerry Sweeney's engine-was boarded
by the reporter at the junction, just as it was
about to leave for the Big Patuxent, where
the Keystone Bridge Company is erecting a
substantial Howe truss bridge. On the en-
CINE Mr.. Thomas Franklin, civil engineer,
received the reporter and gave him all the in
formation asked for in reference to the work.
Leaving the Y made by the two roads, the
train was under full Roadway for the Patux-
ent, passing through small cut and one of
near twenty feet, when Rogue Harbor branch
two miles south Of the A. & E. Il. R.-was
crossed on new Howe bridge Of 6fty-five
feet span, the floor Of which was about TWEEN
ty feet above the bed Of the stream. Half a
mile south of Rogue Harbor, after going
through cut of twenty-nine feet and over
an embankment of nearly the same height,
we passed over the Little Patuxent bridge,
which is OF the same description as that over
Rogue Harbor branch. 1t is substantial
structure built of heavy timbers, well tied
with iron bolts. and is in one span of $50 feet.
Here we found number Of men with horses
and carts, under the superintendent of a
'gravcl boss" taking from the stream load
after load of clean white gravel, with which
at least portion of the road will be ballast
ed, and dropping two cars to be laden With
gravel, the train sped on towards the Big
Patuxent. After leaving one or two small
cuts and filings behind the deep cut, through
what is known as the Summit, is encounter
ed. This is the highest point between the
two rivers, Little and Big Patuxent, and she
average depth of the cut in stretch of 1900
yards is 2S feet. Leaving this cut, an en-
bankment of an average height of 80 feet ex-
tends to the abutment of the bridge over the
Big Patuxent, and the base of this embank-
ment being 10 swampy land heavy timber
was used to sacure solid foundation. Here
we found Mr.. Libengood, Superintendent for
the Keystone Bridge Company, at work with
his men on the south span OF the bridge, and
foot passengers were passing back and forth
on narrow gang plank. This bridge. al
though a wooden structure, will be one OF the.
strongest in this section Of the country. 1t is
10 two spans of $50 feet each, and the abut-