Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1871-03-04

Cne slender tTeSCllnB forming much
the body of the road, sufficiently
strong for ordinary cars, was found to
feeble for the weight and wear.
Major Allen, in the account of thi
first trip Of a locomotive on this con
tinent, says: As placed my hand o.
the throttle, I was undecided whethe
l would move slowly or with a fair de
gree Of speed; but, believed that tn
road would prove safe, and preferring
if We did go down, to go down hand
somely and without any evidence o
timidity, started with considerabl,
velocity, passed the curve over tn,
creek safely, and was soon out of hear
ing of the vast assemblage. At til,
end of two or three miles, l reversed
the valve and returned without acct
dent, having thus made the first rail.
road trip by locomotive ever made or
the western hemisphere"
RAILRoADs.-The Baltimore and
Ohio railroad, with its branches, furn.
ishes the only railway facilities enjoy.
ed by West Virginia, with one small
exception. 1T to the enterprise and
invincible determination Of this COM
pany, and not to aid from the State Of
Virginia, that the partial development
of the resources of the northern coun-
ties of the new State is due.
The construction of this road was
commenced on the fourth of July,
1928; it was opened to Ellicott's Mills,
twelve miles from Baltimore, May %,
1880; its opening to Washington was
celebrated in August, 1884. West
ward its construction was pushed for
many weary years, through and over
mountains, across yawning abysses and
over wide rivers, moving now with
celebrity on the surface of level grades,
and then with a progress labored and
slow, boring through the solid rock,
until at last the waters Of the Ohio
and Of the Chesapeake were united,
;:hc Alleghanies were surmounted, and
Shrill paans to the triumph of steam in
intercontinental transportation were
screamed by thousand threats from
the seaboard to the mountain SUBMITS,
and from the vine-clad banks of the
Ohio to the cane fields on the alluvia!
plains Of Louisiana
1t was one of the first railroad en-
terprises undertaken in the United
States, as it is one of the most extern
sive. The length Of the main stem,
from Baltimore to Wheeling, is $40
miles; that of the Washington branch
81 miles. Other branches increase its
total length to 500 miles. Of sidings
and second main track there are built
nearly 800 miles more. The original
cost Of the work is thirty-one millions
of dollars.
Its heaviest permanent grade on the
eastern declivity Of the Alleghanies is
ll6 feet per mile for II miles; its great
est altitude, 1920 feet. 1t has II re-
pair stations, 80 repair shops SO water
stations, 80 telegraph stations and 2
lines of wires, IA tunnels, 1884 feet
of tunnelling, 1876 bridges on the main
stem, l5,OSo feet of bridging, about
1000 officers and employees, Its an
nual income, in good times, has been
five millions of dollars.
The road-bed is probably superior to
any line Of considerable length in
America. 1t is rock ballasted, and
laid with heavy rail STRONGLY secured.
The first rail used weighed fifty-fve
pounds per lineal yard, for which rail
of seventy five and eighty-fve pounds
was substituted, and recently it has
been increased to one hundred pounds
The scenery Of West Virginia along
the line of this road has been the as
constituent and admiration of travel
lers from all quarters of the globe.
From Harpers Ferry, where the
road has broken a rough passage
through the frowning mountains of the
Blue Ridge, to the crossing Of the Po-
tomac again before Cumberland, dis
lance Of ninety eight miles, the road
passes through the eastern section of
western Virginia, mingled scene of
rough ravines, river rapids, widening
plains, and mountain barriers, which
push forth encroachingly upon the
river, compelling a detour not made
by the stream without noisy yet un-
awaiting murmur.
After run through Maryland of
little more than twenty miles, a corner
of Hampshire county, in West Vir-
ginia, is struck at New Creek and Pied
mont, the terminus of the first division
of the road and site of extensive ma
chine shops. From this point rise of
about nineteen hundred feet is accom-
plished in seventeen miles, the steepest
railroad grade in the country. Passing
the glade lands of the summit, which
are in Maryland, the traveller is again
introduced into West Virginia just as
he commences the western descent Of
the Alleganies, and views beautiful
panorama of mountain peaks piled
upon receding mountains. Some the
most sublime of railroad scenery is in
view; the. passage of the Cheat river
the winding along the almost perpen
dicular sides of the mountain, witt
the chocolate. ,olored stream far dow1
at is base, and similar range on tn
opposite bank, presenting to distan
observer scene aptly represented by
a walk furrowed around the spire of
j tomarinn stoanla Cheat river is cross