Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1871-02-25
Pcrilous State of the Winchester and
Potomac Railroad.

L
Potomac Railroad.
"HiGH WArER.-We understand a portion of
the trr,tling on the Winchester and Potomac rail-
road nj liarper's Ferry was washed away or dam
aged by high water, yesterday morning, just after
the passagcoi the Baltimore accommodation train.
But slight interruption TO trains. hdrtestoacH
~. l0.l Free Press.
IL the Free Press hal dared to tell all it
knew in this matter it would have exposed Mr..
john ". CARROTS reckless disregard Of the
lives of the passengers compelled 10 travel over
his roa,ls The Hood last fall made a complete
wreck If at least two miles Of the Winchester
and Potomac Manch Of the Baltimore aud Ohio
railroad, lrum Harper Ferry westward: ms
portion Of the road crossed a number oi ISLANDS,
we'll down in the river and separated by swift
aud dangerous streams. These were crossed
hy bridges many of which were supported by
weak and very unsafe treStlc-wOrk. Hence us
total destruction by the food. This sad ca
lamitv with its terrible loss Of life, Gemonstra-
ted the necessity Of changing the course Of the
track from the bed Of the river, where it had
ALWAYS been lia0le to overflow, to high and dry
land on shore.
The company put up a temporary track,
merely 10 accommodate its trains, until such
time as il could secure the right Of way for a
permaneut and safe track, Now, every one
knows that this temporary track was unsafe;
that the trestle-work supporting 1t would give
way with the first rise in the river, and that
the lives Of the passengers riding over it were
placed in peril And yet Mr.. Garrett has kept
his trains running over this miserable and dan
gerous structure for nearly four months, rather
than pay tie few hundred dollars difference
between the price asked and the price offered
for the right Of way across the ground neceSsa-
IN to put his track in a safe position. \ few
days ago there was rise of nearly four feet IN
the Shenandoah river, aud Just as the morning
passenger train for Winchester had passed over
one Of these most dangerous structures the
trcstle-w0rk gave way. a minute sooner and
the train, with its freight Of human beings,
would have been plunged into the stream be-
low. in which event the loss Of life would have
been fearful to contemplate Washington CITY
Republican.
The Free Press d" dares,' not only to tell all
it knows in this matter as in others but to re-
buke aud defy fllSehood aud utilization wheth-
or aimed at itself or at innocent parties whom
il deems it only right to defend. So far from
making our account Of the little accident above
noticed any more serious, as the sensational
contributor Of the Republican would have it,
five had gone to press an hour later no notice
whatever would have been made Of what we
then learned was 4 most insignificant occur
rence-no more than the loosening Of joint
4 damage Of no consequence whatever, and re-
paired in few moments. Any one who
knows the writer Of the above will not find it
difficult to understand his solictude for the
welfare Of the dear people who, be Processes to
think, endanger life and limb by travelling
over the perilous line Of Mr.. CARROTS railway.
lie forsctS that i. is well-established fact that
over tho hundreds Of miles of this same line
there are fewer accidents by far than over any
in the country, aud it is generally known as
the safest, mos; carefully conducted road trav-
eled.
We might, five would, explain few little
circumstances, and publish few items which
would throw light on this disinterested TRADE
on a Observation-Disclosures to fight its
own battles compluy-in behalf Of a very
mythical " people whose name is only a cloak
to cover a multitude Of interests much nearer
and dCarer to the benevolent heart Of the writer
As 10 the treStle-work at Iarper's Ferry we
think that thirty years Of experience have
proved the bed Of the present road pretty Sc
cure oue-any change would uecessitate a
crossing Of the dangerous current, which would
only render it more unsafe. President Garrett
can scarcely be held accountable for the raging
Of the flood or the rising of the rivers, and it is
a circumstance worthy Of note that, while ma
ny were lost from their own homes, and much
of his road was torn up, not a single life was
endangered in the recent terrible food by trav-
cling on the cars. Surely Mr. Garrett knows
lis own interests too we'll deliberately to risk
loss after loss Of life or property on an unsafe
road. lie doesn't choose toallow himself to be
iilyhcl and imposed on by persons who thinl,
they have lin in their power, but at the same
time he has seen to it that the present road
over the islands at Harpcr's Ferry is safer now
than at any previous stage Of its existence
So far from being a mere temporary structure
it is firmly aud substantially laid, and will
probably last for many years through storm
aud tempest whether Of wind and water or Of
words.
Dead Lock"