The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-27
Semi.CentenniaI Anniversary OF
The Baltimore d Ohio Road.

Wheeling, and 10 other places on in line
bot Of general and even national import
ancs.
The Baltimore & Ohio Is really the
pioneer railroad oil the United States.
PoOr's Railroad Manual says that while
one or two small local enterprises pre-
oedsd 1. In the order Of time, yet it was
the first railroad enterprise undertaken
on anything like a comprehensive scale
for the transportation Of freight and pas.
ssusers. It Wss chartered by thestate of
Maryland on February 18th, 1897, aud
by Virginia on the sth Of March fol-
lowing, Is a railroad from Baltimore
10 the Ohio river, which charters were
esteemed q. that day events of vastly
more importance than the Congressional
charter Of the great Pacific road across
the continent in 1852. Indeed the recent
agitation Of az international railroad
project across the Continent Of Africa,
over stanley's discovered route, ia not
looked on as half such an enterprise as
wss the building Of a railroad from the
Atlantic 10 the Ohio river half century
ago. There were no Vanderbilts, Scots
or CARROTS 10 that day, with their big
idea. Of continental railroad empire.
Had there been, the Bslsiaors d Ohio
would not have been IS years in building
from Baltimore to this city. It's progress
wss very slow indeed, notwith standing
the view taken Of its importance
by chAs. Carroll, Of Carrol.On, the only
surviving signer OF the Declaration Of
Independence, when he broke the ground
on the 4th Of July, 1923, with the frat
shovel full Of earth for its construction,
and said, az consider this among the most
important acts Of my life, second only
to that Of signing the Declaration of In.
dependence, II even second to that"
In the fall Of 1929. the laying Of the
rails within the city OF Baltimore was De-
gun, and on the I'D oil May ioiioslnG' me
first section OF fifteen miles 10 h'iieotps
Mills, was opened. Like all other rail-
roads ofthat day 1t was An insaostannai
structure, with longitudinal stills, on
which was placed a thin strap oil
iron = something like the Wheel
ing street railroad OF to-day. FOR
nearly ayear alter 1t was opened 1t was
operated by horse power, and meanwhile
Twill any reader oil the lsrELLleEsoER
believe ~ an attempt was actually made
to propel cars over the track BY the use
Of sails. twas not until the 4ih oil jan
uary, 1881, that the company invited pro-
posals for the construction OF steam en-
CINE, the specifications being that 1T
must not exceed three and hall tons
weight, and mnst, on a level road, be Ca
pable ofdraWing, day BY day, 5tonsr lneIu'
siyeof weight oil the wagons, 10 miles per
hour" InresPOn'e to this advertisement
the company accepted an engine which
while "incsPable oil 'urmounting grades
served to sssure the officers oil the
company OF the Praeticaoiiity oil working
their railroad BY steam power. In the
annual report OF the company ior 4o'i'
the President stated that by many I'M
proyements in the application oil WORK
ing power, an immense reduction IN Inc
cost oil transportation and an increase OF
velocity had been elected.
Among the noteworthy Improvements
vas one BY our good old fennsyiVan'a
neighbor, the late Jonathan Knight oil
Washington county, well known 70 all
the old citizens oil wheeling, Is mat Gay
chief engineer OF the company which
the report says had the eomoin-
ed cylindrical and conical car
wheels and which we're found oil
the utmost importance BY The
facility they afforded OF turning curves"
This discovery OF Mr.. hnighr'' the re-
port went on to state rs the more imP0r'
tant to Us inasmueh as from the surface
1.-THE country over which our route must
be constructed numerous curves IN the
t..aks ILL h. ma vnf1ahIA " We ah0nld