Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-07-03
KINGWOOD TUNNEL.
Incidents That Occurred During Its
Construction.
"Buckhorn Wall" and Other Places Of Inter.
est in Tsat Vicinity-A Prosperous
and Growing Town.
Special 10 the ReeStCr.

TUNSELToN, July 2.-This enterprising
beautiful village is as busy and pretty as
ever. The town has population OF over
two hundred, and is located on the B. & O..
road, llSl5 miles southeast OF Wheeling,
and 26O}5 miles from Baltimore, and in the
county OF Preston. The little place has
two churches, the Methodist Episcopal and
the Catholic, each one prosperous and have
a congregation OF about one hundred The
former has a good substantial frame editice
and the latter has none. They hold serv-
ices in the school house. The schools have
an enrolment OF about 90 scholars. They
are first.class in every particular.
Business Interests.
There are two first class stores. The
largest is owned by Shatfer and Bonuateld,
whose sales range from $1,000 to 5000 per
month, and who has trade throughout the
country for a radiouS of ten or twelve
miles. The other is owned by NJ. G. Glib
son < Bro They have good trade ex.
tending quite as far as the above one.
Their sales average about 81 800 per month.
The town has one Of the finest foundries
and machine shops in the State. 1t is
operated by J. w. Brown d Sons, who are
splendid mechanics. One physician prac'
u.
health of the town good. The principal
feature here is lumber. Ten or twelve saw
mills are located in the immediate neigh
borhocd They turn out from 200 to
) NO feet per day; give employment TO
many men and ship all they make from
this point. Tan barking and shocking are
| followed entirely by many citizens, all OF
which is also shipped from here: These
interests are by no means small. Ihey are
| increasing and makes Tunnelton quite
shipping Point.
| This is an item for the B. & D. The COM
rany receives from the town about $50 per
year for tickets sold and goods received.
| The receipts for the material shipped is, OF
course, far greater. Several persons are
here spending the summer, among whom
are Miss Maggie Foster, Of Grafton, and
Miss Estella Degraff and Miss Onadell
Watson. both of Logan county, Ohie. Others
are coming. This is good place to spend
| the summer and will before many years
become resort OF some prominence. The
present no tel accommodations are small,
| but coed and cheap. Some enterprising
| fellow could make money by establishing
a hotel hereaboutS. The famous Buckhorn
wall on the B. 4 o, and all the scenery
surrounding il can be reached by few
minutes walk from the depot. This is
one of the grandest sights on the Alleghe'
nies.
The Great Tunnel.
the largest on the B 4 o., Is right here,
after which Tunnelton was named. This
great tunnel is seven eighths OF mile long
or lSS feet. II was commenced on July
l., 1854, and completed on July 30, 1857,
making three years in its completion. 1t
is known as the kingwood tunnel, and at
the time of its completion was the largest
in the world. Several men were killed
during the progress Of the work. Robert
Murray was superintendent of arching,
Wendell Ballmans master of road, and John
L. Wilson assistant. The excavation con
tractors were David Lemmon, John Crom-
ser, Tbos. Clark and Andrew Mcmahon.
This work was commenced September 1st,
lSiS, and completed May 4th, 1852. The
carpenters were David easy and Tnos A.
Armstrong. Bricklayer, Samuel Bell.
Mason, Geo. B. Holmes. Foremen, Peter
Brannon and Martin Joice. The architec.
ture is brick and iron. The road then ran
up over the mountain when an old camel
back was required to pull over one car
Bnckhorn Wall,
just below Tunnelton. mentioned above
Is about 100 feet high. Some years ago, it
is sand, buck was precipitated over the
high and steep structure and lost his horns,
in honor of which it was called "Backborn
Wall. During its construction in 1868
Q workman named Edward Branner was
spgsged in pulling out rock, when he
sno the rock both went down the entire
distance. Several fellow workmen repaired
70 him and asked him il he was hurt. "No
d-n you" was the reply, and he walked
away. Strange to say, he was not much
injured and is still living. He is a resident
OF Tunnelton.
4 Camp Ground.
The famed ''Tunnelton Camp Ground"
is less than q mile from here, and l am
told will be better patronized this year than
ever. The meeting will begin August oath.
continuing about two weeks. Some able
Divines viii participate. An effort is being
made to have Jennie Smith come.
The REsIsrER comes here every day. and
has larger circulation than any other
paper,