Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-05-13

To be Opened in a Few Days for
Through Freight Traffic,

To be Opened I'm q Few Days for
Through Freight Traffic.
The Baltimore Sun says Last week
the Susquehanna bridge ON the Philadel-
phia branch of the Baltimore q Ohio rail
road was successfully swung free of the
''false work. and this great structure
was practically completed. This gives
the new line continuous track from Bal
timore to its connection with the Chester
branch of the Reading railroad on the
west bank of the Sohuylkin, In the city
of Philadelphia. 1t is understood that
the terms of traffic agreement have been
drawn between the Baltimore Il Ohio and
the Reading companies for the use of the
tracks of the latter und of the Jersey Cen
trial between Philadelphia and New
York for term of three years. With
the final contamination Of this agreement
the anew line will be opened for the through
freight and express traffic of the Balti-
more 4 Ohio to aud from New York by
way of the Chester branch of the Read
ing. The line will be ready for this bust
ness in week or IL days, and il is ex-
pected that freight trains will he RAINING
in both direptions over the new road in
less than one month. The line will not
be ready for passenger traffic until late in
the summer. The spans for the Schuyl-
kill river bridge are going up, and that
structure will be completed the present
month. There is good deal of work yet
to be done ON the east side of the Schuyl-
kill to complete the connections in
Philadelphia for passenger business. The
work of erecting the stations on the line
between Baltimore and Philadelphia will
be pushed ahead this fine weather, and
the road be put in first-class shape for
moving passengers. Fine locomotives
and handsome coaches are being built by
the company for the service of the new
line, and the equipment will be notably
excellent in all its details. The Balti-
more Il Ohio has not let go of the pro-
| iected line to New York by way of Staten
Island, but will use the Jersey Central
| under the proposed Reading agreement
until the obstacles that block the route to
Staten Island are removed.
On the west bank of the Schuylkill
river, in the city of Philadelphia, the
road connects with the Chester branch of
the Philadelphia Il Reading railroad.
Thence crossing the SchuyllSill river, the
road passes by tunnel under the p, w.
Il b. railroad near the intersection OF
Thirty-fourth street and Gray's Ferry
road, in the city of Philadelphia; thence
| along the east bank of the Schylkill river,
passing through the gas works of the city
of Philadelphia at Twenty-fourth and
Market streets and Twenty-tifth and
Callowhill streets. At Twenty fifth and
Callowhill streets the line turns to the
right of Twenty fifth street, and passes,
by tunnel, along the same TO Pennsyl-
yania avenue at Paramount avenue; thence
by open cut along Pennsylvania avenue
to Thirtieth street, where ii will connect
| with the tracks of the Reading railroad
on Pennsylvania avenue for all points
reached by that line and its connecting
roads-the Bound Brook, North Penn
and New Jersey Central railroads.
The line is direct and with easy grades,
and the engineers say will be about four
miles shorter between Baltimore and
| Philadelphia than its competitor-the
Philadelphia, Wilmington u Baltimore
railroad. In the construction of the piers
| for the Susquehanna and Schuylkill river
bridges, depths varying from Go to ~
feet were found necessary to reach the
rock upon which every pier rests. The
pneumatic process was used toaccomplish
this result, and the work was completed
| WITHOUT u berlOus tcciueuts MUM ofeuit
is given to Colonel William Nj. Patton,
assistant engineer, in charge of these
works, and to Messrs. William Sooy
Smith a. Son, and Drake Il Stratton,
contractors, for the manner in which they
were conducted. The work has been con,
Quoted under the general direction OF
Vice Presidents Spencer and King, the
president, Mr.. Robert Garrett, taking
especial interest in it. The corps Of
engineers, under Chief Engineer Douglas
have labored with an untiring zeal in tn,
performance of the great task befort
them, and are now about to realize tn,
completion of their labors, and the grea
trunk line system of the Baltimore
Ohio railroad will soon be opened TO
traffic to the cities of Philadelphia, New
York and all eastern points.