Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-07-16
THE RAILROAD WORK,
A SUMMARY OF THB SITUATION AS IT BX-
ISIS AT PRESENT.
4 Nigh! Excursion Through The Tunnsl-Each Open
ing IS About One Hundred and Fifty
Feet

A very interesting trip was that made
last night By a REGISTER reporter through
the tunnels and about the bridge work and
grading of the Wheeling aud Harrisburg
Railroad Company.
Work is being pushed with the utmost
vigOr, and an astonishing amount Of a ire
mendOusly big job has been completed.
Despite the fact that the water in the
river has been far too high for the cOnven-
fence OF those engaged in the pier building
department Of the work, the stone work Of
the bridge across the river is making ex-
cellent Roadway, and it will no. be long
until all the piers will rear their heads
above the surface Of the water.
Commencing at the Top mill, the work
upon the pedestal inside the mill was be-
gun a few days ago, and is progressing
rapidly. The prosecution of this work
has made it necessary TO lay of part Of
the Top mill factory, but it will soon be
completed, ct least so far rs to cease to be
hindrance to the operations Of the mill.
This pedestal and its superstructurs of
steel will be carried right mp through the
toof Of this part of the mill to the level Of
the track. The pedestal just west OF the
mill is done, the capstOns hsing in place.
Pier No l, west of this, is up TO within
about twelve feet Of grade.
At the site Of Pier No. >, which is the
sast channel pier, big gang Of men are 81
work driving piles, which are to be cut of
for a resting place for the caissOn, in ths
usual way.
At pier No. 3. the east channel pier,
dredging is going on rapidly and big hole
mas been scOped IN the bed OF the river.
At pier No 4. the preparatory work is
also in progress. The eassion may be IN
place by this evening.
Pier No. ., over toward the Ohio side Of
the river, is well up in the air and will
soon reach grade.
All this shows that the bridge work Is
prCgressiug in a very satisfactory manner,
and indicates that the piers will all likely
be up to or near grade before the weather
grows cold in the autumn.
In the tunnel headings, things are lively,
and work Is being pushed with the same
vigor which Ia exhibited in other parts Of
The work. At the opening back OF the
Top mill Foreman Kelley met the news
paper man in a very pleasant way, and
escorted him through the big hole IN the
ground. The opening being driven into
The hillside is about thiriy-one feet wide IN
the clear by twenty-five feet high, and has
been pushed in about two hundred and
eighty feet, the men still working in the
tough shale heretofore described in this
paper At the time of last nights visit
ally about twenty five men were at work,
az timberiDg was being put up, which IN
terleees to some extent with driving the
heading.
Ga the north side Of Jonsthsn's ravine,
the open cut to meet the men working IN
from the Top mill side of the hill has not
1eeu pushed very far, IS the railroad com
pauy hiss not the facilities for handling the
earth at this time. This Will be Temedied
10 the near future, however. A cut will
have to be made here, about Ore hundred
iset in length, as the ground rises very
slowly toward the top Of the hill.
On the south side of the ravine, working
M toward the creek, the head OF the tun-
uel has been pushed about two hundred
and fifty or sixty feet. About fifty men
we're at work last night, under the bright
rays Of the electric lights. or these men,
about twenty were driving the heading,
fifteen more cutting away the bench
left By the first gang, and the rest driving
mules, putting up timber, etc. Inc rock
here is about the same as at the 'Top"
mill side, dipping slightly to the south.
The earth and rock hauled down the
ravins is dumped down a perpendicular
chute into small cars, which are hauled by
mules down along the 'Pewiky" railroad
track in the rear Of the buildings fronting
on Main street. In this way the road6ed
Of the PeSiky is being very greatly I'M
proved.
Around on the peninsula side, the tun-
mel heading Is in about the same distance
as ia the Tavine, tO.wit, two hundred and
fifty feet. A few days ago the wOrkmen
suddenly broke in through the upper head
ing into the old coal banks, the top OF the
tunnel heiug about two feet above the floor
of the old mires. When the zen broke
through an immense body Of water swept
out, and by good luck as much as any
thing else, the men all escaped being in
iured or drowned by the rush. While the
presence of the old mine facilitates work
10 pushing the tunnel along, it is q big
nuisance in other ways, as it necessitstes
large amount of extra timbering, the top
of the mine being ten feet or so, in places,
above what the top Of the tunnel should
be- This part Of the tunnel, added to what
il completed in the ravine, makes up
nearly or quite one-half Of the long l, 100
foot tunnel.
The coping was put on the middle pier
of the bridge across the creek, yesterday,
and the shore pier, on the Peninsula side,
will be completed in about week. The
Forth pier, along side the Elm Grove
motor line, will not take much time, as
the foundation secured is considerable
distance above the Elm Grove track.
Grading aud filling is being pushed
along lively, down the creek valley, but
nothing is being done around on Twentieth
street. the contractors being still tied up
with the Injunction proceedings, which
will likely not be settled until the Septem-
her meeting Of he Sapreme Court Of APP
peals. g.,
LAST evening President Cochran stated
work would be commenced on the Seven
tenth street bridge across the creek ust as
soon As the stone work of the bridge up at
the Peninsula was completed. He stated
the work had all been mapped out, and
when a start was actually made 1t would
be pushed along lively.
Mr.. W. c. WHITE is an engineer on a
boat on the Arkansas river, and mis- address
ia Little Rock. He says that S. S. 5. has
relieved him of blood poison, which was
the result of malaria, and that it prevents
chills and fever by toning up the system.
He takes it in the spring and summer
months to prevent sickness from the ma
lsria Of the swsmps On the river.
Killed by the Cars.
An unknown man was run over and cut
to pieces by a Cleveland and Pittsburg
train at Rush Run, few miles north OF
Martins Ferry, Saturday night. He was
badly cut to pieces. He was apparently
about 30 OF 50 years Of age, and had a
smooth face. He had two Steubsnville