Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-08-22
Railroad items.

| One of the most interesting objects
in the Philadelphia passenger depot
of the b. & o. Railroad is the station
porter who makes announcements.
He is a refined-looking colored man
of about middle age, of bright yellow
color, slender in build and delicate
looking, but he has one OF the most
remarkable voices ever heard. IL is
his duty to announce the departure
Of trains. and when he calls he at
tracts the attention Of every one.
His voice, though powerful and ring
ing, is as clear as a bell, and 1t fills
completely every part of the large
waiting room. He enunciates every
SYLLABLE with the most perfect clear
ness, and the commonest words sound
peculiarly beautiful as he rolls them
off his tongue. He is certainly well
adapted to his business.
The Shenandoah Valley Railroad
has put in electric bells at the cross
| ing of the Charlestown pike, as a
danger signal to persons driving over
| that road. The bells are put in mo
ton when the train is about three
hundred yards away and keep up the
ringing until it passes. 1t is a good
| institution.
During the past week 1854 repair
hands have been discharged from
the first division of the Baltimore Il
Ohio Railroad Thirty men were
dropped from the subdivision be-
tween Harper's Ferry and Martins
burg, under Supervisor Hobbs, and
the same number between Waterville
and Harper's Ferry, under Supervisor
McGowan.
Last Thursday night an attempt was
made to wreck an excursion train on
the b. & O. Railroad twenty miles
from Pittsburg Ties were placed on
the rails, and when the locomotive
struck them il was thrown from the
track, and the cars were derailed.
Two engineers and tramp were
killed, and other persons were injured
Mr.. H. w. Potts, of this place, was on
the train at the time, but fortunate
ly was not hurt.
The Shenandoah Valley Railroad is
frightening its switch at Morgan's
Grove several hundred feet, and will
make it open at both ends. The ar
rangements for loading and unload
ing freight at that point will also be
improved.
1t is mored that the b. Il o. Rail
road Company will build a double
track independent line from Phila-
delphia to Atlantic City.
A Destructive Farm fire.
Last Sunday night between and 9
o'clock the residents of Shepherds
town and vicinity observed q light i'll
the eastern sky, evidently very
large fire. 1t was caused by the burn
ing of the barn belonging to Mrs
George Shiffler, and her sister-in-law,
Miss Elizabeth Shifller, near Mt. Car
| mel church, about two miles south of
Boonsboro. The fire originated from
some unknown cause about eight
o'clock in the evening and burned
rapidly, consuming the large build
ing and all of its contents, embracing
a large quantity of wheat and hay,
all of the farming implements, one
horse and five head of cattle. Three
sheds that were standing close to
the barn were also consumed. The
| fire attracted a large number of per-
sons from Boonsboro and the sur
rounding country, but the discovery
was not made until too late to save
anything from the building. The loss
| is estimated at between three and
four thousand dollars, upon which
there was no insurance The suppo-
| sition is that the fire was incendiary
Ior lne TedsoH lHaI liSHleu Sohoie
that had been placed in board and
| Bfterward struck in some oats in an
adjoining shed was detected by a
young man who went into the shed
to extinguish what he thought was a
spark from the barn. 1t is thought
that the barn was started in the same
manner.