Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-05-01
Railroad News.


The Norfolk & Western Railroad
station at Shepherdstown has been re-
modelled. The freight room has been
transformed into an additional wait
ing room. and what has long been
needed has at last been provided,
namely, separate waiting rooms for
men and women. The freight room
at present is a box car. but ii is prob
able that new building for this pur
nose will be erected. All the stations
along the line are being remodeled.
The standard type Of an automatic
car coupler which the Master Car
Builders Association adopted in 1887
is being applied to new freight cars
by railways controlling 7l,Sll miles of
road and 7Oa. 443 cars, which is about
60 per cent of freight cars in the Uni
ted States. The number OF cars
equipped by these companies during
1890 was SO, 800, and more than $1,000
more have been equipped since the
beginning of 1891, making the total
number now equipped about $4,000.
These figures show beyond doubt
that the old link-and-pin coupler,
which in 1899 caused nc less than 800
deaths and 5,757 injuries among rail
way employees, will have TO go.
W. C. Compton, a +. & o. brake
man, had his left leg cut off last Sat
urday. He fell from his train near
| Cumberland.
President Henry q. Davis, of the
West Virginia Central Railroad, had
an interview with Mayor Davidson in
Baltimore last week relative 10 the
sale OF the Western. Maryland Rail
road. The West Virginia Central folks
intimate that they will build a paral-
| lei line TO Baltimore il they cannot
get control of the Western Maryland.
The b. & O. Railroad officials will
shortly issue an order to all employees
! of the road. who are connected with
the running Of trains, requiring them
! to have their watches inspected and
regulated once every three months.
The officials of the y. & w. Rail
road, who travelled on special train,
were in Shepherdstown, Charlestown
and Shenandoah Junction last week.
There was n frightful accident on
the Metropolitan Branch OF the b. x
| O. Railroad on Tuesday afternoon.
| The Cincinnati express, west-bound,
going at the rate of 40 an hour, ran
| into freight train standing still, and
! there was terrible wreck. Both To-
comotiveS were smashed. The postal
and baggage cars were thrown from
the track and at once took fire. En-
gineer Curtis Elliott of the express
and Fireman j. II. Murphy OF the
freight were instantly killed and their
bodies were burned in the wreck
| Postal Clerk Burdette was also killed.
| Several others of the trainmen were
| injured, but not one OF the passengers
was hurt, a fortunate escape at
tributed to the fact that the train
was vestibuled Two engines, the
baggage and postal cars with their
contents. and two freight cars were
burned up.
A recent telegram says: "All the
trackmen on the line of the Baltimore
& Ohio system of railroads are reJoic-
ing over an increase of wages given
them by the voluntary act of the OIL
Gals. These trackmen, numbering
/ hundreds. received the notification
that on and after May LIST the $40
per month men will receive Sj2
and the S1.1O men will receive S1.15
per day
We have not alluded for several
weeks to the proposed railroad link,
to connect the chain of industries be-
| tween the Old Furnace in this county
and Shepherdstown, but not because
the project is in any means dead. The
prospective development of the re
sources along that line and section
have never been more promising, and
| there Is no subject on which the peo-
| pie are more quickly aroused, or more
keenly interested. They seem to fully
appreciate the beneficial results 1t
would ensure. and are earnest in agi-
itating the subject and expressions OF
readiness TO aid it in every way posi-
BILE. That's the way to get it, and
there is life in it still. and fair prom
! iSa abaod