Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-05-15
Tho Doinos of the Railroads.


body slept except the railroaders, the
little town of Brunswick, which Csed
to be called Berlin. became the end
OF the first division Of the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad, and the great freight
yards there were opened for business
The work began at one minute al
ter midnight OF Saturday and was
practically completed by shutdown
Sunday. Everything worked as
smoothly as well-oiled piece of ma
chinery. There were no delays and
no friction. Under the direction Of
Mr.. Thomas Fitzgerald, superintend-
ent Of the first and second sections OF
the road, the entire freight system OF
Martinsburg and Sandy Hook was
moved bodily to Brunswick, and the
headquarters of sixty-five railroad
crews were changed as well. Uuder
this arrangement Sandy Hook be-
comes way station, but Martinsburg
retains the division repair shops.
Everything else in connection with
| the system is located at Brunswick,
which is destined to become one Of
the most impOrtant places on the road.
The big freight blockade on the b.
and o. two years ago was the town S
salvation. The blockade showed the
railroad that its facilities for hand
ling an Immense amount Of freight
were inadequate, and the manage
ment sought to better them. The re-
suit was the purchase of about 400
acres Of land TO the east Of Berlin,
upon which was laid out one OF the
most complete, as well as extensive,
railroad freight-yards in America
The price paid for the land is said to
have been $50 per acre.
The railroad company has plated
$50 acres into townlo lots. Thomas Can
non has plated 100acres, adjoining the
company's property and, with two 9th
err additions" Brunswick has about
500 acres Of land about it laid of into
about 1000 town lots. \ handsome
natural park on the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad property has been re
served and will be kept as park. One
OF the land companies announces that
it will give town lot to the widow of
any railroad man killed about the
town, and it will also give lot to any
employe of the road who may be in
jured in the neighborhood.
Making Brunswick the terminus OF
the first section Of the road and the
beginning Of the second section will
bring about 1000 people-railroad
men and their familes-to the town
in the next six months. Others will
follow, and it is predicted by railroad
officials that Brunswick will contain
between 1000 and 5000 inhabitants
in the next two years. a great many
new and tasteful houses have already
been erected and occupied and more
are in course of construction.
The new railroad yard begins at
Brunswick and extends eastward
about two and a-quarter miles. 1t is
about 1925 feet wide, extending from
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal on
the south to range Of hills Oh the
north. On these hills the new por-
ton OF the town will be built. The
main passenger tracks have been sep
arated, the west-bound track running
along the north side Of the yard and
the east-bound track running on the
south side. Parallel with these is
main freight track and switch track.
No switches are in the passenger or
freight tracks except at the extreme
eastern and western ends. The sid
ings will be parallel and will extend
diagonally across the yard from one
switch track to another. At present
but 1Sdagonalsare completed, giving
u capacity of 800 cars. By autumn 90
more will be completed, and then, as
they are needed, the whole number
contemplated, 60, will be laid. This
will give a capacity of 3,000car Here
all mixed freight trains will be taken,
and cars for various points will be
made up, so that solid trains may be
sent to their destinations. Over 1000
feet Of culverts Of eight feet inside di
ameter have been built to drain the
yards, and over 300, 900 cubic yards of
earth have been moved.
Besides the laying of the track, a
transfer shed l, 400 feet long, storage
ice-house 10 feet long and number
of other buildings have been erected
for the company's use. When com
pleted the work will have cost $3.50, 000
AT the meeting of the stockholders