Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-07-27
To Tunnel Through Maryland Heights.

I
be very different from those now extant-
/ The same mountains and river will be there,
but the familiar railroad bridge will be
taken away and the entire works OF the Bal
timore aud Ohio Railroad will be altered.
Yesterday the b & o. awarded to Messrs.
Jones & Thorne, of Baltimore, the contract
for making this radical change. It will use
up about $3.50, ,OO0 of the $4,000 appropri-
ated for the alteration which will straighten
the main line and throw ont the awkward
reverse curve which now exists on the bridge
across the Potomac. 1t will also do away
with the single track on the bridge and
change the road radically along two miles
of its length.
The work of Mcssrs Jones d Thorne in
cludes tunnel SO feet long through the
corner of Maryland Heights. From the
point where the tunnel emerges they will
build eight lofty piers of Gettysburg gram
ite across and in the Potomac river, upon
which will be constructed steel bridge 7GO
feet long. It's cost will be betrayed out of
the remainder of the money appropriated.
The work is to be completed in six months,
in time for the Worlds Fair traffic, and
from 600 to 500 workmen, including the
quarrymen of the Gettysburg granite, will
be employed The tunnel and the bridge
will each be supplied with double tracks
and the blocking of trains by the two pres
ent signal towers will be obviated.
Upon the completion of the improvement
a train instead of curving off to cross the
river will enter the tunnel in the bluff / 100
feet east of the old bridge, and, following
straight line, will emerge from the noun
tain side about 200 feet from the old bridge
and about the same distance back from the
I rivers northern bank and the Chesapeake
and Ohio canal. 1t will continue by n
straight line directly across the canal and
river upon the bridge and strike the West
Virginia side 100 feet west of the old depot
in the town of Harpers Ferry. On that
| side it will continue until il strikes the
| bluff along which the tracks are to be laid,
on the solid mountain side, 400 feet south
of the present tracks. The trains following
this course will strike the present track
mile above Harper's Ferry. This arrange
ment will do away with all the treste work
three fourths of mile long at Harper's
Ferry. 1t will also straighten out every
curve and prevent many stoppages that oc-
cur because of the single track on the old
bridge The Valley Branch of the b. q O.,
which connects with the main line on the
West Virginia side, will also connect by q
straight line near the West Virginia end of
the new bridge instead of striking it by a
curve.
The contractors have already shipped
several carloads of lumber and material to
the point Of operations and they are hasten
ing to get to work at the earliest possible
moment The plans for the bridge arc un-
der way The old bridge was built at the
close of the war to take the place of the
one that was destroyed in course of the hos
| tilities. The Il. e O. management had tie
recently adopted plans under consideration
many years-BaHm9re SIN, Jne 18th.
Stephens City Circuit Il union and Camp
meeting will be held in Bartonsville Park
lat Bartonsville), commencing Tuesday,
Aug. 2nd, and continuing for eight days
The first four days Of the meeting will be
devoted to general sociability and the con-
sideration of special subjects, such as Sun
| day-schools, temperance, missions, etc. The
| gospel services will commence Saturday,
August 9th Bishop E. R. Hendrix, Of
Kansas City, Mo-, and other eminent di-
vines will be present Ample accommoda-
tions for man and beast will be provided at
reasonable rates. Reduced fare over the
railroads is being arranged for A special
excursion will be run on Wednesday, Sun
day-school day, from Staunton and Harper's
Ferry. Any persons desiring board, or to
tent on the ground for the occasion, will
communicate with the secretary, J. W. Nc
Carly, or REV. T. A. STRoTHER, p. c.,
Stephens City, Va
Our Little Men and Women for August
gives the boys a hint which they will un-
derstand in "What the Brook Saw" Joker,
the clever monkey, meets some remarkably
clever relatives, and "What Spoiled the
Day ,""Dick's Auction, ""A Little Builder"
"Did Tabby Understand" ?" "The Taly-ho
Jauut," are among the bright stories by