Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-06-22
GETTYSBURG FIELD.

|
Preliminary Report of Battlefield Con-
missioner Bzfchelder- The Sacred
| droand Being Torn Up and Blasted Out
to Mako Way for nm Electric Railroad
/ Prompt Action Asked.
WASHINGTON. June 1.-THE sesre.
I tary of war has received preliminary
report from Mr.. Batchelder, of the
| Gettysburg Battlefield commission, y
IN which he says:
sin view of the pressing emergency
| which seems to require the prompt ac-
| ton of the government tif the secretary
| of war is to preserve the lines of battle
| at Gettysburg'), and In the absence OF
my colleagues ON the commission, !
hasten to make preliminary report OF
| the present condition of affairs at that
place.
II have just come from Gettysburg.
Before left there Mr.. Hoffner, presi-
dent of the electric railroad, entered
into an agreement with me to suspend
operations on that portion of the line
in front of the Second army corps and
to turn his road Off that line to the
Emmitsburg road. Having made that
arrangement started for my home in
Massachusetts,, but noticing in to-day's
papers that he had resumed opera.
tons on that line. and realizing
the enormous damage that he is doing
on the field, and at the earnest request
of Gen. Sickels, I have deemed it wise
to turn back from New York and re
port at once and in person to the sec
Rotary. When 1 left Gettysburg work.
men were engaged in blasting out {.
group of boulders covering space IS
by 25 feet. which formed portion OF
the defenses in front of the left of the
Third army corps during the second
days battle.
This seemed a wanton destruction
of an important landmark of the field
A variation of dozen feet in the line.
which there was ample chance to make.
would have cleared those bou1ders, but
it is evident that they were being
blasted to make material for the road,
which is swampy at that point The
boulders which covered the combatants
IN the desperate engagement between
the Fourth Maine and the Fortieth
New York of the union army, and the
FOrty-fourth Alabama and the right of
Benning's brigade of the confederate
army are already blasted, and the frag-
ments broken under the hammer are
covered with earth to form a roadbed.
And it is in this locality, which has
been turned into a park. to which cheap
excursions are to be run from Baltimore
and other cities This is the most wild
and picturesque part OF the field For
a distance of over one mile be-
fore reaching this locality the
scene of some of the most desperate
encounters of the battle in which De
TrObriands. Tilton's. Sweitzers,
looks, Kelly's, Cross and Wards union
brigades and Kershaw's. Semmes',
Wofford's, Anderson's and Robertson's
confederate brigades contended for
hours The railway cuts straight
through lines of battle: forest trees
are leveled, powders and lodges ara
blasted. streams are bridged and the
whole character of the field is changed;
and every hour the work of devastation
goes on.
After leaving the Devils Dem and
the Valley of Death the road will
climb around the western or northern
face of Little Round Top" disfgur-
ing its slopes By cuts and fills of from
eight to ten feet Reaching the sum-
NIT it will descend the eastern slope to
the dance house.
This entire route through a rayiue
near the wheat field and around the
Devils Den" up through the Valley
of DEATH distance OF about
miles, may be avoided By
4 cut off of about hall
mile over the wheat-field road, and if a
right of way of fifty rods can be Sc
cured from the land sy Indicate. the cut
over Little Round Top" may be
avoided Work is about to be con-
menced on Little Round Top" From
the dance-house the electric road fol-
lows the route of the Reading branch
railroad toward town to Hancock
station, when it turns to the right
across the line of battle of STAN
nard's Vermont brigade, over the
marked position of Weir's battery
&C, Fifth artillery to Hancock avenue,
Immediately in front of the Second
army corps, along which it passes over
the advanced positions of thirty-eight
confederate regiments which comprised
Longstreet=s assault on the third day
and buries beneath its track the spot
where Gen. Garnett was killed.
Il spent several days with Mr.. Hotter
and his friends negotiating with him to
abandon this Second corps line ton
which he contemplates the erection Of
a station forty feet long in front OF
the Second corps positionl for the
branch railroad and Emmitsburg road.
But he has since repudiated his agree
nent and resumed operations ON that
front. From the right of the Second
corps the road turns back to the fancy
town road, down which it runs. to the
southwest corner of the national ceme-
terry. where, turning into the field to
the left, it passed around the cemetery
to the Baltimore turnpike, on which it
returns to town, passing the cemetery
gates.
The damage already committed by
the electric road is very great and can
never be repaired, but the present
dissertation is but the commencement
of what my be done if this company is
allowed to invade old sections of the
battlefield. Is it not preferable to
the most important historical spots IN
this country, until the government can
decide its duty ard its powers2"
Queer Verdict.
CHICAGO, June 1.-THE inquest be-
gun last week at Lemont On the body
OF Gregore Kislxa. the striker who
was shot and killed at Smiths camp On