Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-16
TO SAVE THE FIELD.
The New Battle at Gettysburg With
the Trolley Monster.
COL. BATCHELDER's REPORT.
He Makes q Vigorous Protest Against the
Vandalism and Urges Prompt Action -
Damage Already Done by the ConstrUc-
tion of the Railroad.

The Secretary OF War has received a pre-
Lminary report from Col Batchelder Of III
Gettysburg battlefield commission, dated tn
9Th instant, in which he says:
In view of the pressing emergency whic
seems to require the prompt action Of the gov
eminent off the Secretary of War is to pre-
serve the lines Of battle at GettysburgO. and i
the absence Of my colleagues on the commi,
SION L hasten to make preliminary report O
tine present condition of affairs at that place.
Il have just come from Gettysburg. Befor
i left there Mr.. Hoffer, president of the eIectri
raiirosd. entered into IN agreement with me 4
suspend operations on that portion of the lin
~ 'front.' OF the second army corps and to turr
MS road of that line 20 the Enmitsbury road
Having made that arrangement started fo
ms home In Massachusetts; bat noticing in to
dny papers that he had resumed operations oil
That Line. and realizing the enormous damage
That he Is doing on the field. and at the earnest
request Of Gen Siekies. have deemed it wise
10 'urn back from New York and report at once
and in person to the Secretary
when | left Gettysburg workrnen were en-
gagged IN Blasting ont n group of boulders COW
erihg \ space Of % BY - feet. which formed a
Y'ruoh o. tie defensos in front OF the left OF
,'e thl;d army corps during the second day g
battle.
wASIoS DESTRUCTION.
his seemed a wanton destruction OF an i'm
por;ant landmark Of the field. variation of
dozen fee; in the line, which there was ample
nance to make. would have cleared those
'ouiders. but il was evident that they were
!eIrg blasted for material from which To make
hlns Tor the road. which Is swampy at that
'olnL The bouliers which covered the COM
he. apc- Daur hot vUep
ne fourth Maine and fortieth New York of the
Mon army a2d the forty-fourth Alabama and
lie right Of Bennings brigade Of the confeder-
i'e army are already blasted and the fragments
br"sen under tbs hammer and covered with
e'Lth to form n roadbed- And it is in this
locality. which has been turned into a park, to
winch cheap excursions are to be run from
Baltimore and other cities.
This IL the most Wild and picturesque Sec
ton o. the field. For the distance of over ore
mile before reaching This locality the road cuts
futhlessly through the scene of some of the
most desperate encounters of the battle, in
which De Trobilnds. Tilton's. Sweitzer's,
Cooks kenys. Cross and Wards Union
origades and hershaw's. Semmes' Wofford's,
Anders1ns and Robertson's confederate
brigades coRteE'ied fog hours. The railway cuts
straight through lines OF battle forest trees are
ieyeied. boulders and lodges are blasted, streams
are bridged and the whole character of the
held Is changed and every hour the work of de-
Visitation goes m
After leaving The Devils Den and the Valley
OF Death the roa1 will climb arouni the west
ern aud northern face OF Little Round Top, dis
figuring Its slopes By cuts and fills of from
eight to ten feet. Reaching the summit. it will
descend the eastern slope to the Dance house
NIGHT EASILY BIZ AVOIDED.
This entire route through the ravine near
The vh"aifeid and around the Devils Den. ND
through the Valley of Death. a distance of about
two miles. may be avoided by cut off of about
n hHif mile over the wheatfield road and il a
right OF way of fifty rods can be secured from
the land 'yndicate. TIE cut over Little Round
Top may be avoided. Work is aboa: to be com
Inenced on Little Round Top. From the Dance
house the electric road follows the route of the
Heading Branch railroad toward town to Ham
cock station. when IL turns 70 the right across |
the line of battle of STANDARDS Vermont bri- |
gade. over the marked position OF Weir's bat |
terry &C, fifth u. 5. artillery to Hancock ave-
nue.. 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 dav, AMI buried beneath its track the SPOT !
where Gen Garrett was killed
Il spent several DAYS with Mr.. Hoffer and his |
friends nego.iIting with him to abandon this |
second corps line Con which he contemplates |
the erection Of station forty feet long in front
OF the second corps position) for the branch /
railroad and diminishing road. But he has |
since repudlased his agreement and resumed |
operations on that front. From the rirht OF the |
second corps the route turns back to the Tauey-
town road. down which it runs TO the south /
west corner of the National cemetery. where.
turning into the field to the left. it passes |
around the cemetery to the baltimore turn
pike on which 1t returns to town. passing the
gales.
DAMiGE ALREADY DONE.
''Ihe damage already committed by the cleo
IA u
aired. but the present dissertation is but the
announcements of what may be done if this
. 'mpany IS allowed to invade other sections of
he battlefield
lis 1t not practicable to stop this wanton de-
'ruction of one OF the most important histor-
cal spots IN this country until the government !
an decide Its duty and Its powers? Every hour
ne most hsgrant depredations are committed
which can never be reraired and if this is al
owed 20 be continued while the government is ,
the injury viii be irreparable.
respectfully urge tina: prompt measures !,
e ,'Hen 10 suppress orerntions on the battle :
.eic proper until the government has time to :
etcrmine the course it will pursne Tbe l
t0le country demands it. and public opiulon
Ill sustain yCu in dling it,
1T should be understood that debarring the
'ctric road from the battlefield Except unim-
Ttant crossings where there was no iobtino, ! 2
ii not prevent lts operation in the streets ~ | &,
'ttysburg or over the highways which reach .
the important features Of the field. witbont i
'ecrating those sections made historic nv the u
'od of men, In few instances il ia i'm II
rtant that short sections of the battlefield be :,
oSsed by the road; butit should be under the =
Eectlon of The battlefield commission
ACTION OF The DEPARTMENT.
Acting Secretary Grant referred this renort n
al all the papers connected with the uort nm |
le Gettysburg battlefield to Col Lieber tine A
ting judge advocate general for his e1aw~ W
alton and opinion to what authority fine g
ar Department has now or may have after a
lly prOximO TO prevent or interfere with the n
itting of the lines by the railroad company. C
tteutiOn Is invited to the act of the Pennsyl c.
mia sgislature Of years ago giving the gov :;
nment authority to condemn land, &c. and Il
so to the general authority granted bv Con- II
ess to the War Department to condemn land e.
r national cemeteries la