Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-07-02
ii RlILB0ADWOR4'
I 80 SWITCH LAID DOWN on SOUTH
STREET, LAST EVENING.
Some Little Excitement Raised Among People Who
Thought There Vas No Authority for the
Moys-Ths Work Completed Last Night

Some little excitement was starIleu 10
the neIshborhood Of the passenger
station Of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road. about half-past five o'clock last
evening, by the sudden appearance on
that unusually quiet scene OF about.
eighty railroad laborers, who began,
without loss Of time. to yank up the
brick pavement. remove the cobble
stones, and to throw dirt right aud left.
About the same moment a work train
was run into the depot, and force OF
men began to unload ties, rails, tools,
and all the paraphernalia requisite to
lay down a railroad track.
Quite large number OF citizens
gathered about the locality, and many
IF them jumped to the conclusion that
lone "sharp work" was being done by
The railroad people, and that when the
sity authorities awoke this morning
lhey would find new line OF railroad,
Itarting at the passenger depot and
running they knew not whittier. The
night force of police, who had not
been apprIzed Of what was going on,
were also under some little excitement
for time. and word was sent out from
the City Hall 10 call in section OF the
night force from their beats, but these
orders were eountermanded In lew
minutes, and the railroad employees were
not mOlested.
The fact is the matter was all right
and regular, so far as authority Tor the
work was concerned. A year and
half or two years ago the Council
passed an ordinance, on application by
q number Of wholesalers doing business
on South street, authorizing the Balti-
more and Ohio Company to lay down a
switch from the entrance to the yard OF
its passenger station, north along Soutn
street to the intersection Of Fourteenth
street, for the accommodation OF
the business men in receiving
and shipping goods. The road
was to run south, from the
south line Of South street, at the en-
trance to the b. & o. yards, through
the yards to the bank Of the creek, and
thence be carried by bridge or trestle
to q connection with the main track OF
the Pttsburg division. Nothing was
done under the ordinance az the time,
and the fact that such measure had
been passed by Council had been pretty
we'll forgotten until the railroad men
began work last evening.
A a - holt not W w
the gang, which had been gathered up
between this city and Grafton during
the day, began work, and at eight
O'Clock the street had been excavated
for the entire distance and the ties
were for the most part ia place. At
twelve minutes after eight o'clock the
first rail was laid, aud at eleven o'clock
all the rails were down, and the car
penters had commenced to lay the
heavy planking on top OF the ties. Be-
fore the REGISTER went to press this
morning the section OF track on South
street was completed, ready for cars and
the connection between it and the track
over the creek will be made to-day or to-
morrow.
Business men doing business Ia the
vicinity were 1uollSnt laSJ evening that
the work was in progress. The state
ment was made by merchant that the
wholesale houses in that immediate vi
entity handled an average Of one hun
dred cars Of freight per day, aud that
the switch would mean a saving Of 5000
a day Of the handling OF goods. Not
withstanding this, some Of the property
owners in the neighborhood, who were
not particularly anxious for the switch,
were a little hot about it, and
there was some talk OF taking
legal proceedings during the early
part OF the evening. 1t was also stated
that the reason for the sudden activity
on the part Of those desiring the switch,
after allowing the right to lie dormant
for so long, was to head of the new
Street Railway Company, which has
asked for a right of way through South
street. 1t was the idea Of those in
terested In the new street railway to
have Council called for Friday evening
OF the coming week to take action on
the ordinance, and Ii may be that this
had something to do with the building
Of the switch in question.