Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-03-15
RAILROAD NEWS.
Matters From Here and There Concerning the
Great Corporations.

The new route of the B. & 0. Rail
road from Sandy Hook through Har-
per's Ferry by way of the tunnel and
new bridge, was formally opened last
Monday. Two miles of the old line
were abandoned and will be disman-
tied, and the old Bollman bridge will
no longer be used by the railroad,
though it will stand as wagon bridge.
The improvements, made at cost Of
about $25O,OO0, include two miles
of double track, a tunnel 875 feet In
length, under Maryland Heights, and
new iron bridge Of nine spans and
over thousand feet in length over
the Potomac river. The bridge Is of
considerable elevation, being nine feet
higher than the old bridge, and built
to stand any freshet likely to occur,
and also to allow free passage for canal
boats underneath. The old line from
Sandy Hook, as will be remembered
by travellers familiar with the route,
was close alongside the waters edge
while the new line takes considerably
higher ground, and some distance from
the river bank. The junction of the
Valley road at the Ferry has also been
changed to meet the Improvement.
No so was the last train to pass
over the old route going east, and No
Is the last train going west. After
the train had passed, the large force
of hands commenced their work of
connecting the road to the new bridge.
In lust one hour and FIVE minutes
after the work was commenced 1t was
completed ready for the first engine
to pass over. Engine Ala was the
first locomotive to pass over the new
bridge. With it were Messrs. Thomas
Fitzgerald, j. D. Spurrier, Thomas
Prince, ]. r. Martin, W. 7. Manning,
D. T. Fendel, G. P. Adams, c. L.
Dudrow and other prominent B. q 0.
officials. The first through passenger
train to pass over the new structure
was train No. 2, drawn by engine
1909, W. c. Ripple, engineer. 1t
passed on the bridge at 1927 a, m.
Fully 500 people were present to see
the event celebrated. 1t is said that
handsome new depot will soon be
built.
The south-bound vestibuled passen-
ger train on the Norfolk and Western
Railroad ran into landslide at mile
post 2O5, on the Shenandoah Valley
division, at GAO o'clock last Thursday
morning. The train was bowling
along on schedule time and when 1t
struck the obstruction of rocks and
earth the locomotive ran along on the
ties for a distance of about forty feet
Losing its momentum, it turned over
and rolled down ffty-foot embank-
ment, lodging at the water s-edge OF
James river. Jacob Hardy, engine
man, stuck to his post, held on to the
throttle and was crushed to death be,
meath the engine. VIM. L. Noftslnger
of Lithia, Botetourt county, fireman
when the crash came jumped through
the window of the cab, lighting on the
footrail at the side of the boiler, where
he was badly scalded by steam
When the engine turned over he was
thrown out into the river, but managed
to swim ashore. Baggage-Master K
C. Noftsinger was slightly bruised
There were sixty-four passengers on
the train, but the majority were ASLEEP
at the time of the accident. They
were shaken up, but none seriously
hurt. The two north-bound trains
transferred passengers, mail and ex'
press at the wreck. John L. Clements
was conductor, Ellsworth W. MunsoT
was brakeman, and James B. Fenwich
was baggage master; James Long
Wilhamsport, was express messenger
Neither of these gentlemen was hurt
The Charlestown SPIRIT of Tuesday
says: A B. & o. freight car was wrecked
by striking Mr.. VIM Simpsons COW
whilst backing in the siding at Georg
street this morning. The COW wa
killed, trucks knocked from under tn
car and the car toppled over and part
| ly broken. The coal bins on Messrs
Reed, Long& Manning were torn out
Mr.. Arthur Thomas was on top Of tn
car and jumped off just before it strucI
the COW
The higher officials of the NorfolI
& Western Railroad, as well as thos
occupying minor positions, are show
ing much more accommodating splrl
to the patrons of the road than ha
been the case heretofore. We hop