Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-24
B. AND @. AFFAIRS
Decline Of the Great Shops at
Mount Glare.
HISTORY OF THE PRESENT DIFFICULTY
Senator Gorman's Efforts to Reor-
ganize the Road.
A BRIGHTER PROSPECT

persons that the Baltimore and Ohio shops
| at Mount Glare, Baltimore, for the man
ufacture of passenger and freight cars
Of every description, and where for
years some of the best, most durable and
| speediest locomotives ever placed on the
| line were built, should have been practi-
| cally closed several years ago, and Of the
| 5000 hands employed there during the en-
| tire administration Of John w. Garrett,
| and for many years afterward, has for
nearly ten years been so managed as to
give employment to fewer hundreds than
there were formerly thousands.
Grent Plant.
The Mount Clare shops are among the
| best equipped railway shops in the United
States, and cover an immense extent of
| territory in the southwest section of Balti-
more. Here are to be found extensive
shops for the building of cars of all kinds
| and locomotives, and here for many years
was made every piece of bridgework used
| on the companys lines. In those days there
We're from 400 to 800 men constantly en-
ployed in the blacksmith shop alone, and
out of this busy hive of industry not less
| than $4,000 residents of Baltimore got their
support.
The shops are not devoid of historic inter-
est, for it from the office, and the
| building is still standing, that Professor
r. c.
Shortly after the first fifteen miles of the
read between Baltimore and Ellicolt City
We're opened for traffic it was seen that 1t
would be necessary to have locomotives to
move the cars if anything of practical mo-
ment was to be accomplished, and the
president of the company contracted with
machnist in York, Pa, 10 come to. Ealti-
more and build four or five locomotives at
Mount Clare.
Incredible as it may seem, two of these
locomotives are yet in daily use at Mount
Clare, and the others would also probably
have been but that they were DESTROYED by
| fire at the Pittsburg exposition when that
| building was burned few years ago. These
engines bear no resemblance to the engine
OF the present day, having two walking
| beams each, similar TO those invariably
| seen on side-wheel Steamboats,. But they
haul long trains of loaded freight cars, and
are relied upon to do exactly the same sort
or work as IS performed by locomotives
punt Tor yard purposes. and four times as
The Old Camel Backs"
A few years passed. the Baltimore and
Ohio had reached the mountains and it
was seen that new type of locomotive
| was necessary to get across them with the
trains The master macninist of the COM
pany, the late Ross Winans, in due time
produced the camel engine" scores of
which, after forty years of service of the
hardest kind, are in use today and give
more satisfaction than is frequently the
case with the newest engine out OF some
of the outside shops.
Mr.. Winans was succeeded at the PaIt;
more and Ohio shops by one eminently
qualified to take his place, and other en-
gines, of which every one who had a pa rt
IN tnelr construction was justly proud, were
bullt these engines were built for DURABLE
ity and speed, and cost was made subor-
dnate to safety.
Rival Shops.
This state of affairs continued for MANY
years, but Suddenly a new era dawned
upon railway managers throughout the
country. A great firm Of locomotive build
ers in Philadelphia, who felt a special pride
In keeping large force Of men employed,
and possessed at the same time almost I'M
limited capital, came to the front and Of
tered to sell to the Baltimore and Ohio en-
gines an long time and at less price than
the Baltimore and Ohio could build them
at Mount Clare
The offer was accepted, new engines in
abundance were provided for the road
but the force at Mount Clare was greatly
followed VI e'A7e'
But, as if this were not enough to pro-
woke dissatisfaction, a COMPANY was form.
ed, In which Robert Garrett and other
leading Baltimore and Ohio officials were
the most prominent, and an immense plant
was established at Curtis Bay where for
long time cars were built. which. If was
thought, by the employees Of the road and
many citizens of Baltimore, should have
been built at Mount Clare. This caused a
Iur.her reduction of force and added to the
sui1ering, as hundreds of mechanics were
ophseo 10 part with their little homes to
procure the necessaries Of life.
Senator Gorman's Efforts.
1t was about this time that Senator Cor
man became a director of the Baltimore
ana ohio on the part of the state of Mary
iand' the state then having a large sum of
money invested in the corporate A loud
cry OF complaint went up to Mr.. German
from the distressed people, and he prom
1sed to see what he could do to relieve
them. Almost as soon as he qualified in tho
position he secured the appointment of an
sSpert accountant, Mr.. H. D. Buckley, to
lhuestlgate the affairs of the company
After long investigation a report was
made but as soon as it was presented at a
meeting of the board of directors and be-
lore more than the title had been read, the
1arrett directors secured the indefinite
postponement Of It's consideration. Mr.
German promptly resigned, as did also his
colleague, as the states representative,
Mr.. THOMAS NJ. Lanahan, and upon their
RECOMMENDATION the board of public works
or Maryland disposed Of the states hold
lnSS at the best rates obtainable
An attempts to get an inklins of the char
acter OF Maj. Bulkley's report proved fruit
iess, put the major was appointed con-
troller of the company at a large salary
ana ne still holds the position.
Increasing Difficulties.
From that time on the difficulties of the
b. and o. appeared to increase, until the
receivership was reached.
1t is traffic that the B. and o. wants, and
Which 1t needs in order to be brought up to
paying basis. It appears to be indls-
putable that one Of the greatest troubles
with which the B. and o. has had to con-
tend is the lack of cars and engines, but
specifications have now been prepared for
the construction of 5000 freight cars and
10 engines, which will be placed in service
as quickly as possible. Meanwhile. all the
repair shops Of the company have been put
on full time, and they already daily
turning out large number of cars, which
in the aggregate will be fully 5000 more,
but which have been useless for want of
repairs many Of them for long time. All
engines needing repairs are also being put
in thorough order.
Western VS.. Eastern RaiIroading.
1t Is somewhat remarkable fact that
nearly every general manager that the B.
and 0. has brought from the west has been
disappointment, either to himself or to
his employers. Up to this time the most
popular If not, indeed, the best, general