Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-29

The Register chronicled the fact yes
terday morning that there had been
caye-in in the Cambridge, O., tunnel,
and that trains were delayed, but that
the prospects were that traffic would be
resumed in about twelve hours.
That was the information obtained
from the railroad authorities Thursday
night, and they gave out what they be-
lieved to be the facts in the case.
Yesterday morning, however, it was
known that the real situation was much
worse than the first reports made it,
and last night it was stated that weeks
would elapse before trains could be run
over the regular route west of Cam
bridge. The following special tele-
CRANE from Cambridge received by the
Register last night, states the situation
there in a general way:
Special to the Register
CAMBRIDGE, o., July 28.-The cave
in of the tunnel just west of here which
occurred yesterday, completely blockad-
ing the main line of the Baltimore &
Ohio, remains the same. if not worse.
Immediately after the cave in David
Lee, superintendent of maintenance or
way, who, with other officials, were
here, started gangs of men to work
clearing away the obstruction, but SO
far very little, if any, progress has been
made The tunnel is seven hundred
feet long and from one hundred and
fifty to two hundred feet is blocked up.
The hill is about one hundred feet
high and Lee gave 1T as his opinion
to-day that the cave in extended to the
top. The laborers struck to-day and
refused to work because of the frequent
falling of earth, sticks, stones, etc. An
attempt to remove one large stone with
the help of an engine last night failed
The tunnel is still caving in. A num-
Der of B. & o. officials are here. All
passenger trains are running over the
Cleveland & Marietta railway 1t Will
take three or four weeks before the
tunnel is in shape to run trains through
it. Gangs of men are at work On Dotn
ends of the tunnel About two hundred
feet of track is covered clear to the top
ans mors dirt is falling. NO one ex'
cept the laborers are allowed near the
tunnel. The same tunnel caved in IN
1869 when two men were killed, and 1t
has been considered unsafe for years.
The official train had a narrow escape
and was stopped at the mouth OF the
tunnel Just before it caved in.
The running of trains through Wheei-
ing was seriously disconnected by the
accident yesterday as well as THURSDAY
night. there being an average OF about
two hours and a half OF delay III de-
partures both for the east via Pitts
burg and the west via Bellaire. NO. 40,
due in Wheeling at Has a. M, did not
arrive until nearly o'clock in the
afternoon, while No. 104, due to depart
at $40 D. M, did not leave until S:lo
D. m. There were corresponding de-
lays in other trains, and freights were
knocked away out. Trains arriving at
Cambridge must go thence by the G.
& M. to Newcomerstown. and thence
via the Pan Handle to GAINESVILLE, add
ing about fifty or sixty miles to the
run, with a corresponding difficulty in
the arranging of schedules. The tun-
mel is Just west of Cambridge, and as
consequence traffic between Wheeling
and that town is uninterrupted. The
entire system west of the river and be-
tween Wheeling and Pittsburg was en-
barrassed by the accident yesterday,
but in a day or two matters will be
Strengthened out and traffic will be re-
newed upon a new basis.