The evening times., 1899-07-29
An old LANDMARK GOING
Destruction Of the Original Balti- Il.
more aud Ohio Freight Station.
A Relic of Early Railroadipg In
America Being Removed, tn Make
"Reminiscences of the Opening of
the Road sixty-fOur Years Ago.


ington, and one of the relics of early rail-
roading in the United States, Is being brok-
en- down by workmen under Mr.. Maui
rice F. Tally, who are engaged in
clearing ground preparatory to the erec-
tion of the new Census building. The
structure which is thus giving way was the
original Washington freight station Of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
The ground which is being cleared is the
southern part of the square bounded b!
First and Second and B and C streets
northwest The square faces the Capitol
grounds and is directly south of the old
District Building. now the Business High
School, on First Street. For many years
II has been enclosed by high board fencs
on which signs and posters have been dis
played. In the centre of this big vacant lot
more and Ohio station on New Jersey Ave-
nue. and the corner of Second Street and
Pennsylvania Avenue stands the old freight
house. There it has stood since 1885. The
railroad tracks continued from the site of
the present station in a southwesterly di-
rection to the intersection of Pennsylvania
Avenue and Second Street, crossing Tiber
Creek very close to where the Business
High School stands.
The railroad company indicated was Or
ganized in 1927 to build line from the
Monumental City to the Ohio River. Early
in the history of the company the expe-
diency Of a lateral line ofsztiroad TO WASH
ington was discussed and was generally ap-
nr0Uad m nf fha
fifth OF the distance of the projected line
had already been built and could be utilized.
Application was made by the'scompany III
1880 10 the Maryland Legislature for pc.
cuniary aid. The legislature in 1881 agreed
to subscribe for stock to the extent or
100000, provided the company should find
bona fide subscribers for 81, 600 of the
stock, and provided further that the State.
in addition TO its per cent dividend should
receive one-ffth of the receipts from the
passenger traffic on the line.
In April, 1885. the new road was well ad-
vanced. The contract for. that part of it
which was to be within the District of Co.
lumbia was let TO Mr.. Gregory Ennis, and he
broke ground on April 81. On July /. 1885.
the president and directors of the railroad
company made a tour of inspection over
the line as far as Bladensburg, then the
terminus of the line. This train consisted
Z
cars containing sixty persons each. The
run from Baltimore to Biaaensburg was
made in the remarkable time Of two hours.
The railroad officials were met by the mayor
of Washington and delegation OF citizens
of the Capital II was explained on this
occasion by the president of the company
that the road would then have been com-
pleted but for the delay in receiving iron
rails. He said that ship load had sailed
II, ef,aa a-~
60 should have left the other side Of the
Atlantic one month earlier.
On Wednesday, July s, trains began run
ming between Baltimore and Bladensburg
on a regular schedule, connecting with a
stage line between Washington and Bla-
densburg On Monday, July 90, 1885, the
first train crossed the District line. The
first locomotive to enter the District was
the George Washington driven by William
Gwynn, engineer.
The first train entered the city of Wash
ington on August %. 1885. A chronicler
at that time wrote: 1T was glorious
sight TO see four trains of cars. each with
its engine, extending several hundred
yards in length, making their entry by
this new route to the delight of thousands
of spectators who were on the elevated
grounds north of the Capitol"
The number of persons brought in on
tHeSG iOuT NdS l,uuU. i ne eSCul
sionists were accompanied by two brass
bands. A procession was formed at Sec
ond and the Avenue and marched west to
| Gadsby's and Browns hotels, about where
| the National and Metropolitan stand now.
There were banquets and speeches by the
city officials of Baltimore, Washington,
Georgetown, and Alexandria.
The regular schedule went into effect on
| September Is, 1885, and called for two
| trains day as follows:
Leave Washington 8 a.. m. and 4:30
p. m.
Leave Baltimore Sis a. m. and 400
p m.
On one of the old time cards is this
admonition: ''As there is no standard time
| in Washington ii is recommended to pas
sengers that they be at the depot before
| the hours named for the departure oi
| trains" taS
| The receipts of the new line for foul
months in 1886 were as follows: April. $19,-
| 23O.33; May, 2,1S9.45; June, s1S,61391
July, S17,64S.07.