The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1905-05-04

nWH y NAA MNANANANA NNAAAAANM
West Virginia town. on the new line
Of the Wabash, twenty miles EAST OF
Cumberland, when the ringing Of
,eils and blowing Of whistles gave
the warning that in a few minutes
the button would be pressed that
would explode 5000 pounds OF giant
powder In the rocky mountain side
diiactiy opposite and close TO the
town.
For three days the people OF Paw
Paw had watched men carrying can
after can Of powder into the tunnels
dug into the face OF rocks. AS the
number Of cans disappearing In the
mountain side Increased the alarm OF
the people grew, and some in terror
left the town, while those remaining
filled their ears with cotton and wait
cd for-they knew not what.
At last, when s25 cans Of powder.
S.i25 pounds, had been emptied in
the arms extending right and left
from the inner ends OF the two 45-foot
tunnels, wires laid and the tunnel
closed. the electric button was press
ed. There was a deep. r~unbling re-
port, the whole earth seemed to rock
az though shaken by an earthquake
n tons Of rock plunged forward and
TOPPED over into the canal and river.
Carloads Of Powder In One Blast.
Not a stone had been thrown a hun.
dred feet toward the frenzied town
but 10000 yards OF rock had been
torn from the mountain side and many
precious days saved the contractors
who are building the link" connect.
Ing the Western Maryland railroad at
Cherry Run with the West Virginia
Central railroad at Cumberland. and
thus bringing nearer realization
George Gould's dream Of making the
Wabash railroad an ocean to ocean
line.
1t was only the proximity OF this
blast to a town that made Il particu-
larry prominent on this railroad con
struction that is requiring a blast
for almost every foot Of the roadbed
in fact Il was a small one in eompari-
son TO some that have been fired. In
one blast, in Siding Hill mountain.
the charge consisted Of 1.40O a n
OF powder, just two carloads. and
when it was put of rocks weighing
half a ton were hurled through the
air hundreds of yards, across the Po-
tomac river and striking telegraph
poles along the Baltimore & Ohio rail.
road broke them OF close to the
ground.
II is this necessity for almost con
tinuous blasting that has done much
toward making this sixty-fve mile
strip Of railroad construction the
most expensive Of any built in recent
years. with the single exception Of
the line over which the Wabash en-.
tiers PfttsbHrg. The cost OF building
the FIRST five miles from Cumberland
averaged S250.O00 a mile and the
average cost for the sixty-hve miles
IS 100000 a mile. In building this
connecting link. the wabash has had
to contend with an unusually large
number Of obstacles OF a surprising
variety. some placed in the way by
nature, others by man.
Tunneiing Through Solid Rock.
Until the advent OF the Wabash II
vas supposed there was no feasible
route through the narrow gaps in the
mountains between Cumberland and
Hancock. forty miles, a Y those fol-
lowed by the Chesapeake n Ohio
canal and the Baltimore & Ohio rail-
road. II was this belief that has kent
life In the old waterway, life sus-
tanned by the Baltimore 4 Ohio Rail-
road company to bar out any possible
rival Some years ago the Hon. Henry
q. Davis. then owner OF the West
Virginia Central railroad. had a route
surveyed through the country follow
ed by the Wabash. but II was given
up as lmpraeticable. As a result. Il Is
not surprising that the construction
of this road Is proving one Of the /
greatest undertakings Of years. re-
curing application OF almost every
method known In railroad building
and the ingenuity OF contractors. who
have built railroads IN almost every
state IN the union. has been taxed 70
the utmost
Upon forty miles OF This line there
nre engaged to-day 2.G2s men. 800
animals, nine locomotives and nine
steam shoyels. For eighteen months
there has been no cessation 81 labor
and Il is hoped that Ia eight more the
work viii be completed.
Obstacles 70 Be Met.
An idea Of the difficulties encoun-
tered a be formed from the fact
shat this line In forty miles crosses
the Potomac river nine times. the
Chesapeake & Ohio canal seven
times. the Baltimore q Ohio railroad
times. passes through noun
tain ranges and spurs by Eve tunnels.
IN length from 700 feet to
400 feet. through ridges and hills
By innumerable cuts. many OF them
over nifty feet deep through solid rock
and some almost a mile In length, and
hat a great portion OF the road is
cut out OF the rocky sides Of
mountain ranges. directly above the
anal. One OF the most unusual diff