The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1908-09-03
Vivid Description Of the Hand
some New Building is Civ
enby B. & o. Writer.
(By Mandel senor.)

II tby Mandel Senor.)
The beautiful now passenger sta
ton built by the Baltimore & Ohio
railroad at Wheeling. is complete and
was opened to the public Wednesday,
September 2. On that day passenger
trains began steaming into and de-
parting from this terminal. This an
nouncement Is made by Mr.. w. c..
Loree. general superintendent Mt
Wheeling. The station Is one OF the
most complete and handsome on the
entire system of the Baltimore 4
Ohio railroad and the equal OF any in
the country In character and finish.
Its construction and other extensive
terminal improvements at Wheeling
cost about 100000. All arrange
ments for this Improvement were
made and the work well advanced
before business depression came upon
the country last fall so that Its COM
pletion has had no particular bearing
on Industrial and financial conditions.
1t was one of the projects of Presi-
dent Murray to make the Baltimore
& Ohio trunk line second to none
in the country.
The new station is $50 feet long
80 feet wide and three stories hiHh.
and is of fire proof construction
throughout. The exterior walls are
of brick faced with pink granite and
Bedford. Ind, limestone to the sec
ond floor level, above which they are
faced with Howard brick and trim
med with limestone and terra Gotta
All interior partitions are of hollow
tile: floor and roof constructions are
of steel and concrete and the roof is
covered with green glazed tile and
sheet copper.
A large power plant across the
street from the station is provided
especially to heat the building and
furnish electricity to operate the vari-
oys elevators, and to light the build
ling as well as the adjacent concourse.
umbrella sheds. tracks and freight
yards.
Besides the ample accommodations
provided for the travelling public.
baggage and express companies. etc.
numerous offices are also provided
on the upper floors for the various
railroad officials.
The building is designed in what
might be called the American Renal.
sancc Architecture. and while It
must serve as office building as well
as station. the station idea has been
emphasized through the prominence
given to the three large entrances
on the principal front. The building
is located between Chapline street on
the east and Market street on the
wst, fronting north $50 feet between
these two streets on a plaza formed
by the railroad company on land
bought for the purpose. The rail-
road tracks pass tho station to the
Tsouth on an elevated steel viaduct at
second floor level. Passengers reach
the track level by two flights of mas
sive reinforced concrete stairs leading
up between the tracks to the two
steel umbrella sheds. thus avoiding
the crossing of tracks at any time.
This steel viaduct built in connection
with the station is an elevated struc-
.ure sc feet wide by 935 feet long,
carrying four rock ballasted tracks
and two concrete platforms with UNI
brella sheds and spans the street Mt
either side OF the station. as we'll as
Wheeling Creek. This entire struc-
ture has a reinforced concrete floor.
waterproof and drained. so that 1t
does not in any way inconvenience the
public nthe streets below.
Entering the station from the
plaza ONE entries directly the large
general waiting room which is So
feet wide by>90 feet in length and 30
feet high. This room is decorated
intellectually with massive Tuscan
pilasters, and heavy bronZed ceiling.
is Iwainscoated throughout with
Verde-Antique marble, and the floor
Is laid with white marble tile with
| dark red borders. Three large art
glass ceiling lights light the middle Of
the room from skylights in the roof,
while the room is lighted electrically
by twelve especially designed massive
bronze plaster bracket lights carry
ing three large opal globes each. and
by fifteen large bowl fixtures on the
ceiling, distributed one each in the
center of each ceiling panel.
Tho walls of this room are painted
a rich scarlet lake, toned slightly to-
ward terra Gotta red. with all win
dow and door trim, pilasters, beams,
etc, an old ivory white. and the cell
ing light buff. The bases of pilas-
ters are bronze and caps gilded.
Tho ornaments on the ceiling
beams. etc, is picked out in gold,
scarlet and blue. the colors being
made to harmonic with the colors of
the art glass ceiling lights. Tho fin
lsh on all electric fixtures is dull old
bronze. to match the hardware
Throughout the building. The gen.
eral effect fthe room Is that Of
richness and dignity.
From the general waiting room n
corridor leads to the left to the bag
gage and parcel chek rooms. and to
the right to the express rooms and
offices-those two departments being
located in the entrance ends of the
building. Electric freight elevators
are provided for both freight and ex-
press.
Opening directly into the general