The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-12-07

dustrial army located chiefy In the
hamlet OF PaWpaW. which became .
boom town in every sense. Rents
SCARED and the high cost OF living
went sllyward until the railroad came
to the rescue and took charge Of the
welfare Of the employees. Plans
were gotten under way for modern
town. artesian wells we're bored 10
provide pure water. electric lights
were Installed. churches. school
houses and community clubs were
provided, equipped with musical In
struments for the men. Physicians
were put on the work to minister to
the Ills OF the men and their famflies
and TO meet any accident emergency.
Then the railroad built paths. or
footways, over the mountain passes
and posted signs along the work
which urged the men to refrain from
walking the tracks Of the main lines.
Police officers were stationed over
the work to patrol 1t. instructing the
foreign laboreFs in the use Of tools
and protecting them against vicious
characters which usually infect 4
community Of this kind.
The two double-track lines are in
close proximity at numerous points
where they do not parallel, the new
line being frequently benched above
the original tracks. Az this meant
that a great portion Of the work was
done under tiaffic, instructions were
given that blasting be not done tn-
til the permission of the train dis
patcher had first been secured. Spe-
icial telegraph operators were en-
ployed to handle such messages, and
before blasts were set OF fiagmen
were sent In both directions to stop
trains and were not permitted to
come in until courier notified them.
Signals were not relied upon to call
In these tiagmen. Experts in the
handling OF explosives had entire
charge Of the blasting.
Last Link OF Improvement.
1t will be several weeks before the
finishing touches ara made on the
now cutoff, but now that the track
is placed and traffic is being handled
1t will be but matter of mere de-
tail to complete the ballasting Of the
line and remove the machinery and
material from the work.
As previously referred to, the Mag
nolia cutoff Is the last link In a
program OF improvements which has
never been undertaken on SO extern
sive a scale by any railroad in the
world, involving the rehabilitation
of the property and expansion Of fa-
cilities to place the Baltimore and
Ohio abreast with the present re-
quirements Of traffic and to provide
for the future as well.
The improvements included in the
budget entialed the laying of
extra tracks on the slopes Of the
Allegheny mountains on both of the
main lines which converge at Cum
iberland. At the summit of these
mountain tracks double-tracked tun-
nels were built to avoid congestion
at Sand Patch, Pa, and at Tunnel
ton, w. Va; and coincident with
this safety tracks were built to pro-
tect traffic on the mountain, helper
stations were installed. yards were
installed. yards were built and en-
,larged and new equipment was
added.
Soon after Dcniel Willard became
president OF the Baltimore land Ohio
railroad, in January. 1910. study
of the needs of the property was be-
gun by him and officers OF his stan,
among whom were George F. RAN
dolph, traffic yice-president; George
NJ. Shrirer accounting yice-presi-
dent: a. w. Thompson, operating
vice president; j. v. McNeal. financi-
al vice president; Francis Lee Stu
art. chief engineer, and others OF
their stats. In a public statement
made by President Willard recently
he said that the completion of the
Magnolia cutoff would be the last
work Of the program outlined.