The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-12-08

their highest elevation. The concrete
lsEas ponresl into tie forms lby grasttys
and after being nj was eley1 ted to
"a tower 200 feet high stiIls another
feautres is that but q. coo tons OF steel
lsw1,o1irrk; were used on the entire improve
lment The four double track tunnels
tarefof extra width to hand the large
MaIlet engines and other heavy types
which will pass over the line in regular
service.
It Is intended to operate the cutoff
entirely for eastbound freight traffic,
because OF the economy possible and
the further fact that the old line will
avoid tunnels for passenger service.
Work on the Magnolia cutoff was
started IS months ago, under the direc-
ton of Francis Lee Stuart, chief cngfn-
Ger, and John 7. Wilson, district engin-
eer Of the Baltimore and Ohio. who
built it. 1t is one of the few large rail-
road improvements completed within
teh appropriation and contract time.
While the contract was let in seven sec
tons TO as many contractors, and the
work Therefore was like SO many indi-
vidual improvements, it was so appor-
toned that each contractor completed
his work during the same week, which
was made possible by a recapitulation
OF the work by the engineers some
months ago and certain parts of it
"speeded up"
With the beginning Of work on the
cutoff, between 5000 and 10000 work
men and their families moved into the
community. This industrial army To-
Gated Chiefly In the hamlet of Paw Paw,
which became Soon town" in every
sense. Rents scared and the high cost
OF living went skyward until the rail-
road came TO the rescue and took
charge of the welfare Of the employees.
Plans were gotten under way for mod
ern town, artesian wells were bored to
provide pure. water, electric lights
were installed, churches, school houses
land community clubs were provided,
equipped with musical intruments for
the men. Physicians were put on the
work to minister to the ills Of the men
and their families and to meet any ac-
cident emergency. Then the railroad
built paths, or footways, over the noun
tain 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 it, instructing
the foreign laborers in the use Of tools
and protecting them against vicious
characters which usually infest com
munity Of this kind.
i The two double-tracked lines are in
close proximity at numerous points
where they do not parellel, the new line
being frequently benched above the
original tracks. AS this meant that a
great portion Of the work was done un.
der traffic, instructions were given that
blasting be not done until permission
Of the train dispatcher had first been
secured. Special telegraph operators
were employed to handle such mes,
sages, and bfore blasts were set of
hagmen were sent out in both direc'
tons to stop trains and were not per.
mitted to come in until courier mott.
fed them. Signals were not relied
upon to call in these 1agmen. Experts
in the handling of explosives had en-
tire charge Of the blasting.
1t will be several weeks before the
finishing touches are made on the new
cutoff, but now that the track is in
place and traffic is being handled it
will be but matter of mere detail to
complete the hallasting 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 pro
gram of improvements which has never
been undertaken on So extensive a
scale by any railroad in the world, in
volving the rehabilitation OF the prop
erty and expansion of facilities to place
the Baltimore and Ohio abreast with
the presnt requirements Of traffic and
to provide for the future as we'll.
4 The improvements included in the
budget entailed the laying of extra
tracks on the slopes of the Allegheny
Mountains on both of the main lines
which converge at Cumberland. At the
summit Of these mountain tracks dou-
ble.tracked tunnels were built to avoid
congestion at Sand Patch, Pa, and at
Tunne1ton, w. Va; and coincident with
this safety tracks were built to protect
traffic on the mountains, helper sta.
tons were installed, yards were built
and enlarged and new equipment was
added.
Soon after Daniel Willard became
president of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, in January, 1910. a study OF
The needs of the property was begun
by him and officers OF his staff, among
whom were George F. Randolph, traf-
Gc vicespresident; George NJ. shrlver,
accounting vice president; A. w.
Thompson operating vice president;
]. v. .McNea1, financial vice president;
Francis Lee Stuart, chief engineer,
and others of their stats. In public
statement made by President Willard
recently he said that the completion
Of the Magnolia cutoff would be the