The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1949-10-13
Monday Was Towns
Actual Anniversary
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CONTINUED from Page One)
railroad Of America spanned 379
long miles from Baltimore, Maryland,
climbed over and through the Ale
gheny mountains to Wheeling, Vir-
ginia.
Philip f. Thomas was chosen Presi-
dent; George Brown, Treasurer; and
Johns Hopkins and Robert Garrett
were among the Directors.
The first stone was placed on the
4th of July, 1928, by the Grand Lodge
Of Maryland (Masonic), assisted by
Charles Carroll Of Maryland, last
surviving signer of the Declaration OF
independence. This stone has been
preserved and stands today near the
Mt. Glare Railroad shops in Baltimore.
Jonathan Knight, who had been the
surveying engineer for the National
Road from Cumberland to Wheeling,
was chosen as Chief Engineer for the
Railroad. Captains Mcneil and Whist
Ter and Lieut.. Thayer, engineers from
West Point, were among the first
surveyors.
In 1880 progress had been made. a
doublc-tracked line had been built
fou teen miles from Baltimore to FL
licott Mills Cars with Hanged wheels
drawn by horses made scheduled
trips and the road was extended to
Frederick City, thirty miles farther
Horses were used until Peter Cooper
OF New York called the attention of
the Directors to the steam locomotive
which was in use in England. Horses
were displaced, although in a test
with Il horse drawn car, the engine
failed through some defect in the ma
chincly. The Directors decided the
steam engine would be better.
The tom Thumb replica Of the
first engine, is kept in Baltimore, as
a memorial to the original. Sonce 1880
improvements have been made con-
tinuauy in the building of engines by
the Baltimore and Ohio at their shops
in Baltimore
Trains did not dare to go too fast
as the machinery was not strong
enough to stand speed
A description written in 1885 gives
this picture. "The passage of cars IS
novel sight which attracts the in
habitants Of the country long dis
tanccs to witness. 1t is special
wonder to see long row of houses
roaring along the road, borne by i
snorting engine at the rate Of eigh-
teen miles an hour"
bedding Of the railroad continued,
rails were laid to a point near Har-
per's Ferry on the Potomac River in
1894. Surveying was held up here, as
the railroad to prevent any inter
ference with the construction of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, in Mary
land had to cross the Canal and the
Potomac river to Virginia. Money was
appropriated to carry out the project.
Three million dollars, by the State Of
Maryland; one and one-half million
by the State Of Virginia, and one mill
lion by the City Of Wheeling, Nir-
ginia
After much discussion, the right Of
way was secured. The railroad was to
remain on the Virginia side of the
river until within six miles Of Cum
berland.
During this delay, the railroad had
been built from Relay Station near
Baltimore to Washington, D. G., in
1888.
At Harper's Ferry, bridge building
was in its infancy. Tracks were car
licd over timber trestles the distance
Of 700 feet, spanning the newly con-
structed Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
and the Potomac River.
Progress was slow, but on Nov 5,
1912, the railroad was completed to
Cumberland To celebrate this event,
the next month a special train, bear
ing a copy Of President Tyler's mes
sage to Congress, made the run from
Washington, D. c., to Cumberland, by
way Of Relay in five hours and fifty
minutes. From Cumberland the mes
sage was sent by Stage to the main
cities in the West.
In 1912 Jonathan Knight resigned
his position as Chief Engineer and
was succeeded by Benjamin II. La
trobe. MI Knight accepted the posi-
ton Of Engineer for the city of
Wheeling. The Allegheny mountains
loomed high, but the engineers had
overcome great difficulties in building
the railroad as far as Cumberland.
The surveyors worked hard, for sew
enty miles the railroad had to be built
over one OF the toughest mountain
regions in all America. In July, 1851,
the railroad was in use to Piedmont,
Virginia. From Piedmont, it climbed
seventeen miles, up, around and
through long tunnels to AItamont,
the highest point Of the road 262G
feet above sea level. Across the
GIades. along the T0uqhi0phenv River