Construction of the Salisbury Viaduct

By Paul E. Fuller

The construction of the Western Maryland through mountainous Somerset County required numerous bridges over rivers and streams, at least two viaducts and two tunnels.

In those days, to construct iron bridges strong enough to carry trains was an engineering marvel. This was also the case with the tunnels. Remember that a lot of the work was done with mules and wagons, wheelbarrows, hand labor and steam shovels, fired by coal. The construction was slow and tedious. All along the line, dirt had to be removed to provide cuts to meet the railroad grade. When the mountain was too high and cuts were not feasible, tunnels had to be bored. Thus, construction was deliberate and slow.

The viaduct just north of Meyersdale, known as the Salisbury Viaduct for its proximity to the former B&O Railroad's Salisbury Branch, is a case of engineering expertise. The viaduct was built with huge iron girders, stretching 1,900 feet across the Casselman River Valley, the mainline of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (now CSX), as well as old Route 219 and the four-lane new Route 219. At some places, the viaduct is more than 100 feet above the valley floor. The huge girders were set in concrete piers. Some are 60 feet into the ground.

Construction began at the eastern end and crossed the valley to the west. An electric crane, a marvel for that age and a new invention, crossed the viaduct as the huge girders were set in place. The crane lifted the girders, placed them in position, and then they were welded by workmen working on the viaduct as the crane kept moving forward.

The electric crane was powered by electricity from the Meyersdale Heat and Power plant, which had been constructed by the Wilmoth family of Meyersdale earlier in the century to provide heat and electricity for Meyersdale. The "power house" was located on the present site of the Meyersdale Volunteer Fire Department parking lot at the corner of Salisbury and Grant streets. A large cable was laid on the ground for approximately two miles from the power station to the viaduct to provide power for the crane.

This is the way the crane did its job: The girders were assembled on the valley floor, bolted together and then raised by the crane. The girders were welded and bolted. The crane would then lift the ties and workers would place them on the girders, and laying of the track followed. The crane continued to advance as the work was done. The crane was built to lift thousands of pounds.

Tragedy Strikes
On July 10, 1911, the crane had advanced to the span that had most recently been completed. The huge crane, loaded with girders, tipped suddenly, falling into the valley floor. The crane was totally destroyed. Seven men were on it at the time; five died instantly. One of the two who were seriously injured died several hours after the accident. It was the worst tragedy during construction. The bodies of the accident victims, none of whom were local, were returned to their families.

The contractor for the massive construction project was McClintock-Marshall Construction Company of Pittsburgh. The firm's representatives had no explanation for the accident. The crane had a lifting capacity of 57 tons, and when it tilted, the crane was carrying only 14 and one-half tons. A month later, a worker fell from the viaduct and was killed. In September, the crane was lifting 37 and one-half tons, again tipping the crane, but it did not fall. Instead, it settled back without incident. This could have been a disaster as 11 workers were on the crane at the time. The superintendent on the job quit, contending that the project was jinxed.

Accidents were common during construction of the railroad. At Garrett, scaffolding collapsed when a water tower was being built. Accidents at water towers were numerous, and several workers were killed.

The big day came on January 18, 1912, when it was decided that the first train would cross the viaduct. Long before nine that morning, hundreds of local residents had gathered at the viaduct to view this amazing feat. It was a day of fun, also of fear. Bets were made that the viaduct would not sustain the train weight and it would, like the crane, collapse into the valley. The first to cross was a flat car in front of a steam engine.

Newspaper reporters and photographers from all over the state were there. One newspaper reporter wrote, "The vaiduct scarcely quivered." The workers and the spectators cheered as the train crossed.

The Keystone Viaduct, named for the nearby Village of Keystone where bricks were once made, was built across the Flaugherty Creek and the Glade City Road east of Meyersdale. It stretches 600 feet across the creek and the roadway, and its construction is similar to that of the Salisbury Viaduct.

Choosing the Route
The Gould Railroad Interests, which negotiated the initial construction and plans for the Western Maryland, studied several routes for the new railroad through Western Pennsylvania. Gould was the leading railroad developer in the nation. They wanted to build a connecting link across the Allegheny Mountains to join the Gould lines from other points in the east at Pittsburgh and rail lines in the mid and far west.

After considerable study, the Gould Interests decided to build the new line through Meyersdale, Garrett, and Rockwood and on to Connellsville primarily because of the grade, which was better than the Baltimore and Ohio or the Pennsylvania rail line through Central Pennsylvania.
The Gould interests included the famed Wabash Rail System. It was hoped to build the Western Maryland by late 1907, the first indication of another railroad for Meyersdale having been announced in 1906. But, work did not even begin in 1907 and the Western Maryland was not
completed until 1912.

During the peak of construction in the fall of 1910, 2,700 men were at work on the line with 30 steam shovels, and 41 narrow gauge locomotives were in use along with scores of mule and horse teams hired from local farmers. The Carter Construction Company of Pittsburgh was the general contractor.

At 9:30 a.m. on May 21, 1975, a short Western Maryland passenger train pulled out of the yard from Dunbar, near Connellsville, for a last ride through some of the most beautiful and spectacular scenery in the Eastern United States. The train was filled with Western Maryland and government officials, conservationists and news reporters as it rode the route of a future recreational trail that could become the most outstanding in the country.

The Western Maryland right-of-way goes from Connellsville 26 miles to Confluence through the Youghiogheny River Gorge, which is flanked on both sides by Ohiopyle State Park and Pennsylvania Gamelands part of the way.

Now, completion of the Allegheny Highlands Trail in Somerset County is a coordinated effort between the County of Somerset, the Somerset County Rails-to-Trails Association, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 1993, the Meyersdale Area Historical Society was formed to restore the Western Maryland Station on Main Street, a historical early railroad landmark. It is now open to visitors and trail users.

Editor's Note: This article was written by the late Paul Fuller following his retirement from The New Republic newspaper. It has been edited by Sally Fike Statler. Paul Fuller was a friend to Meyersdale, a personal friend, and was my editor when I worked as a reporter at the local newspaper office for him. It was his wish to have his railroad stories and tales of the earlier days of Meyersdale to be published at some point. The stories he presented to me in connection with the historic rehabilitation of the train station and the development of the Allegheny Highlands Trail are presented here as a fulfillment of his dream for these tales to be made available to others. The Allegheny Highlands Trail is a segment of the Great Allegheny Passage.

Photo Credits: The image of the work in progress on the Salisbury Viaduct (top of page) was taken from the Meyersdale Centennial book, 1974. The image of the Salisbury Viaduct was taken from the Somerset County Bicentennial Calendar, 1995. Other images of the crane and construction are from Paul Fuller's collection.