News of the year 1918 of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad is presented here as reported in area newspapers.
For all previous articles on this doomed project, see: Midland Pennsylvania Railroad.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, 15 June 1918:
BOYS HAVE SPORT WITH EXPLOSIVES
Steal Powder From Railroad Storehouse and Wake Up People of Millersburg
Millersburg, Pennsylvania, 15 June [1918] – A powderhouse built by the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad Company near Shippen Run, on the northern outskirts of the borough, and which contained a large amount of explosives, is now a thing of the past and a menace has been removed. At intervals during the past several years boys went to the place at night and secured portions of the powder, which they exploded.
Last Saturday night, however, brought the climax, when they took an enormous amount, which they set off. It shook the houses of Millersburg and the explosion was heard at Liverpool. The state authorities were notified and on Thursday sent Inspector of Explosives J. W. Rittenhouse, of Scranton, to look into the matter. He dumped over 3000 canisters of black powder into the Susquehanna River, thus doing away with a dangerous situation, which might sooner or later have done a great amount of damage.
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From the Philadelphia Inquirer, 17 June 1918:
Harrisburg Happenings
Special to the Inquirer
State explosive inspectors destroyed a quantity of dynamite found in an old store house of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad near McClellan. The explosive had been found by boys who broke into the long-close building….
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From the Philadelphia Inquirer, 13 October 1918:
Cleaning Up Abandoned Railroad
Special to the Inquirer
LIVERPOOL, Pennsylvania, 12 October [1918] – Samuel Lord, representing New York capitalists, who bought the franchise and stock of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad, has placed a force of workmen at the task of cleaning up the premises of the railroad on the eastern side of the Juniata River, near Millersburg. Carts, wagons and tools will be assembled and the material which is found to be in good condition will be sold. With the money realized, together with additional necessary capital, the road will be completed as soon as conditions are normal and Director General McAdoo gives the work.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, 17 October 1918:
Midland Pennsylvania
Posters were displayed here and through out the valley calling for laborers to assist in gathering the carts, wagons, scoops, tools, and other material of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad and that which is in good condition will be sold. It is reported that the money realized from the sale will be invested with other capital, and that the Midland will be completed after the war.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, 19 December 1918:
RAILROAD DISMANTLED
Liverpool, 9 December [1918] – Work on the cleaning up of the premises of the Midland Pennsylvania Railroad on the other side of the river near Millersburg has been completed. Carts, wagons and tools have been sold.
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News stories from Newspapers.com and from on-line resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.