"The Mcdowell News" said:
New book tells history of 'Railroad that Couldn't Be Built' Little puts lifelong fascination on paper New book tells history of 'Railroad that Couldn't Be Built'Mayor Steve Little has written a new book about the building of the Western North Carolina Railroad in the 1870s. It is titled “Tunnels, Nitro and Convicts: Building the Railroad that Couldn’t Be Built.” He is holding a copy of his new book while standing in front of a Howard McCurry painting of the Round Knob Hotel, which catered to the tourists who rode on the passenger trains in the late 19th century. (Photo by Mike Conley/[email protected])
By Mike Conley
Published: December 23, 2010
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nowBuzz up!In the 1870s, the state of North Carolina set out to build a railroad across the steep mountains between Old Fort and Ridgecrest. The job would be done with convict labor, dangerous nitroglycerin and incredible determination. Many thought the railroad could not be built.
But the railroad would be built, even if many lives were lost along the way. Today, long Norfolk Southern freight trains travel up and down on what was constructed more than 130 years ago.
Marion Mayor Steve Little has long been fascinated by the story of the construction of the Western North Carolina Railroad, now considered an engineering marvel. He wrote his college thesis about it and for years has given talks to civic groups and schools.
Now, Little, who is also a Marion lawyer, has written a new book about the construction of the rail line. It is titled “Tunnels, Nitro and Convicts: Building the Railroad that Couldn’t Be Built.” It is published by Author House in Indiana.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” said Little. “This has been a goal of mine for years.”
As a student at Wake Forest University, Little wrote his history major thesis about the building of this railroad in the 1870s. It was a very detailed work, which included a lot of technical information. Little did a great deal of research unearthing the story about the railroad. And in May 1976, the young Little, who was still a law school student, gave a speech about it at the rededication ceremony for Andrews Geyser.
“That was a real honor,” he said adding he was not even a McDowell resident at that time.
Since then, Little has often spoke about its construction for various audiences, including the Railroad Day celebration in Old Fort. When he gives those talks, he condenses the story down and makes it more understandable for younger folks.
This new book is a written version of his talk. It is dedicated to the memory of the late historian Warren Hobbs, who was also Little’s brother-in-law.
“I thought I would write down the story I tell,” he said. “Everything in there is true.”
The book is also illustrated with color photos taken by Little of the rail line between Old Fort and Ridgecrest and the seven tunnels that were carved out of solid rock, using mostly convict labor. It also features vintage photos from the 1870s.
In the 19th century, state and railroad officials planned to build a line that would continue the railroad past Old Fort and someday reach Asheville. But the mountains stood in the way. In 1878, the state provided Major James W. Wilson, the engineering genius who designed the route, with convicts and the money to get it done.
Little said you can see today how well Wilson designed the railroad. It carefully winds its way up and down the mountain in order for the railroad to be less steep.
“That’s why the curvature of the track is nine miles while in a straight line it is three miles,” he said.
One of the tunnels, called High Ridge, is curved so it would conform better with the mountainous terrain.
“He was such a brilliant man,” said Little of Wilson. “The angle of elevation continues through the tunnels.”
Most of the curvature circles around Andrews Geyser. If a long train comes through there, you can see the front end at one point high above while the rest of the train is still back at another point as it snakes its way up the grade.
Seven tunnels had to be built through the mountains. This required blasting and boring through solid granite. The work involved the first use of nitroglycerin in the Southeast. Back then it was called “Nobel’s Blasting Oil.”
Of the seven tunnels, the shortest is the McElroy Tunnel, which is 89 feet long, while the longest is the Swannanoa Tunnel, which is 1,800 feet long. They are 15 feet tall, in order to accommodate the tall smokestacks on the locomotives.
Many convicts died during the construction and often they were quickly buried with little or no service. “There’s got to be graves galore out there,” said Little. “Only God knows where they are.”
The project involved the use of both male and female convicts. The female prisoners cooked the food and tended to the camps while the men were doing the backbreaking labor. They lived in “terrible, terrible conditions,” said Little.
And in order to speed up the work, the crews dragged a steam locomotive over the mountains.
The building of the mountain railroad came to a conclusion with the completion of the Swannanoa Tunnel near Ridgecrest. When this tunnel was blasted open, the work forces on both sides met in the center. On March 11, 1879, Wilson and one of his chief engineers wired the following telegraph message to Gov. Zebulon B. Vance: “Daylight entered Buncombe County today through the Swannanoa Tunnel. Grades and center met exactly.”
In the 1890s, the Western North Carolina Railroad became a part of a new railroad system for the entire South: the Southern Railway. Col. A.B. Andrews, for whom Andrews Geyser is named, became the first vice president of the Southern Railway. The Southern would eventually become a part of Norfolk Southern Corp.
“(Andrews) was a major, major force for the railroad as a whole, not just that particular segment,” said Little.
As for his new book, Little said he has a limited number of copies. By the middle of next month, he should have around 1,000 copies. The book will sell for $15 and it should be available at the Train Shop in downtown Marion, which sells model railroad supplies. Little said he will look at putting copies available at other places around town.
Little said he hopes readers, both young and old, will learn something about this fascinating chapter in local history.
“I did this with the idea that this would be good for fourth-graders and older,” he said.
Forrest,
I saw that the other day. I’m going to get the book. I’ve taken a lot of pictures along those tracks.
Ralph
What, no pitchers?
You presented such an intriguing story that I checked my usual source, Amazon dot com, and found this book is indeed available there:
http://www.amazon.com/Tunnels-Nitro-Convicts-Building-Railroad/dp/1452067716/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293412533&sr=1-1-fkmr0
I ordered a copy.
me too!!! that is close to home!
cale
This looks a very interesting book. Due to the cold weather of late I am catching up on reading as it not always a wise idea to be out in the cold and wind watching trains.
For UK Forum Members I will add that this book listed through Amazon UK @ £12.86. It’s not in stock but they will get it.