[C & O Railroad Tunnel Collapse, Richmond VA]

Streets Above Tunnel Closed to All Vehicles

Order Issued by City Authorities as Safety Measure

Passengers on Cars Must Make Change

Entire East End and Church Hill Affected

Deeming it unwise to allow vehicular traffic across Twenty-first Street at Marshall, a point immediately over the Church Hill tunnel, and not far from the site of the recent break, Mayor J. Fulmer Bright and Director of Public Safety James R. Sheppard, Jr., last night issued an order closing to vehicular traffic that space, to remain closed until the break in the tunnel is open, and the tunnel declared perfectly safe in every respect.

This conclusion was reached after mature consideration and after careful and expert investigation of the situation, both above and below ground. A corps of engineers, representing the city, the traction company, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company, and the Corporation Commission, together with interested lawyers and city officials, including the Mayor and Director Sheppard, inspected the tunnel from both ends, and surveyed the possibilities of further accident by heavy traffic above the damaged subterranean passage. The opinion as to possible danger was divided. Engineers for the traction company were of the opinion there was no danger, while others believed it would be the safer plan to cut off the traffic for the present.

Take Every Precausion

After full consideration, Mayor Bright, declaring that to his mind even with the slightest degree of danger, the interests of the people demanded that every precaution be taken. Director Sheppard viewed the situation from the same angle, and accordingly the order was issued, to be effective at once, and about 9 o'clock last night the cars were stopped at points east, west, north and south of the corner of Twenty-first and Marshall Streets, and transfers from car to car were given passengers going either way.

City officials as well as traction company officials deplored the necessity of the order. The street car company's officials announced, immediately after the Mayor's edict that shuttle cars would connect from the point of non-traffic to the main lines, thus giving as much speed as possible to the movement of passengers.

Cars going north on Twenty-first Street will stop at the mouth of an alley between Broad and Marshall Streets; going south, will stop at Jefferson Avenue and Twenty-second Street; going west, will stop on Marshall between Twenty-second and Twenty-third Streets, and going east, will stop at the end of the viaduct.

The result of the order means that passengers will be compelled to walk about one block from car to car, and there take shuttle cars to the main line. Travelers in making their schedule, it is advised by traction officials, should allow themselves at least ten minutes "leeway."

The transfer will be the means [Missing]