American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-08-14
$ from The river its eleva. } 7.

Az /" $50 !" II
There is at the bank Of the river, an abrupt ter
rnination Of the mountain, upon which is construct
ed an inclined plane, 700 yards long. with de
clivty of a25 feet, below which there is still fur
;her descent of 25 feet down a chute, through
which the coal is conveyed into boats on the Wa
Ter, the actual descent from the point of the road
at miles distance from the river to its termlna
ton at the top Of this incline, plane, is therefore
III distance If about | So miles, 100 feet.
The whole Of the Mauch Chunk Rail Road, ex
tending distance Of miles, and including the
Inclined plane Of 700 yards. was constructed ii
two months and .hrec DAYS from the time OF it.
commencement, and was within that period, 50 fa
completed, that Wagons have since regularly pas
scd upon it-yhere are, howe,e r, few labourer,
still employed in finishing some parts Of the work
ant yet entirely completed. The cost, including
thc 700 yards Of inclined plane is stated to be be
tween $500 and $4,000 per mile.
The road is principally laid upon the track here
sofpre used BIZ the Mauch Chunk Company, for
,hc transportation Of coal, on Wagons Of the con,
H1n construction. The sleepers, which are Of
wood, are laid four feet apart upon stone fuun-
ratun--the rails, which are also OF wood are then
placed upon these slccpefs, and are fastened to
them by wooden keys; they are afterwards plated
on the inner edges, with rolled iron bars, from
3 to So of an inch thick. and from 10 /
inches wide, and the space between them is filled
up with earth or gravel, so high as to cover the
sleeners and to form horse path, which complete
the whole labor.
There are various crossing places along the
course of the road, and several turns out, both oil
which arc easily effected at very small expense
There are also many considerable curvaturcs in the
road, along the side OF the mountain, to suit the
localities Of the ground. and these snuostics are
effected with the greatest facility, by simply ele-
waiting the rail on the outer curve little higher
than the rail on the inner curve, which gives tea
q, direction to the wagons in their passage, with
out any other result than lessening their velocity
which is retarded at these points. by the increased
lateral friction of the wheels The wagons here
used, weigh from 1900 to 1900 lbs. each and arc
kept on the tailshy hange wheels. Their construc
ton i precisely similar to those represented ii the
Eoaks u Strickland. Wood and Tredgold.
The committee after a careful examination 4
this work, do not hesitate TO state to the Board tia
!. i on 50 simple plan, that mechanics Of or,llna
~ kill would be fully competent to the cunstruc
ton Of one similar, and in every respect equal Ii
Ill at the same time it appears to be extremel'
well adapted to the object for which it was inten
de'i The loaded wagons each carry II tons o
Coal, and descend in brigades Of 6. or 10, con
nected together by IRON chains, each brigade ben,
attended by two men. These Wagons ,esceu.
''0H NV ou'ti'i'tt iSNct W top VI tHe inclined
plane at the river, distance Of miles in 81
minutes, exclusive OF few minutes consumed il
gieaslng the wheels on the route
Oa arriving at the inclined plane, the loade,
wagons are let down, one at time, by roue
worked upon horizontal shaft, which is regulate,
BY powerful Break, and each loaded Wagon a
1t descends draws up an empty one. In this man
net. they pass loaded wagon down, and al
empty Wagon up the inclined plane, each trayeli
i'm distance Of 200 yards, in As seconds, whic
is at the rate OF - miles an hour, and the opera
ton seems to be pertormed with great ease an
safty.
The empty waggena arc returned to the Goa
NINE by horses, each horse drawing from to !. {
them upin hours, that s, at the rate Of three mile
all hour, and each Wagon weighing from 1900
l5o0-lhe average ACTIVITY of the road, nclu,!in
the whole distance, from the top Of the incline
plane being about one degree.
the committee were saken up tie road by on
horse, drawing an empty wagon and two ca,
conveying IA persons, the whole weighing abol
p tons, at the rate Of four miles an hour, and the
descended in the same cars, with the same persor
in As minutes, exclusive Of the time lost h. ds
fsntion from meeting Wagons raturniny to Ii
ninc.) Part OF the time, the cars for short di,
tances. ran by their own gravity, az the rate
more than 20 miles an honr, and thew ran one or
tire mile in 8 minutes and - seconds, whic, Is
the rate of Is miles an hour-on other parts Of i,
-9ad, where there are sharp turns, or but little ID