The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-01-27

commonwealth 1t was also provided by the
same act, that after the said engineers, or ma
iority of them, shall have decided upon the most
practicable route from the foot of plane No. to
Holhdaysburg, and shall have made their re-
port to the Canal Commissioners, then the Ca
nal Commissioners shall order the said work to
be prepared for letting, and put the same, or
such portions thereof as they may deem most ex-
pedient, under contract.
This board of engineers (as will be seen from
their accompanying report,) reported that the
line previously traced by Mr.. FAIRIES, on
the best ground for road avoiding all the planes
which could have been selected; and that, in
regard to grades and cost, they believed it to
be superior to the New York and Erie, the
Pennsylvania, or the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
roads, and in curvature equally as good.
As soon as practicable after the receipt of this
report, the whole of the work on the eastern
slope of the mountain to the intersection of the
present road near Hollidaysburg, was placed
under contract, which is now progressing as fast
as circumstances and a limited appropriation
will permit.
In regard to the progress of the work previ-
ously under contract on the western slope of
the mountain, the Legislature is respectfully re-
ferred to the very comprehensive statement Of
the engineer of the line, which is annexed to
this report. Plane No. ? has been avoided,
and the road around No. will be completed for
use by the 1st of January. The completion of
the whole of the work on the western slope, or
iginally contemplated, has been necessarily de-
layed, in consequence of the act of the 4th May,
1852, directing an enlargement of the plan, by
the expenditure of portion of the appropria-
ton in the ultimate completion of double
track from the foot of plane No. to the point
of intersection of the road to avoid planes Nos.
and with the long level, and in the straight
ening of the road and laying the north track
with q heavy rail, on the long level from said
point of intersection to the point where the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad diverges from the Portage
railroad
The estimates of the Board presented to the
last Legislature were predicated upon the con-
struction of a single track, graded at a few hea-
w points for a double track. The Engineer S
estimate for double track for the whole length
of the road, was 81, ,495, ,O00 As the Act of
1852 was regarded as indication of the in
tention of the Legislature that double track
should be laid throughout the entire length of
the new road, the contracts for grading have
been so framed as to carry out that intention
In consequence of the great increase in the
price of iron and labor, it is safe to presume
that the estimate of the Engineer will be in
creased about $3.50, 900.
Under these circumstances, the en-
tire cost of the improvement laid
with a double track, is estimated
at S1,745, 900
Deduct absolute appropriations $4,000
$3.50, 900
Deduct conditional appropriation, if
in Treasury 2oOoOo
1,17O,0OO
Deduct estimated value of old mate
rials 24s, $50
Amount required to complete with
double track 92l, ,5ou
Add proportionate amount applicable
to Strengthening of curves and lay
ing of heavy T rail on long level,
as per Act of 4th May, 1852 100000