The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-06-23
Delaware, LaekaWanna & Western
Railr0ard.
KITTATINNY HOUSE,, !
DELAWARE WATER GAP, J
June /. 1853.

The last link of this great thoroughfare,
so long looked for, is to be completed, and
the iron horse will pass over it within eigh-
teen months; three millions having been OBJ
tanned. This road is to connect with the
Warren Road on the Delaware and the
latter road with the Central Road Of New
Jersey near New Hampton; both of these
roads are to be graded for double track
six feet guage, and the Central r. r. is also
to be laid with double track of the same
guage, and the New Jersey r. r. Co. will
lay six feet track from Elizabethtown
to Jersey City. Arrangements have been
made with two roads, connecting Lake
Ontario and the Canada roads, and the
New York and Erie Road, with other
roads leading in all directions to the
North and West the Philadelphia,
Trenton and Belvidere r. r., and the
Philadelphia and Easton Road leading
South, will also connect at or near Belyi-
dere, on the Delaware.
This road is designed to be one of the
grand trunks between the North and South,
East and West, all to pass over the broad
guage without change, and in looking at
its position it is easy to see that it has the
advantage over all other roads. 1t passes
through the very heart of the coal region
in the Lackawana Valley, at Scranton
where the coal underlays the rail road
track for six miles, with veins of eighty
feet in thickness, and the quality stands
at the head of the list of anthracites; for
steamers it has no superior in the known
world, as a proof of which, it is said that
all the California and Ocean Steam inter-
ests, have taken largely of the stock.
When it is known, that after leaving
the Lackawana Valley, in coming East,
there is no grade over 2l feet to the mile
to Jersey City or Elizabetbport, by the
Central L. R., and by the Belvidere, Tren-
ton and Philadelphia Road, down the
Delaware, it dcscends about five feet to
the mile, it will be easy to see, that such
road, with such easy grades, in con-
nection with the Delaware, Raritan and
Morris Canals, must be the channel through
which New Jersey, and ESPECIALLY Newark
and the sea board, will receive their sup
ply of cheep fuel. Imagine, dear reader,
that within about eighteen months YOU
can stand at the foot of Market street and
see the long trains of cars filled with the
pure diamond coal arriving every hour in
the day from the Lackawanna beds; OBJ
serve the throng of passengers leaving by
the same route for every part of the great
West, for the valley of the Mississippi.
and the region of the Rocky Mountains.
On this route, at the Delaware they will
join the traveller from the extreme South,
on his visit to these Mountains, to the
Lakes or to the Falls of Niagara This,
it is true, is prospective view, but one
that Will certainly be realized in very
short time. The end of the road west of
Scranton has been in operation s months
and large trains of coal leave nearly every
hour in the day, destined for all parts of
the West, and this route must always at
tract the attention of travellers.
Let me here detain the reader, and
give him running description of the won
ders to be seen along the line. In passing
from East to West, the route passes through
three OF the most remarkable mountain
gorges on the Western Continent, all ly-
ing in directline from East to West. The
first is the Delaware Water Gap, where
the Delaware river passes through the
Great Blue Mountain, whose almost per-
pendicular sides ascend to an elevation ofI
nearly two thousand feet, the water pass
ing through "as camly as summers
morning )" its sides are covered at all
seasons with evergreens. At this place
are large Hotels, where thousands from
the cities come every season to enjoy the
mountain scenery. After passing through
the mountains a distance of miles, YOU
arrive at Broadhead's Creek and a ride
Of three miles further brings you to the
beautiful town of Stroudsburgh, the coun-
ty seat of Monroe, situated in country
very productive, and highly cultivated.
From Stroudsburgh the road passes up
Brodhead's Creek to the Pocono, a dis.
,ance of eighteen miles, where commen-
,es one of the grandest forests anwhere
10 be found in Northern PENNSYLVANIA.
known as the Beach Woods. It aboupds
with spruce, pine, hemlock, beach, cher
y, maple, ash, &c. Passing fourteen
miles in straight line through this dense
orest, whose inhabitants are the bear. the
leer, and the wolf; its streams abound
With trout; wild pigeons roosts, while
earring their young, are here counted by
he acre. Hero you strike the head wa
ers of the Roaring Brook River, which
'asses through Cobb's Gap, in Cobb's
Mountain, its sides rising nearly two thou
and feet, covered with perpetual green.
oassing through this wonderful gorge. !
distance of five miles, you arrive at the
own of Scranton, situated in the heart {
nd centre of the Lackawanna Valley, |
nd between Cobb's Gap and Legget's
zap. Here the traveller can stop at the 6
Wyoming House, kept by Mr.. Burgess, t
ormerly of Hartford, one of the largest l
nd best kept houses in Northern Pennsyl- c
ania. From this house is, presented q
lew of the villages surrounding Scran- '
on, viz Hyde Park, Providence, Dun a
lore. Pittston, and the old town of Wi y