The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-09-14
A TRIP TO ALTOONA.

| wv dIIlNeu uuiy aJ ALTOONA, OH lnc
evening of the Both of September via.
Lock Haven and Tyrone. We board
ed the cars of the Bald Eagle II. r..
at Lock Haven, running through
Bald Eagle Valley oil the way to Ty-
rome; changed cars and rode up to AL
toona, on the p. G.. R. r. distance of
about fifteen miles. Altoona is a City
of about 10000 inhabitants and is
noted for the extensive Car Shops of
the Z. G. II. r.. Company, where
| everything is manufactured that be-
longs to rail roads. The Shops are all
enclosed with a high fence, and no
one can enter unless he has a permit
| from the Company. The highest
number of workmen employed at any
time was about 5000. At present
about 5000 are employed on eight
hours time. A great part of the city
is built up by poor men, employed by
the Company, and consequently most
all the houses are small frame build
| ings. There arc II few exceptions.
The Logan House is n very large
and extensive building, located az the
depot. We noticed also a splendid
mansion, built by certain bankrupt
banker, with the money belonging to
the poor people. The Presbyterians
are building splendid and costly
church on 8th Avenue.
On the morning of the 9Th inst, we
took the cars for Bells Mills six miles
east. An offer was made 10y Mr..
Ramsey very generous gentleman of
! that place, to those that attended
Synod, a ride up the Allegheny
mountain. AT Bells Mills we noticed
the beautiful little cars with the words
BELLS Gap r. RI. Your correspon-
dent, with about twenty others, both
| clerical and lay, entered the cars and
had one Of the grandest rides, we ever
enjoyed, up the mountain to Slodsville
to the coal mines on top of the moun-
tain. In going up some of the grand
est scenery is beheld that human eyes
can look upon. The grade is 15G feet
| to the mile. The road is eight miles
and a half long. In making the as
cent we crossed Il deep ravene over
which is trusle work IS feet high,
and 800 feet long, over which the cars
! run very slowly. On the curve
around the mountain we could see the
| track 300 feet above Us; we had to go two
miles and then it was 1900 feet across
Finally we arrived ut SlOdsville where
our company took seats in the coal
and We're conveyed one mile into the
"bOwcls of the earth'' to the working
rooms. This bed of coal is 2lSO feet
above the ocean level, and 1l20 feet
above Bells Mill. The coal vein that
| is worked averages about five feet.
| There are also six other veins part Of
them workable and part of them not;
under the coal bed there is about three
feet Of fire clay. The average dip is
three and a half to four feet to every
hundred feet. About 25,OCO tons of
coal have been taken out since
July, 1873. Having seen all that WAS
intn"netins etnrtod Gown the
mountain "a kiting,n without loco
motive, our company being divided
and placed on two separate cars. 1t
was u grand sight to see those on the
car before III, shooting along like an
arrow, and when we came near the
trestic work we looked down the 800
feet across the ravine. How they
flew down the opposite hill side,
all at once we run right on them, they
having stopped to cat huckleberries +,
plenty OF them there. Just about
noon we arrived at Bells Mills again
Mr.. Ramsey invited our company to
enjoy his home for several hours un-
I'll train time. Mrs. Ramsey had the
table loaded with good things for the
inner man and we had free pitch
in." The company engaged them
selves in discoursing music for we had
several musicians among us. When
the trains came We went east and
west.
We would advise any one if they are
not done sight seeing in this Centen-
ial year take ride up to Slodsville.
TR Weller.