The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-11-02
OUR STORY TELLER.
THRILLING SCENES BY RAIL.
New York Star.

New YORK star.
I'm the fall of 1849 | commenced run
ming the baggage on the New York and
Erie Railway" said Mr.. John Camp,
one of the oldest through baggagemen In
the Company's employ, in conversation
with the writer at the Erie Depot, foot
of Chambers-street, and rough time
we had of 1t, too. Railroading was at
that time in its infancy, the steam loco
motive was new thing, and was every
where regarded as one Of the wonders
of invention. Doing away with, as it
did, the old tedious stage lines, and
making the distance in far less time,
early methods Of conveyance, it was, of
course, generally attractive.
But still, when look back and COM
pare our old cabooses, small wood burn
ing engines, rickety cars and cheap rails
with these modern coaches and solid
locomotives, comfortable cars, heavy
steel rails and reliable air-brakes, am
SIS much astonished at the improvements
as people were at the first invention.
You see, we had no reliable arrange
ment in the matter of brakes, and those
terrible old machines used for that pur-
pose were simply chain worked at
each end by a sort of wheel, which,
when turned by strong exertion, pressed
block of iron made to fit the face of
the wheel tightly against it, similar to
like construction on q heavy wagon.
Well, the boys detested these brakes,
which were dangerous thing to handle
by an inexperienced man, with the train
going at full speed. More than one poor
fellow has received his death from the
breaking of the chain while operating
these bungling machines. In the alb
sence of name for the brakes of that
day, the boys used to call them the
Armstrong Brake which was well ap-
piled, as 1t required full amount Of
of muscle and nerve to operate them.
II began running from New York,
by way of Piermont, before the road
was open to Suffern's. We used to
transfer passengers and baggage up the
Hudson River to Piermont from our old
depot, which was located at the foot of
Duane-street, on two boats owned by the
Company, and from that place west
ward by rail. The completion of the
road down through New Jersey is of
more recent date. After few months
the road was opened to Elmira, and
thence up TO Jefferson (now Watkins) at
the foot of Seneca Lake, and our traffic
was transferred from that place by bat
TO Geneva and on to Buffalo. The year
after we ran to Hornersville, and about
1851, or tbereabouts, We reached Dun.
Kirk, then the western terminus.
think that the section from Port
Jervis to Deposit was about the worst
and most dangerous of any in the coun-
try, being either cut in the rocky cliffs
embankipg the river, where, in case of a
slight accident, the whole train would
have been hurled down the precipice
fully one hundred feet into the foaming
waters beneath, or laid through low
woodland marshes clear down to the
rivers level. It was in these high cuts
that the danger of rocks on the track
was feared. A slight rain. or the moisten-
ing of the ground occasioped by the
frost leaving it in the spring OF the year,
would start large rock. which would
fall to the track, and, should a train
collide with it in the night, the chances
were In favor Of wholesale slaughter.
From Lsckawanna to Hancock we were
pretty near down to the low-water mark,
and with slight freshet our track was
subject to being washed out for long
distance. thus requiring great deal Of
watching and repairs; and in each case
of such wash-out have known trains
to be blocked for a day or two. IT'S not
the most agreeable thing in the world to
be thus delayed, and not house within
ten miles of the spot. Perhaps more ac-
cidents have occurred on this division
than on any other two divisions COM
bined, and it is wonder to me that we
have not all been hurled into eternity
From Deposit to susquehanna it is UP
and down hill, the grade running for
eight miles on each side of the sum
NIT at slope of sixty feet to the mile.
Along this section was the old Cascade
Bridge, familiar to tourists as the high
est structure of its kind in the State, and
which being washed out was subse.
quently filed in with gravel, over a
stone culvert, making a yawing ravine
on either side fully one hundred feet
deep. Along the Susquehanna and
Chemung Valleys the road is good; the
scenery through this section is not sur.
passed for picturesqueness throughout
the State, and hundreds of dwellings
and farms dot the hillsides and valley.
with here and there neat little village.
The principal stations on this division
are Binghamton, Owego and Elmira. In
those early days Owego was the largest
and most thriving of any, and was con-
nected by horse railroad with Ithaca.
but times changes have more favored
Elmira and Binghamton, until in fact
they have far advanced beyond their
sister village. The road was in fair
condition the remainder of the way 10
Dunkirk