The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-04-19
The Old Portage Railroad.

The following which we find in one Of /
our exchanges will recall very vividly to
many os our readers the halcyou days Of
the old Forage Railroad, when summit
vile, jefferson, Summerhill, and several
other villages in this county, were the cen
:reS Of business activity and the scenes of
many joyful gathering. 1t is proper to
say, by way Of explanation, that the via
Duct at Horseshoe bend To which reference
is made is known as the ''Viaduct," about
a mile east of Mineral Point station. The
paper from which we quote saws:
On Monday evening OF last week. i'm Phil
adeiphia, before the Historical Society OF
PENNSYLVANIA, Mr.. Solomon w. Roberts
Civil Engineer. real paper entitled Sc Rem
iniscenceS of the irst Railroad over the A.
iegheny MouutaiuS,' - in the construction of
which work Mr.. Roberts was engaged
The speaker said that an event of great
Importance in the history of PENNSYLVANIA
was The undertaking of an extensive system
of iuterua, improvements At The expense of
the Commonwealth. but the history of this
great enterprise, which cost about forty mil
lions of dollars, has never been wrltteu.-
The bright hopes with which the work was
began, the large premiums at which the five
per cent. loans of the State were for time
sold, the great revu!siouS of feeling and the
fall of prices, which caused the loans 10 sell
the subsequent sale of the SAFE works to
corporations, and the complete recovery of
the State credit, are facts well worthy of re-
uernbrauce.
The geographical position of PENNSYLVANIA
is peculiar aud remarkable Washed uu its
southeastern border 10y the Atlantic tides II
extends on the northwest 10 the shores of
Lake Erie. and includes in Allegheny couIi-
~ the head CT the Ohio river. Various lines
of internal ;mprov, maut were proposed in
the early history OF PENNSYLVANIA, hut the
rugged topography Of much of its territory
de aged their execution.
The level character of the country between
Albany and Buffalo enabled New York to
construct the Erie canal, which was opened
! for use in October 1925. This stimulated ac-
/ tiou the part ot the Legislature of Penn
sylvaria, aud the PeLuSy lvauia Canal was
begun on the 4'h Of July, 1926.
II the year 1927 the writer (Nir. E0herts)
entered the service of the LehiEh Coal and
Navigation Company He is native OF
Philadelph and was educated at the
Friends \ cademy. He Witnessed the con-
srrucliou of The Mauch Chunk (gravity5
railroad, ana of The Lehigh Canal from
! Mauch Chunk 10 EaSrou. When the work
] on the Lrhigh was done, Sylvester Welch
was employed bv the Stale rs principal en-
/ giueer OF The Western Division nf the Penn
/ sylvania Canal, aud removed To B'airsvilie,
Indiana county, among tho AI"EbeHieS.
/ taking tie writer wi'h him. After many
/ discourage emenfS, the canal was opened III
December. 1880. from Pifrshurgh TO johns
| town. y bout this time there was mnch d.
/ cussion 70 the hest mode of crossing :h-
/ Allegheny Mountain, 50 a To form conuec-
{ tlnu bet wPcu The canals ON lis eastern aud
! western sides. and il first proposed 10
! carry the canal over the nnunJaius but This
/ was fonud to Ice impracticaIle.
! On the 2Ist Of March. 1921 the law was
/ naSS4d am huriZiug the Board OF Canal Com
I tuisSinuers to commence the construction of
/ a portage railroad over the y Allegheny
/ mountain, aud they appointed Sylvester
/ Wrlch Principal Engineer, and The writer
! his Assistant On the Slh of April (fDrtv-
I seven years ago) explorations were urguu
I near the suumiI with party of sixteen per
! sous, the weather being very cold, aud the
( running Of the line commenced. The rail
/ road over The mountains was To cnuucct u e
/ western division of 1h" canal. which COM
/ mpucrl at JUhustowu. win The eastern Gi-
! vision Of the canal, which terminated at
/ HollidaySburE. The distance from HoliI-
/ daysuurg 70 JnhuSiov.n i about 5j mites
/ and the summit of Biair'S Gap Is ahout 400
. feet above the former aud 200 feet a'ov,
. the latter. Tho highest elevation of Tho
I road. aS aScertainrd by recent railroad Snr-
. vryS, was J. .322 feet, or 16l frri higher than
the highest point on the PcunSy ylvauia Rail-.
. road.
The general design adopted frr the Portaco
/ Railroad rhlS The principal part oI
/ The elevation was 20 hs overcome 'iy Inclined
/ planes, which were to be straight iu piar
1 and profile, 10 he ON au aN crlge some % ha.
! less than half 4 mile luug. and To have Al,
/ aUgle on elevation of about five degrees. So
/ that the average height overcome toy each
/ plane might hc about 200 feet. These planes
/ were 10 he worked 5y stalinnary steam EN-
/ gjueS and endless ropes A. UiiimaIeiv g con
I StUuc'ed deere were ten Inclined planes. q vt.
! ou each side. of iha mountain. with an n agIr,'-
gate elevation Of 20g7 feet, and their whole
length four miles aud f1ur-trul}s The sec
( tiouS Of railroad hrf Uceu The planes were lo-
[ Gated with very moderate grades and lla
| minimum radius ot curva'iou y a. about 45G
I feet. On these sections the cars were To br
/ drawn 10y horses or mules.
] There were eleven levels. s0-rg'lel. or
I rather grade lines. and ten iuciit-,i planes
4 on the Portage. Ih- " hpie length vf hp road
/ h,-iug So 90 100 miieS. Tse pi.tG-S ere uuu3
. htred eastward!y frnm JnhuStoyyu, AID th.-
ascent from that place 9" the summit wa
II71 JS loo feet ga - - 700 mites. and ihc,l,-
/ scent from Tie summit fo ttuli ia = .1~E
/ 1898 7I-1O0 T e. in 10 u 100 miles. AinIos:
4 the only part of the Puriagr Railroad now lu
4 use i the Hor>r~nor h,.Iti yIaducf. used hv
/ the Pennsylvania Railroad pant of it,
main line. il was hull al cost of about
I 500 GOO
Mr. Roberts gave many details of lhe work
/ of coustructinl and incidents attending ths
! operations. The road was graded for q don
I hlr track. aub all the ruiv=TfS attu hrlHE
were built of stoi,r. The writer hHd tine
! western half uut+-r hIs chHrg-, while W
Miluor Roberts had charge at the eastern
TIE. first track aud iurssuuiS we're ia.d it.
April, 1892 huf th- secIud track v..JS uu
nltTt-i until 1850 lii- "a is u-.t lfati
/ tracks were imported fr'un En.laud auJ
/ had TO he hauled mp thc AllcghrnI"> iv hor>,
+ power, a slow and iahoriuIi~ pro,-s~. ia lu-
/ eating the line, our l-vrIluE l1S ruHneut~
I were good, but The iu~i rutut-u Tor ruuuiu.
curves were poor. aud tlic work WAS fu.tiui,
duIte hy a surveyor > compass. \ tIat iiin.
/ the Importance ~ siraigA ou q railroad
was NOT appreciated
AT the staple bend nf ;he Conrmaurh r yer
four 8ilrs from ,IohuSfuNp, a tut,uei WIS
made through q slinr OF the fHuuHtaiu, ear
which the stream makes i,t.t.d nt n4-stTly
two and q hair nils The lrug'h Of ttc
tunupl was qUl frt.t, ami j. 20 feet ~ Sc.
and 10 feet high within the arch. tt e cost
+ was So 800. The T ad was iuts.1isi i as
great, Durable highway. au! WIfh ibis view.
stone siIls wrr. BStd inst. f ,v.,ndrii tiles.
/ Yet D. had To te -nprICeJir3 twenty years.
! On the 26ih of November, 1873 ab'ut IVY"
I years aud half from the beginning of tine
work tine first car passed over tho road, car
! rving comuittee from Phi.t.!elB.lia repre-
senting the Board Of Trade. who were re-
turuiug from Ohio. On the 1Sth of March.
1884, when canal navigation opened. the