Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-29
THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD.
INTERESTING HISTORICAL SKETCH.

OI
nbia. has concentrated public interest
On the Pennsylvania Railroad, and
this sketch of it will be found worth
reading.
Pennsylvania embarked in the work
of constructing her public improve
ments in the year 1922, when an act
was passed authorizing the construc-
t;on of the Pennsylvania Canal at the
expense of the State. In 1927 the
Canal Commissioners were authorized
10 make examination for a railroad to
connect sections of the canal already
nartially connected. In 1923 they
were directed to locate and put under
contract railroad from Philadelphia
through Lancaster to Columbia. Mil
lions of dollars were spent on the canal
and railroad improvements, the ex-
pendture being made necessary by
the completion of the Erie Canal,
which was taking the commerce of
Philadelphia to New York. In 1882
portions of the Columbia Railroad
were completed, and cars were run
upon it. In 1884 the entire line, part
IL canal and partly railroad, between
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, was
opened to trade and travel. 1t consist
ed of the railroad from Philadelphia
to Columbia, 80 miles the eastern
division of the canal from Columbia
to Hollidaysburg, 172 miles the
Portage Railroad from Holidays
burg to Johnstown, 36 miles, and the
western division of the canal from the
latter place to Pittsburgh, a distance
of l04 miles, making an aggregate
length of 304 miles. Horse cars were
for several years run over the CUlum.
bia road, occupying nine hours in
travelling S2 miles. About 1886 loco
motives we're regularly put at work on
the road to the exclusion of horse
power. The cost of the line to the
State was nearly fourteen and half
million dollars. Several abortive at
tempts we're made toward the con-
struction of a through railroad from
the Ohio to the Delaware, but it was
not until 1916 that the project assumed
tangible shape by the incorporation of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
The charter was granted on February
2jlS47, and the law granting to the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad the right
Of way to Pittsburgh, was abrogated
in August following. Mr.. j. Edgar
Thompson prosecuted the work of
building the road from Harrisburg TO
Pittsburgh with energy.
September |, 1649, the first division
from Harrisburg to Lewistown, dis
ance Of 81 miles, was open to travel /;
year later the line was opened to
the Mountain House, one mile east of
Hollidaysburg, and on the 10th of
December, 1862, cars were run through
from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, con-
nectiOn between the eastern and west
eru divisions being formed by the use
of the Portage (State) Road over the
mountains. The Pennsylvania Com
pany's road over the mountains was
opened early in 1854. In 1857, after
a long discussion, law for the sale Of
the State Works was passed, and the
Pennsylvania Railroad became the
purchaser of the "Main Line" and
was thereby released from the pay
ment Of tonnage, freight and certain
other specified taxes. The section of
law releasing the Company from the
payment of taxes was decided by the
Supreme Court to be unconstitutional,
and in 1861 an act was passed "for the
cOmmutation of the tonnage tax
During the years Immediately fol-
lowing the completion of the road it
was greatly improved, the tracks
doubled, other lines leased or bought,
depots and extensions built, and more
recently almost the entire line has
bten relaid with steel rails, the line
'traightened and regarded. During
the war the Pennsylvania Railroad
was largely used for the transporta-
ton of troops and supplies, and its
present President, Col. Scott, was
charged by the Government with the
special duty of furnishing transporta-
ton for large bodies of troops and i'm
mense quantities of army supplies.
twenty-five years ago the Pennsylva-
ma Railroad was but link between
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh--extend-
ing from Harrisburg to the latter city;
nov it has an eastern termini at New
inork, Philadelphia, Baltimore and
Washington, and unites them by its
S1 own direct lines with Pittsburgh, Erie,
Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago, Cincin-
natl, indianapolis. Louisville, and
st. Louis.
Connections are also made with st.
raul, Duluth, Omaha, Denver, the
citles of California and with Memphis,
Mobile and New Orleans. To trans
act its extended and diversified bust.