Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-03-10
TIE OLD PORTAGE ROAD.

TIE OLD PORTAGE ROAD.
HISTORICAL "REMINISCENCES or TnE rIHsT
RAILROAD CROSSING THE ALLEGnESIEs.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Compa.
ny is about to occupy the route across
the Allegheny Mountains trayerscd by
the old Portage Railroad. 1t is now
fixing up the tunnel, which was bored
when the new Portage Road was built
| Work has been commenced on the
abandoned Portage Railroad, which is
to be made the freight pathway Of the
! PENNSYLVANIA Railroad over the Al
/ leghcny Mountains.
The main line of the Pennsylvania
/ Canal terminated at Holldaysburg, nj
the eastern base of the Allegheny
Mountains, and began at Johnstown,
| at the western base. Between these
/ two points Was constructed railroad
across the mountain, called the al
I lcghcny Portage Railroad 1t was
thirty.six mile. in length, crossing the
mountain ut Blair's Gap, and over.
come in ascent aud descent an aggrc-
/ gate of 800 feet, of which there were
on the eastern side OF the mountains
sos feet and on the western side
/ LIP feet. The top Of the mountain
which i some 1000 feet higher than
+ the eliminating point Of the road, Is
300 feet above the Delaware river
at Philadelphia. The ascent and de-.
scent were overcome by ten inclined
| planes, five on each side Of the noun
/ tain, lifting from l3O to 300 feet. The
cars were drawn up and lowered down
/ the planes by stationary engines at
/ the heads of the planes, and on their
intervening levels locomotives and
. horses were used. The "Old Allcghe.
ny Portage Railroad" was regarded as
n monument to the intelligence. enter.
prise and public spirit OF Pcunsylya-
MIA. The surveys for the road were
commenced in 1875 and were contin-
ucd by various engineer, until the
appointment of Sylvester Wclch, un.
der whom the road was located and
completed. The Allegheny Portage
Railroad in it, day was considered a
work Of the greatest magnitude and
equal in grandeur with any in the
world. 1t was work which immor.
talizcd the memory Of Mr.. Wclch.
In September, 1850, the line of the
I Pennsylvania Railroad was opened to
the Mountain House, one mile west Of
/ Holliday-burg, where it made connec-
ton with the Allegheny Portage Road,
then owned and operated by the State.
In December, 1852, the Pennsylvania
Railroad Line from .Iohnstown. the
western terminus of the Portage Road,
was completed to Pittsburg and It's
cars run through from Philadelphia to
Pittsburg, using the Portage Road,
with its inclined planes, over the
mountains. In February, 1854, the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company com
pleted its mountain division, using no
inclined planes and stationary engines
and abandoning the use of the Portage
Road. Upon the completion of the
mountain division of the Pcnnsylva.
{ MA ikhtlAbAh Ailtsf was hlitiA htbibh-
en- rail communication from Philadel.
phia to Pittsburg by the State Road to
Lancaster, thence by the Harrisburg,
Mount Joy and Lancaster Railroad TO
Harrisburg and thence by the Penn
sylvania Railroad to Pttsburg, These
roads were at first leased by the Penn
sylvania Railroad company, but in
1857 it purchased the main line of
the State railroads and canals and in
1861 leased the Harrisburg, Mount
Joy and Lancaster Railroad for 999
years, thus virtually becoming owner
Of the entire line.
The railroads leased by the Penn.
sylvania Railroad Company have
given it control of about i 800 miles
of railroad in the State of Peunsyl.
vania and some $500 miles out of the
State, making it the most important
railroad corporation in the United
States.
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