Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-10-12

tI,nt one car IL run up ut . time, and a
I. soon as 1t was filled, the brake VIII
sprung, and the car run down an In
Plane.
When tho car stops and the visitor
look up at this formidable place o
:, ascent, 1t causes them TO realize tha
clear consciences and stout hearts ar
absolute neceseayies. The plane IL 2,32
> feet In length, with an elevation of 6d
feet, being rise Of about one foot II
. three. There are two tracks, and upol
each runs safety car, to which is at
, tached two Swedish iron bands, eacl
seven and one half inches wide.
: The bands are fastened to iron drum
20 feet in diamater In the engine hous
at the head Of the plane, the motiv'
power being two stationary engines 0
one hundred and twenty horse powe
each, while the steam for running then
In generated In ten boilers, each 2l1x3(
feet. The safety car has attached to /
an iron arm, which extends from thu
side over a ratchet rail between thu
two tracks; should the band break, OF
any accident happen to- the machinery
the least backward movement cause,
the arm to drop into the notches Of the
safety rail, holding the tram stationary
The signal IL given to the engineer al
the head Of the plane, the safety car Ii
drawn slowly from the pit behind the
passenger car, and strikes 1t with q
bump, which startles some of the occu-
pants into a belief that an accident has
already happened. The train imme-
diately begins TO ascend, and in short
time attains speed that soons lands I,
ut the top, 800 feet above the starting
point, and 900 feet above tide water.
In all the years that this road has
been run up the mountain not a single
accid mt has happened, or passenger
been injured, and this fact speaks well
for the care and vigilance exercised in
its management. When the top IL
reached, the engineer reverses the le-
vers, and the saftey car IL loft behind,
while the other passes through the en-
gin- house, and slowly oven trestle
work spanning a wild ravine, from
which Mauch Chunk, nestled at the
foot of the mountains, looks Ikea child 5
play house.
There Is perhaps not another place in
he State where 30 much of the sublime
and picturesque IL 80 magnifcently
displayed. There is fine view of the
river, with the Lehigh Valley Railroad
on its right bank, while on the left and
crossing the bridge can be seen the
track Of the Lehigh and Susqnehanna
division of the Central Railroad of
New Jersey.
On the north is Broad Mountain, and
in a ravine half way between the cum.
init and the river can be seen Glen
Onoko. To the southeast tier upon tier
Of mountains loom, until their peaks
are ALMOST lost TO view in the clouds.
Lehigh Water Gap, through which the
river forces its way beyond the Blue
Ridge, and still beyond the Gap can be
seen Schooley Mountains near Hacketts
town, New Jersey, sixty-tive miles
distant.
The car now runs by force of gravita-
tion only, and two miles from Mount
Pisgah passes the old tunnel and de-
serted hamlet of Hackelbernie. This
tunnel was opened many years ago as
an outlet for coal, but shortly after be-
came almost filled with water, and was
abandoned. Four miles from this spot,
Bloomingdale Valley Is passed, and the
plane of Mount Jefferson reached. A
halt long enough to place the safety car
in position, and then another ascent Is
made, similar TO that Of Mount Pisgah.
This plane is 900 feet in length, and
has an elevation Of AGA feet, with the
summit 1865 feet above tide water.
The car then descends a plane about
one mile, to the old mining village of
Summit Hill. This Is curious place,
and contains an old town hall which
resent bles a French bastie, that was
built many years ago to overawe his-
chievous miners, and in case of riot to
afford protection.
Near this is the burning mine that
has been on fire since 1882, and thou
sands of dollars have been spent in
endeavOrins to extinguish IL. The de-
scent now commenced, and a single |
turn of the brake, and off the car went
faster and faster, down through long
stretches OF shaded roadway, around
wondrous curves, along giddy cliffs,
under shadows of great ivy grown
crags, and still on and down, down at
dizzy speed, as il borne on the wings
of the wind the five mile tree was
passed, and on down the home stretch |
it rushed at the rate of forty miles an |
hour, until the starting point was again
reached.
A rush was then made for Mauch |
Chunk, and IA place to find dinner, but
alas, the little town was 80 filled with |
visitors, and every place 80 crowded,
that an hour was sp mt before even an
oyster stew could be obtained. The re-
porter then visited the Office Of the Car
bon Democrat, and found the genial
editor in his sanctum. He was highly |
elated with the Democratic victory in |
Ohio, and seemed TO think that it fore
Swallowed the future success of the par
ty Az 1.3O the cars were taken for
Glen Onoko, a description of which,
and the return to Wilmington, will
have to be deferred until tomorrow.
Irish Affairs.
BELFAST, OctoboI l.-Sir Stafford
Northc0te has addressed letter to the
Mayor of Belfast expressing regret
for the attack upon the convent
by Orangemen during his visit here last
week.
DUBLIN, October ll.-At the regular
fortnightly meeting of the National
League last night it was announced
that $1,000 had been received
from Australia by the Treasurer |;
during the week, and also 81 900 from
America.
A motion by Mr.. Biggar, NJ. p, was
carried condemning the partisan con-
duct of Earl Spencer, Lord Lieutenant
of Ireland, in proclaiming the Leagne
meetings announced to be held in Coun.
ty Glare, while tolerating the addresses
of Sir Stafford Northcote in Ulster,
which resulted in an assault on a con-
vent.
The informer Lamis has been conf
mitted to prison, 1t having been ascer-
tainel by the authorities that he was
about leaving the country to evade Civ