The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-07-03

Altoona at 6.l5, stopping at the Logan House.
Altoona is one of the largest car manufacturing
towns on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Our next stop was at Tyrone, where we arrived
at T. M. This is a beautifully situated town,
almost surrounded by the mountains. Here Mr.
3. 5, Blair, superintendent OF Tyrone Division,
bituminous coal, which is about twenty Ave miles
up the Alleghanes, at grade of l42 feet to the
mile. The scenery is beautiful beyond descrp-
ton.
On this route is a small town called Ossola sit
uated right in the mountains l30 feet above tide
water. few miles farther we reached the town
of Phillipsburgh, one of the oldest in this section
1t was founded more than century ago by Mr.
rhipsi an iron manulacturer, VINO carried his
railroad line runs through here to the Clearfed
coal mine, connecting with the Reading road.
From here we visited the Glenwood, Drain and
the Stirling Galleries. The latter is the largest
operated mine in this section, using steam ma
chimes for underwriting the veins A few of us
went into this mine about X miles and saw the
operation, cutting out By tons in four minutes
MIR Blair, who is courteous gentleman and
highly entertaining, was very attentive remain
ing with us all day. showing us the entire opera
ton of working the mine. Upon returning to
Tyrone, the committee of the association.
Messrs. Bennett Onion, Rouse McComas and
others, were handsomely entertained by Mr..
Blair.
A. NJ, stopping at Park House. This is one of
the prettiest towns have ever seen. 1t is situa-
ted on the Susquehanna, surrounded by beauti-
full mountain scenery. Mr.. e. b. Westfall. SUI
perntendent Eastern Division z. and f. R. r.
trip through the lumber district at Wliams sport
and to the great Susquehanna Boom. which is 10
or IL miles long. Here we were shown the opera
tion OF separating and rafting the logs to the
mills. There several million dollars capital
represented in this boom. Each owner has his
recorded that is brought into the Susauehanna
There have been broughthere 1856 000 900 feet since
the first of last March.
The manner IN which the logs are convened
into the river from the mountain sides is inter
esting. stream that empties into the river is
damned near its head and at various points be-
tween that and its mouth. When freshet comes
the logs are rolled into the first dam, the dam is
cut loose and the logs go laundering down until
they come to the next dam. The force with
which they come breaks the dam away and with
fresh impetus they plunge downward in the wild
current to the next dam, which in its turn is
swept away, until at last they sail out into the
broad Susauehanna.
Glen, accompanied by j. l.. lough, General SUI
perntendents Clerk. arriving at Elmyra at 80
2. NJ. We reached Watkins Glen at $50 p. NJ,
stopping at the Glen Mountain House and Swiss
Cottage, which are connected by beautiful iron
suspension bridge, and occupy an elevation of
over 800 feet above the village of Watkins. At
this place Mr.. u. {. Bennett of our party won the
reputation OF being the best ten pin roller and
Mr.. E. d. Onion the next. The air was so cold
here that we had 10 wear our overcoats and sleep
under blankets. We started out early in the
morning to visit the Glen. The first place we
struck was Hopes Glen Art Gallery. 1t is Just
west of the Mountain House. The owner is Capt.
j. Hope, late of the United States army. He is
said to be the father of the realistic school of
landscape painting, and visitor to the Glen can
afford to pass this gallery without stepping in to
see his wonderful paintings. He has now on ex
hibition superb collection of oyer one hundred
oil paintings and sketches from various parts of
this country and Europe among which are the
brated Rainbow-Fails his great historical paint
ing of the Army of the Potomac at Cumberland
the Glen we come to Cathedral Glen. Above the
falls, in this glen, comes the Glen of Pools. The
walls of this Glen rise like buttresses and at the
upper end Is the famous Rainbow Falls, of which
Capt Hopes picture is an exquisite and faithful
representation. AS we pass on through the glen
we find it consists properly of a number of glens
or sections rising one above another, between
two ranges of mountains, which seem TO have been
torn asunder in its formation, forming series of
rocky arcades, galleries and grottoes subterrane-
an at times, and again widening out into vast
amphitheatres, which for beauty, variety, mag
niticence and grandeur, are without parallel in
this country: Following in its eccentric course
is beautiful stream of pure spring water, which
makes its descent from section to section by a
myriad of sparkling cascades and rapids, writing
succession of circular pools in deep stone basins
or wells, grooved and polished like finely wrought
marble. These pools are great curiosity in
themselves and are always brimming with crystal
clear water. The atmosphere in the glen, even
in the hottest day, is cool. moist and delightful.
AT the western landing at the beautiful iron
bridge that spans the gorge l65 feet above the
water, there Is large hotel and pavilion, where
Glen Mountain House at ll.3O, spending about
three hours in the glen.
After dinner several of us took trip on Seneca
Lake, landing at beautiful little retreat called
North Hector, this is one of the most attractive
sheets of water in the world, and lies within ten
minutes walk of the entrance to the Glen. 1t is
entirely framed about with precipitous black,
Jagged rocks. and clean pebbly beaches, is over
forty miles long, varying in width from two to
five miles, and OF unknown depth. The shores of
this remarkably interesting body of water are
lined on either side with neat and pretty villages.
well titled farms, extensive and valuable vine
yards, producing every variety of grapes. Land.
ing at North Hector, which is about twenty miles
from Watkins or half the distance of the Lake.
we spent two hours in various amusements, and
returned to The Mountain House after very en-
joyabe trip about $50: After supper we left for
Wiamsport. We left Williamsport the next
morning, for Sunbury, where we arrived at $40.
Here the two cars used by our party were attach
Shamokin anthracite coal region. We were ac-
companied through the entire region by Mr..
and by Mr.. G. w. Creighton, Assistant Engineer
of Sunbury Division. The first stop was made at
tendent, met our party and conducted us through
the varied features and incidents to handling coal
from the bottom of the mine to the final deposit
on board the cars. This colliery produces about
500 tons per day. Its lowest pit is 2,10O feet and
is owned and operated by the Mineral Coal &
west of Shamokin and has been operated for
many years, one of our party. Mr.. E. ID. Onion,
having bought coal from it for 2S years. Some of
the coal veins are eleven feet wide others but
narrow seams There are fifteen openings, six of
which are above water level and nine below.
ron mines and more than sixty-two miles Of ex-
cavation. They work day and night, but only
work the breakers in day time.
We next visited the Belmore Colliery on Lehigh
Valley Railroad, arriving at 30 P. NJ we were
conducted through all the varied operations of
this mine by James b. Cotton, one of our party.
at one time superintendent and agent OF these
mines, but now doing coal business in Chester,
Pa. The mine here is 600 feet. Messrs. Rouse,
Cunningham and Cotton went to the bottom of
the mine. The coal is blasted out in huge blocks
and hoisted by steam in large running up
almost perpendicuarly to distance of about 700
feet, and then dumped into large breaker to be
crushed. AS fast as crushed 1t runs through
eight different sized screens, one after another,
making the eight different sizes of coal. AS 1t
out of the screens 1t runs into large shoots
about lao feet long, where men and boys are pac-
cd at the whole length to separate the pieces of
slate from the coal, as 1t runs down to the cars
under the shoot.
We next visited Morris Ridge Colliery, which
was operated in the same manner. Westarted
back to Sunbury, arriving there at p M, de-
lighted with our visit to the anthracite coal
mines. Some of the boys, knowing this was the
last night of our trip, made good use of the time,
and took in all the Innocent amusements of the
town, such as strawberry festivals, skating rinks
&c. A small party of us chartered steamboat
for moonlight ride down the Susquehanna,
along the towering peaks and beautiful scenery
of the blue hilled mountains, which perfect
ly grand. We happened to get on boat owned
and run by Capt. Winegardner, who ran canal
boat from Wilkesbarre to Havre de Grace for IS
years. during Charles Hitchcocks time. This
was one of the most delightful trips we had. We
got back TO the hotel at 1890 and left Sunbary Sat-
urday morning at $40. Spending several hours in
Harrisburg, we arrived In Baltimore AZ p. NJ,
all having delightful trip and none more so
than j. r. n.