Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-01-24

ltaHfOad lfacks from CoBemaugh to the
Niaduct, thereby abandoning that part of
the Portage Railroad lying between
East Conemqugh and the Viaduct,
thus cutting off the use of
about five miles Of the level and also do
ing away with plane No. I, and tie only
tunnel on the line Of the Old Portage
State Railroad
Al the viaduct back d OF all Penn
syivania Railroad cars, and then the Por-
tage engines would take on from five. to
ten Pennsylvania Railroad cars, ID addi-
tion TO the number of line cars they left
Johnstown with, on account of the
very heavy grade on the Pennsylvania
Railroad between Conemaugh and Via
duct. The State engines could haul only
about half as many cars between these
points as they could from Viaduct to foot
of plane No. Q. So an engine leaving
Johnstown with twenty four-wheeled
cars would arrive at plane No. 2 with
double that number.
Judge Edison was train master for the
State at that time at Viaduct, and Johnny
Bracken, father of Patrick and Barney
Bracken, was switch tender. During
this time of running trains to Viaduct l
became acquainted with a great many
engineers, nremen, and train hands, some
of whom are dead, while others have, l
suppose, left Johnstown and located else
where. Among those with whom | had
become well acquainted was Geo. Nc.
Claim, who was engineer on the Chero-
kee; Yauk Langdon, who run the Nj
agara, and there was the three Hudson
brothers-Henry, John, and Terrence,
Arthur and Frank Devlin, John Brook
bank, John Woods, Stewart Mcclellan,
and Thos. Bracken. The last named and
myself were near one age, aud boarded at
the same house. and we became very
much attached, but III the flight of time
and changes made, have no knowledge
Of his whereabouts, but would be pleased
to hear from him if lie is still living. |
would be much pleased could | meet
those who are still living whom l have
known, and have 4 friendly chat ever the
daya we spent together railrosding
thirty.six years ago. At that time Johns
town was quite small town.
believe there was more people drown
ed 10 the flood of last May than there was
inhabitants in the town in May, 1853. The
only industries (outside the forwarding
business) that can recall, was Smiths
Car Works. the State Shops, and Smiths
Cement Mill. Everything was business
and hustle, however, around the wave
houses, where all freight had to bL trans.
ferred from the boats 10 the cars or from
the cars to the boats; and the putting OF
the four-sectIon boats upon the trucks
whereby they were transported over the
levels ana inclined planes of the State
railroad to Hollidaysburg, where they
were again run into the canal basin.
remember we'll my aged friend, David
Lucas, Sr., had charge of the section boat
slip ut Johnstown in the year 1858.
The works of the Cambria Iron Compa-
ny we're to a great extent built in the year
1855
My brother Daniel. Dispatcher at Cone
maugh, hauled great deal of the ma
chinerY that made up the original plant
Of the Cambria Iron Company, TO the diff
ferent sidings near the works and shifted
the cars into position SO as to be easily
handled in the unloading.
The Cambria Iron Company from a
small beginning in 1868, has certainly de-
veloped to astounding proportions in this
years Of grace 1890 The Cambria Iron
Co., have to-day more engines employed
around thcir works than the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company had in the year 1858,
to perform all its Passenger and freight
traffic between Pittsburgh and Cone
maugh. The freight and passenger
business on The Pittsburgh division of the
Pennsylvania railroad was all done over
a single track road with exceptions OF
short pieces Of double track here and
there over the division, and used for
passing trains around others in opposite
directions. l can only recall telegraph
Offices at the following places on the divi-
sion az that time, viz: COnemaugh, Johns
town, New Florence (Which place was
then headquarters for Supervisor Thos.
Glson,) Lockport, Blairsville Intersec-
tion, Latrebe, Greensburg, Irwin, and
Brintons. About eighteen freight and
six passenger engines was oil the motive
power required TO convey the passengers
and freight over the division as that time,
but during the fall months Of that year the
company began to add largely TO their
motive rower by introducing number
Of engines built by Smith & Perkins and
Richard Morris s. Son
The engines in use ON the Division
when went on in March 1858, were al
most exclusively built by N. W. Bald
win, of Philadelphia The changes that
have been made in the increased weight
and power of the locomotives and the in