Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26

here" remarked an eminent doctor on one
occasion. lit is the constant climbing of
remarkably steep streets which develops
them, rounds out their forms, and gives
healthy color to their cheeks
1 have secured some curious data on this
subject. For instance, Heron Hill Is the
geographical center of Pittsburg. 1t is 528
feet high. Add to that the zoo odd feet at
which Pittsburg stands above sea level, and
you have total altitude of over 1000 feet
around the promenade of Heron reservoir
an elevation boasted of by many of the
mountain summer resorts.
STEEP STREETS FIGURED OUT.
Well, on the streets leading to the summit
of this eminence live at least %, 900 people
Railways ascend two of these avenues, and
before traction power was applied to them it
required three horses to pull each car up
the slope. The giving way of brakes in
coming down used to be one of the dangers
residents of 'the Hill district were heirs
to. To some extent There is the same hazard
now. In the distance of seven blocks which
these cars traverse on the lower end of
Wylie avenue the grade is exactly 95.4 feet
On hill which the old horsecars used to
climb in going up Center avenue, the grade
is 125 feet in quarter of mile. On Fifth
avenue the grade is still greater What is
known as "The Hump has rise of 45. 26
feet between Smithfeld street and Wylie
avenue. And that is the most important
thoroughfare in the city for both foot and
wagon travel. From this point Fifth ave-
nue. rises 139 "a feet to Van Braam street,
not more than third Of mile distant.
BALLOON SENSATION.
But here's another: Penn avenue, the
second most important thorougEfare east and
west in PIttsburg, is 231.S0 feet higher at
the gate of St. Mary's Cemetery Cor Forty.
fifth street, than it is at Thirty-third street
and there is only half mile straight pull
between the two points. 1t was a striking
fact that before cable cars were introduced
there, the majority OF passengers in the
tedious horse ears were lat men ana women
for whom it was physical impossibility to
walk up the ascent.
Brownsville avenue scales Mt. Oliver on
the Southside, which is $40 feet high. and
yet the grade of that street in its winding
course OF one and one-half miles is not
greater than that on Penn avenue inst
given. A drive up Brownsville avenue is
quite thrilling, having the sensation in it of
gradually rising in a balloon far above the
lower world
As may be imagined, the views to be OBJ
tanned from Pittsburg' eminences are grand.
On any perfectly clear day the hazy blue OF
Chestnut Ridge in the Allegheny Noun
tains can be seen from Heron Hill. and the
distance by air line between the two places
is probably 80 miles. The experiment of
building signal fires on the mountains has
been broached once or twice. but still re-
mains to be tried.
BEAUTIFUL VIEWS EVERYWHERE.
From Herron's apex the best bird's-eye
view of the sister cities is commanded. IL
takes in both the closely-built up sections
and the suburban wards, with their charm-
ing bits of sylvan scenery. On Mt. Wash
ington you can only see the business portion
of Pitisburg and Allegheny, but the vision
is awe-inspiring. A famous writer looking
down from the edge of that hill made the re-
mark that "Pittsburg looked like hell with
the lid of.
But beyond the flaming mill chimneys and
blazing furnaces, which at night time make
fery professions miles in length, there lie
mvriads of gas and electric lights too nu-
merous to even think of counting. They al
ways reminded me of wide acres of ox-eyed
daisies.
From Highland Hill, in the East End.
which is 356 feet high, the windings of the
Allegheny river through vast extent of
farming land may hs followed without a
glass. L. E. SToFIEL.