Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-22
AN AERIAL INCLINE
From Mt. Washington to Pittsburg a
Future Possibility.
CARS WILL RUN ON HUGE CABLES
Stretch of the Imagination That May BE-
Realized Some Day.
A LOCAL RIDER HAGGARD LET LOOSE

Profs. William H. Lehner, of Seven
teenth street, and Frank I. Longnecker, of
Nineteenth street, strolled into THE DIS
PATCH Office yesterday afternoon and fairly
wilted the tissue paper flowers on the desk
by relating about stupendous enterprise
which, If carried out, will astonish the
world, and extend the fame of Pittsburg to
the remotest corners of the globe.
Prof. Longnecker said that just before he
left his Office he had nearly choked to death
on chunk of Monongahela water, and was
in no shape to talk, SO Prof. Lehner pro-
ceeded to explain his scheme. Said he:
Have you heard of the new Southside
incline from Mt. Washington to the foot of
Wood street? You haven't? Well, now
you are evidently not informed of what is
going on in this corner of the woods. I sup
pose you haven't heard anything about the
company being formed, either? Well, 1
will tell you.
THE COMPANY FORMED.
"There has been company formed with a
capital of $50, 900 to start with, for the pur-
pose of building an incline from Mt. Wash
ington to the foot of Wood street. The
present members of the company are the
professor here and myself, II. j. Weimer,
W. T. Guylor, A. A. Allies and Robert T.
Jones.
"The company proposes tolrun an incline
on cables between the points named. -Four
large and strong cables will be stretched
from convenient point on Mt. Washing
ton to the foot of Wood street. The cars
will run on the cables by means of pulIeys,
each car will use two of the cables.
Just each side of the rivers the cables Will
hac So1 lnr kAtu ha
that they will be unnecessary. The engines
will be powerful ones. The trip will
require only about 4 minutes as we have
figured it out. Remember this incline is
only for passengers.
NOW you see the same principles will be
applied in the main as in other inclines, and
the dead weight will be greatly equalized by
the cars going in opposite directions and
helping to pull each other. The company
has unlimited capital at its command, but
thinks the incline can be built for S30,000.
NOT A NEW IDEA AT ALL.
"The idea is not new one at all. When
Prof Longnecker and 1 were up in the AL
legheny Mountains last summer buying up
tracts of fresh air in the inter-
ests of an English syndicate we
found the farmers applying this princi-
pie to draw water from the river to their
houses on the hillside. The same idea, on
smaller scale, has been applied in Switzer-
land long years ago and the rope and basket
is as old as-as the free bridge question.
'Yes, sir; it will be the greatest thing for
Pittsburg that ever happened. Peo-
pie can go to Nit. Washington in
no time and it will build the
hill up rapidly. We have also thought of
extending our operations to other points, but
will build the Pittsburg and Mt. Washing
ton aerial incline first-good day."
After the boys left the Office, exploding
with mirth, amusement changed to philos-
ophy, and number who still1ingered com
menced to talk the matter over. Said one:
81 believe that would be possible, and what
the boys look at as a good joke may some
day come true. 1t is not beyond reason or
engineering, and, as Lehner said, the prin-
clple is not a new one at all. Who knows?
Stranger things have happened"