The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-01-05

Iy the pennsylvania TdllIOdu Ildb VIC
might compare it with the New York
Central. 1t is far behind the latter road
in the matter of scenery, although it is
very finely built and equipped road. For
miles the route is by the side OF the
"Blue Juniata," a stream of some size,
about which much prose and poetry has
been written; but to get down to real
facts, the Mohawk, with name not
nearly so poetic, yet is the prettier
stream. The long drought had scarcely
left water enough in the Juniata to keep
the bed from getting dusty. We were
all agog to see Johnstown, and as the
train passed the bridge below the town,
we were Just where the ill-fated train
stood that was swept away with the
bridge by the wild rush of waters. For
miles before we reached JohnstOwn, we
had travelled by the side of the river
where bodies lay scattered thickly along
the shore for miles: as itrippled along it
gave US no hint of the terrOrs of that aw-
full day. The stream that did the mis-
chief runs back of the city at the foot of
the mountain, and joins the river about
mile below the town to the westward,
close by the plant of the Cambria Steel
Company. We could hardly believe it
possible that the railway tracks, depot,
bridge and everything else were swept
away for more than a mile, because the
station seemed 50 far from the stream: ::
the height of the wave was almost in
credible, as it swept across the lower
end of the town, the Part lying between
| the two streams In sort OF triangle,
quite high ground too. 1t is as if great
| wave should come down the WallOOmsac
and wash away railroad track, depot and
the whole of that part OF Bennington
south of the stream; to make it more APP
parent, suppose the depot to be at the
corner of Elm street, by II. |. Norton $
house, and the whole track and town
elevated to greater height than that
above the stream. JOhnstOwn is quite a
| large place, and as far as we could see,
shows no trace of the awful flood. Look
ing up the valley toward the lake which
caused the disaster, we could see the
| course of the food for miles; the valley
| is like deep trough, and only served to
contine the water until it burst out ON i'll
fated Johnstown. The much advertised
summit of the Alleghanies looked like
small hills after the giant mountains OF
| Colorado, but it is quite pretty view
| that opens before the traveller as the
! train passes the summit and begins the
circuit of the Horse Shoe CurYe," a
great loop, in the centre of which nestes
| the little lake forming the water works
| for Altoona, Just below; at the middle
of the bend is little park nicely kept,
| the principal flower piece being large
horse shoe. Altoona is the headquarters
of the great Pennsylvania railroad, and
is very pleasantly located; here are the
| immense railway shops covering acres OF
land, where most of the repairing is done
and locomotives and cars built: 1t is
nice looking place, but almost dependent
for it's life on the railway. The Penn
| sylvania railroad is engaged in the work
of becoming like the New \ ork Central,
four track road; for miles eastward
| from Altoona the two new tracks have
been built, and the work of construction
goes steadily on. 1t was great relief to
| get once more where the railways were
double tracked; nearly all the roads
west of Chicago have only single track,
so here it looked especially homelike to
see four tracks once more. Approach
ing Harrisburgh, the train ran along the
| Susauehanna river for some distance
the bed of the stream is very wide, fully
a half mile, but the appearance OF the
river was positively painful; its stony
ribs and bones stuck out so plainly they
resembled those of person in the last
stages of consumption. The river has
very kindly broken through the range OF
hills just west of Harrisburgh, for when
the Pennsylvania railroad people should
be very thankful, as it obviates the ne
cessity of a long and expensive tunnel
Harris0urgh is a great overgrown village
although a large city by virtue of its 90
OO0 people. The capitol, pleasant ole
structure, is nicely located on large
knoll surrounded by really handsome
grounds, filled with grand old trees; th'
view from the dome is very hne. Inc
old Dutch market square is in the centre
of the CITY; the same thing is to b'
found in all the cities and towns of that
part of the State. The only residences
worth looking at are down by the river