The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-08-17

In an article on street car traction the
New York sun says:
Street car traction hy means of n ga hIa

! In an article on street car traction the
New York sun says:
| Street car traction by means of a cable
| driven by stationary engines is a compare
| lively new thing, but there was an i'm port
| ant cable railway in the United States
| mere than sixty years ago. The Ale
| gheny Portage railroad of Pennsylvania a.
| esteemed great engineering feat of the
time, used for parts o! its length the prin-
! ciplc of the cable.
The length of this line was rather more
| than thirty and a half miles, and it
! included ten inclined planes. No. ! rose
! 30 feet in three IenIhS of a mile; No. >,
| nearly l32l5 feet in one third of a mile: No.
}. 1907 feet in little more than one e-fourth
| of mile; No I, nearly 1Ss feet in LITTLE
over two-tifthS of mile: No ;. 2O115 feet
in about one half mile; No 6. 2G5Iz feet
in tritie over one half a mile: No. :.
26O}5 feet in the same distance: No. ;. 3O1Is
feet in about three fifthS of a mile. and
No. 9, 1897 feet in little over one half a
mile, and No. 10, 1901 feet in a little over
two-fifthS of a mile
Between the planes were light grades,
absurdly called levels, and at the head of
each plane was stationary engine and
the other machinery adjunct to the motive
power. vertical grooved wheel of cast
iron. eight and une-half feet in diameter
was placed in the centre of each track
about 100 feet from the head of the plane.
| These wheels at the highest point of cir
conference rose six inches above the rails.
The shafts of these wheels were gearcd
together by spur wheels four feet in d
ameIer so as 10 TeyOlve in opposite direc-
tiOnS.
In pit between the vertical wheels was
a horizontal grOoved wheel equal in diane
ter to the distance between the tracks
This wheel was fitted into IA strong frame
that could be moved fifteen feet toward
the head of the plane by means of IA weight
attached To Il chain and hanging in a well.
Another horizontal grOoved wheel was
placed forty feet from the foot of the
plane 1t also was fitted into a strong
frame, and could be moved fifty feet. The
endless steel rope passed over wheels Is
inches in diameter and II feet apart AT
tie head of each plane was Il double cylIn-
der, high pressure, horizontal steam en-
gine without fly wheel.
The engines at six of the planes were of
% horse power. and the other four of 30
horse power hydraulic regulator was
used when the descending load exceeded
in weight the ascending load. The whole
cost of the Portage railroad was little
short of 81 l,5OO,OUO.
A curious and rare book published at
Philadelphia in 1896 gave a travellers ac-
count of the journey over the mpunta inS
by the Portage railroad. He left Johns
town at 6 A. NJ, coming east, and reached
the foot OF the first inclined plane in about
half an hour. He was much awed AT the
l.
passengers LIP feet of perpendicular
height and lowered 400 feet of perpeniic-
ular descent all in six hours by cCmpli-
Gated powerful and frangibIe machinery"
1t required four minutes to traverse the
first plane. Cos feet in length and 80 in
perpendicular height.
The descent on the eastern slope alarmed
the traveller still more than the ascent, be
cause he realized that the gIa ade was steep
er. The rope, however, was thicker, and
the passage was made in safety, without
discomfort.
During the twelve years that the road
was in use no serious accident occurred
aud it was one of the wonders of the Uni
ted States. Its alternating cable traction.
horses and locomotive engines gave great
variety To the short journey over the
mountain crest. and many tourists took
the trip out of curiosity. 1t iS said that
William Schultz, an Ingenious and euer
getic German, was the first man To con
vince American engineers by practical
demonstration that ordinary friction i
sufficient 20 enable locomotive To drag
train up considerable grade The demon
stratiOn made it plain that the device of
the Portage railroad would no longer be
necessary in scaling mountains.
Schultz afterward made a fortune build
ing railroads for the Car of Russia. and
returning to the United States, settled
down To a life of ease in rural Delaware