The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02
THE ID. AND N. GRAv1rr ROAD.
Final Arrangements Made to Construct .
Steam Line as an Erie Feeder.

steam Line as an Erie Feeder.
The Delaware and Hudson Railroad Com
pany has made public the chief features OF lts
plans concerning the future OF the former
gravity railroad between Carbonate and
honesdae. Ia. II has been apparent for ak
months to residents along the line Of the road
that the entire abandonment of the gravity
system was only que stion Of time dependent
unon the determination OF the most feasible
route Tor locomotive road over the Moosio
Mountains Conformation ruled for a time
when. In November last. the company an
bounced that until further notice the canal be-
tween Honesdae and Rondout and the graviyt
rohd would be abandoned. Delaware and
Hudson stock began 10 drop. and con-
tinued to drop until the announcement was
posted that af.er Jan. l. 1891. the passenger
ana freight traffic over the gravity would be
continued
1t was rumored that a traffic Arrangement
between the Erie and The Delaware and Hud-
son had been made whereby the former 70 al
was to take the Delaware and Hudson coal ut
Homes iale and haul 1t from there to tide
water. At the same time the Delaware and
Hudson was to widen the tracks of the gravity
road to standard gauge. thereby obviating the
necessity OF unloading and reloaling at Homes
dale. The gravity track was made standard
gauge during the winter. The westbound or
light" track between Honesdae and Way
mart. with It's five inclined planes. was abun-
doned. the engines being dismantlsd and tho
tracks torn M. The same thing happened to
the eastbound or loaded" track between Car
bondale and Farview. Under the temporary
arrangement trains from Honesda,s are hauled
Ky locomotive ovor the 'ten-me level" to
WaNmart. and from that village are hauled
over the planes to Farvicw and from thence
run to Carbonate. as formerly by their own
gravity returning from Carbondale the
trains are hauled hy'oeomotive to, Farvlew.
by gravity to Honesdae.
According q tho announcement now made
by the Delaware. and Hudson officials, the
planes between Waymart and Faryiew W Ill he
done away with. A route has been found
wherehy an ,s easy grade may he male UP. the
mart somewhat of the limo: as lust before the
viii take turn to the Ieit and run nearly south
for Two miles 20 n place in South Canaan town
shin locally known as "Swackhammsr's. Then
present "sherhsrd's crook, route from FAR r.
route with grade Of only 1 feet to the nile liz
has bsen staked between those two points. BY
has been doubled but this will increase tho
distance between nnssdale and the tor. of the
m Ountaln but little. owing to saving OF some
two miles between lioneslaIe and Waymart
through the ,straichteninG of the track.
are being made at Honesdale. The coal docks
for loading canal boats have been RACED. and
the canal basin is hoing filled IN gradually to
make ward room. Connection has, zen made
with the :re lu4t at the outskirts of the village
and a union station win doubtless he erected at
which Honesdals merchants and maufao-
turers have been petiti2nng tho two rail.
Ee;l,ioqs wsrc Al! HsG for future reference
dumps at IIonesdae will he allowed to 60 to
decay as soon as the coa now in storage on
dumns. until few years ago. were an attraGG;;
ton q decided interest TO the visitor for half
a million or more tens OF coal we're frequently
II is the present Intention Of the interested
railroads that the, Delaware and Hudson shall
Iarkawanng Vale!, to Honssdale and there
transfer it to the Erie. This will reduce the
s ses Es 9n S'ep ensfH to i:
coa nj present going north nver the jefferson
branch to Sqslqehanna and then connecting
the time between New York and buffalo could
tracts. IN Erie passenger train between New
will probably be in service before winter,
Work on the new, road is being pushed to
a" soT l'y aT Ss he
physical labor is we'll under vay. GanEs OF
aourcrs are at work all along the route. il!inG
snow flies. II nothing Unforeseen occurs. the
Delaware AMI Hudson gravity railroad will
have passe INTO history.
Mith the passing OF the 'Gra ;ity" one Of the
oldest and at .he same time most UNIQUE nits
OF railroad engineering in the country goes
out of existence. Built away back in the later
twenties, i was intended as a feeder Tor the
Delaware and Hudson Canal. and as such had
n long career Of usefulness. In these later
DAYS Of hurry. however. the canal became too
slow 70 pete successfully with the steam
railroad with the natural result that derreas-
ing business forced 1t to go dry The gravity
road suffered at the same time. aud tho in
auguration Of more modern methods became
imperatve:. hence the abandonment in Its en-
tirety OF the gravity system.
To the traveller on the old gravity 1t h al an
indsnnab!e charm. Gliding along on an eX-
ceIlsnt rondbed the little train OF little cars
dashed hither and yon. seeminGly without
any means of locomOtion. by pleasant lle'dS
aAd meadows. through little patches OF wood
land. c!rcng the great horseshoe curves at the
foot Of covering precipiceS. OF clinRing to
slender fontholi on the side of the mountain
while hundreds Of feet below one looked down
into the tops OF magnificent pine and spruce