692 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 11 



are built perfectly perpendicular. Since the bridge 

 was finished, they have placed just above each 

 pier what they call ice-breakers, (of wood,) but 

 which forcibly remind one of chicken-coops of the 

 present day, and which I have no doubi equalled 

 in expense, the additional cost of the piers, had 

 they been constructed in the proper manner in the 

 beginning. 



At the east end of Black Rock tunnel, is a long 

 rock cut, 30 feet deep. The effect of passing ra- 

 pidly in the train through this cut, the walls of 

 which stand almost vertical, then through the 

 tunnel, which, notwithstanding its 6 shafts, is as 

 dark within as midnight, and dashing across the 

 bridge to the opposite side of the river, with the 

 sudden transition fi-om darkness to light, all in a 

 moment, can hardly be conceived. 



As is generally the case with all roads located 

 in the valleys of rivers, on this a great number of 

 bridges of various sizes are necessary for crossing 

 the many tributaries of the Schuylkill. The prin- 

 cipal stone structure has been already described. 

 With that exception, for all spans exceeding forty 

 feet, the lattice bridge is used. It is worthy of 

 note, that all the bridges of this kind, notwith- 

 standing the short time the road has been in 

 operation, have settled between the piers. This 

 is owing, I think, to the fact, that they are built 

 for a double track, and that only one has been put 

 down and is in use. The consequence is, that 

 every time a train passes, at least three-fourths of 

 the whole weight is thrown on one side of the 

 bridge, or one set of lattice. This evil may be 

 remedied by a third set of lattice between the two 

 tracks, thus making, as it were, a separate and 

 independent bridge lor each track. This addition- 

 al lattice may be put in, at not much additional 

 cost; and that it is necessary when two tracks are 

 required, is sufficiently proven by the lattice 

 bridges, not only on this road, but throughout the 

 state. This settling has taken place to^ so great 

 an extent on the Danville and Pot.tsville railroad, 

 that they are now putting wooden supports be- 

 tween their regular piers. 



The Reading railroad was graded throughout 

 for two tracks, but only one has been as yet laid. 

 The superstructure consists of wooden sills, (prin- 

 cipally of oak,) 7x8 inches, bedded 3 feet 3 inches 

 apart, on beds of broken stone 14 inches deep. 

 Trenches are first dug at the proper distances 

 apart and well rammed. The broken stone is 

 then put in, in three different layers, each layer 

 also being well rammed. On the sills is fastened the 

 T rail, weighing 45 lbs. to the running yard. The 

 rails are 19 feet lonsj, and only rest on cast-iron 

 chains at their extremities. To the intermediate 

 eills they are merely fastened by spikes with catch 

 heads. The superstructure was not laid till the 

 banks had had a winter to settle, and is now in 

 admirable adjustment. 



There is no crpade between Philadelphia and 

 Reading over 18 feet to the mile. This is a most 

 striking feature in this road. An engine without 

 difficulty, will carry 200 tons down fo Philadel- 

 phia. The fuel used is cofee, obtained from the 

 gasworks. It is found to answer very well. On 

 the Baltimore and Ohio road, anthracite coal is 

 used. Two tons are found necessary to go from 

 Baltimore to Harper's Ferry. An experiment or 

 two had been tried with bituminous coal, and 1 

 ton 14 cwt. were found to do the same work. 



The Philadelphia and Reading railroad passes 

 through a highly interesting country. The scene- 

 ry of the Schuylkill is not so picturesque as 

 that of the Potomac, but the neat farms and I'arm- 

 houses, and frequent villages, fijrnish employment 

 for the eye of the traveller. Just below Readmg, 

 the river breaks through the first ridge of hills, 

 under the name of " Never-Sink JVlountain. " 



The cost of this railroad and all its fixtures will 

 be ^45,000 per mile. 



Danville and PottsvilU Railroad. 



This road extends from Pottsvdle, at the head 

 of the Schuylkill improvement, 40 miles to Sun- 

 bury, on the Susquehannah. Its object was to 

 transport coal fiom the anthracite coal region, 

 through which it passes in either direction, to the 

 Schuylkill, or to the Susquehannah. The construc- 

 tion of this road was premature, and the conse- 

 quence is, that the 12 miles next to Pottsville are 

 not in use, that the next 8 miles have never been 

 finished, and that only 20 miles of it from Sha- 

 mokin to Sunbury are now used. It is supposed, 

 however, that by the time the Reading railroad is 

 completed to Pottsville, that the completion of this 

 work will be loudly called for. 



This road necessarily crosses the dividing ridge 

 between the Schuylkill and Susquehannah, and 

 the inclined planes by which it rises and falls from 

 the summit of the Broad Mountain constitute the 

 most remarkable and interesting feature in this 

 work. Between Pottsville and Girardsville, a 

 distance of only 12 miles, there are not less than 

 six inclined planes, 4 ascending and two descend- 

 ing. 



Plane No. 1 rises 176 feet in 600 feet 

 " " 2 " 200 " " 850 " 

 « u 3 a 130 u {( 600 " 

 u u 4 u 130 (.- u 800 " 

 " " 5 falls 345 " " 1600 " 

 u a 6 a 150 .( a goQ '« 



In passing over these planes on horseback it is 

 with difiiculty that the horse can be led up and 

 down them. All these planes except No. 5 have 

 the same angle of inclination throughout. No. 

 5 is gradually curved, beginning very precipitously 

 at top. and by degrees becoming more and more 

 gentle towards the bottom. They all have curves 

 approaching within a short distance of their foot, 

 which is decidedly objectionable. The planes 

 have double tracks, and the same sills extend un- 

 der both. Friction rollers are placed every 25 

 feet. At the head of plane No. 5, which has a 

 most imposing appearance, is a stationary engine. 

 From Pottsville the road follows the western side 

 of a rugired and precipitous ravine for eight miles. 

 There is much heavy rock cutting and stone wall- 

 ing. Plane No. 4 brings you to the top of Broad 

 Mountain, a bleak and inhospitable region. The 

 eye in vain looks around for any trace of cultiva- 

 tion. For two miles the road keeps on this moun- 

 tain and descends by plane No. 5 into the valley 

 of the Mahanoy. Between Girardville and Sha- 

 mokin, the link yet incomplete, one or two inclined 

 planes will be required. 



Shamokin is a small and new village, situated 

 at the head of a creek of the same name, which 

 empties into the Susquehannah just below Sun- 

 bury. Its origin was the coal trade, and all its in- 

 habitants are colliers and miners. From this 



