Lehigh Valley Railroad, uses Brooks insulators

Original Articles.

In the Coal Regions of Pennsylvania.-The Lehigh

Talley It. It. Telegraph.

BY F. L. POPE.

FOUR or five hours' journey westward from New York, by the Central New Jersey and Lehigh Valley Railroads, takes the traveler [sic] traveler into one of the most picturesque and interesting regions in America-the coal fields of Eastern Pennsylvania. A considerable portion of the coal trade of the Lehigh Valley is concentrated at Mauch Chunk, a town which, both in its situation and surroundings, is so remarkable as to be eminently worthy of a visit. The scientific mind will be interested in observing the triumphs of the engineer and mechanic over apparently insurmountable obstacles, while the lover of the wild, the beautiful, and the picturesque in nature, will be charmed with the bold and rugged yet beautiful scenery that surrounds him on every side. Let not the uncouth name which the barbarism of the early settlers has saddled upon this romantic place deter you from visiting it. Once there and such trifles will cease to afflict you.

Every visitor to Mauch Chunk, who wishes to discharge his duty in a conscientious manner, is expected to ride over the " Switch-back." Accordingly, having despatched an excellent breakfast at the Mansion House, we mounted an omnibus and were transported up a very long and very steep hill to a plateau situated above the town and at the foot of Mount Pisgah, one of the highest elevations in the vicinity. This mountain is not a volcano, as would at first be inferred from the clouds of smoke and steam issuing from its summit. The phenomenon in question arises from a different cause, as will appear hereafter.

Alighting from the stage we found ourselves at the foot of a steep inclined railway, nearly half a mile long, extending to the summit of the mountain, a perpendicular height of nearly 700 feet. A ridiculous little passenger car, which looked as if it might have been evolved by the combined efforts of the village blacksmith and wagon maker, stood upon the track at the foot of the incline. We seated ourselves therein. The conductor, or whoever he was, then telegraphed, by the primitive process of pulling a long wire, to the man in charge of the steam engine and "winding-up" apparatus at the top. A small truck, propelled by a steel band, extending all the way up to the "winder," emerged from a pit under the track behind us, laid violent hands upon our vehicle, and shoved it up to the top of the mountain in a very brief period of time.

From the summit a splendid view, composed princicipally [sic] principally of mountains, with other mountains beyond them, opened out in every direction. Having thus been elevated sufficiently to get a good start our car rattled away merrily for five or six miles along the side of the ridge, " propelled "-as one of the passengers remarked-''by the force of circumstances." We brought up finally at the foot of another inclined plane, where we were again wound up and started off as before. Descending this second grade into the Panther Creek Valley, we passed numerous collieries, with their immense coal breakers, and mountains of refuse coal dust alongside the track. The mountain and woodland scenery along the route is in some places very fine. Two more inclined planes brought us up again to the top of the ridge, from whence we started on our return to Mauch Chunk by another track, pursuing a different route. The return track is mostly free from curves, and the car is allowed to run at great speed. The effect upon the passengers is correspondingly exhilarating; it is almost equal to riding down the Rocky Mountains on the "cow-catcher" of a Union Pacific locomotive.

Next to the mountains the most prominent feature of Mauch Chunk is unquestionably the coal trains. From the verandah of the hotel they may be seen passing down the Lehigh Valley Railroad, just across the river, in one endless and interminable procession. You may watch them for hours and days and still they come. The reverberating echoes of their whistles are never silent among the hills. From eight to ten thousand cars of coal often pass down this road alone in a single day, to say nothing of the number which go over the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad, on the opposite side of the river, or the "innumerable caravan" of canal boats which slowly wend their way towards New York and Philadelphia.

A railroad which has such an immense traffic as the Lehigh Valley necessarily requires good telegraphic facilities. We spent some of our leisure time, during our stay at Mauch Chunk, in inspecting its electrical arrangements, with a view of taking a few notes for THE TELEGRAPHER.

The Lehigh Valley Railroad extends from Easton, Pa., or, more properly, Phillipsburg, N. J., through Mauch Chunk and Wilkesbarre to Waverly, N. Y., with a branch from Penn Haven Junction to Mount Carmel. When the present Superintendent, Mr. Homer A. Clute, took charge of the telegraph lines in November, 1869, they consisted of one wire from Easton to Pittston, with a branch from Penn Haven to Mount Carmel-which, with the exception of about 40 miles between White Haven and Pittston, were mostly strung on the poles of the Western Union Company.

Under the efficient and energetic management of Mr. Clute the lines have been greatly improved, and are now in admirable working condition throughout. Besides constructing a short line from Hazel Creek Bridge to Hazleton, he has just completed an extension of the main line from Pittston to Waverly - 96 miles. The Lehigh Valley Company also own a through wire from Bethlehem to Philadelphia, on Brooks insulators, running over the North Pennsylvania Railroad-making a total of 135 miles of poles, 361 miles of wire and 53 offices.

The insulation used on the lines is the common glass and Brooks. The operators state that the wires work unusually well at all times; which is owing, in a great measure, to the careful adjustment of the resistances of the magnets on the different circuits-a point which seems to have been particularly attended to.

A few months since Mr. Clute set up a main battery at Packerton for working three lines, consisting of 42 cells of Callaud in place of 20 Grove cells, which had been used for many years. He states that the working of the lines has not only been greatly improved in consequence, but that the expense of battery maintenance has been reduced about 90 per cent. The results of this trial have been so favorable that he has decided to adopt the Callaud battery, both for main and local purposes, on all the lines under his charge, and the change is being made as rapidly as practicable.

Mr. Clute has devised a somewhat ingenious repeating apparatus at Mauch Chunk, by means of which the Bethlehem office is enabled to send Philadelphia time every day, at 9 A. M., direct to every office over all the wires of the railroad company.

We must not take leave of the telegraph department without a complimentary notice of Johnny Nichols, a bright little messenger in the Mauch Chunk office, who, though only twelve years of age, became a good sound operator in about four months. He will undoubtedly rank as a "first class" by the time his initial year in service has expired. Some of his sketches show an artistic talent that may be of more value to him in the future than even his proficiency with the key and sounder.

Returning home as we went, by the Lehigh Valley Railroad, we could not avoid being impressed with its admirable condition and excellent management. Although its double track was absolutely crowded with trains in both directions, there was no confusion nor delay. With its fast trains, commodious cars, and absolute freedom from dust, it forms one of the most attractive routes for the excursionist that could be imagined.

There is no finer railroad trip in America than that from Easton to Waverly, including the ride on the switch-bank and over the Fairview Mountain, on the edge of the valley of Wyoming, while the river scenery of the Lehigh and Susquehanna, in beauty and variety, will not suffer in comparison with any that we have ever seen.