24. Philip Nicklin’s description of the railroad
When Philip Nicklin traveled the length of the portage in 1838, he described the journey as frightening at times, and beautiful at others. Nicklin expressed great trepidation at being hauled to such a height “by complicated, powerful, and frangible (liable to breakdown) machinery”. He described the prospect as, “very agitating to the simple minds of those who have always walked in humble paths”. From the top of the mountain, Nicklin described the towns of Hollidaysburg and Johnstown far below, and compared the air at nearly 2,400 feet above sea level as “a refreshing and invigorating climate”.
The descent into Hollidaysburg (Nicklin traveled west to east) he described in less laudable terms. Nicklin remarked on the fact that when one ascended the mountain they tended to look up, during the descent the attention was drawn to the steep grade and the distance below. He found the downhill journey far less enjoyable. Nonetheless, his trip was completed without incident, and he arrived in Hollidaysburg just six hours after departing from the basin in Johnstown, crossing the portage at an average speed of just less than six miles per hour. It was Nicklin’s account of the portage which drew the attention of Charles Dickens, who arranged to travel to Pittsburgh via the canal and portage during his 1842 tour of the United States. He too commented favorably on the railroad and the industry he observed on the mountain.