over into the yauning gulf below in eith[er] case
we would have been dashed to atoms my hare
rose on my head, but having got all things
ready we proceded on to plane No 4. 3/4 of a
mile long & assended 265 feet we rose this in 3 min
but it looked awful to be thus suspended almost
in the air with such a wait lives and freight
depending upon an not, a twine, a rope a pin an
engine, care of a man either of which should
give way all would be dashed to atoms unless
saved by miracle. we next continued onto
plain No 5. 3/4 of a mile long 280 feet rise we
were carried up this also in 3 minutes, which
brought us on to the summit of the Allegany
mountains. The whole 5 incline plains
on our assending the mountain are four miles
in length which raises us perpendicular 1,170
feet & I felt thankful to God that I was on the
top of the mountain alive but we had got to
desend in the same way that we assended, we
run on the top of the mountain about 5 miles &
then began to desend we found snow on the
top of the mountain & it was exeeding cold
we had 6 incline planes to desend to get to the
bottom of the mountain, the whole of which
was attended with equal danger and car[e]lessness
as we came upon the brink of one of them the
Cars being drawn by horses, the men had left the
breakers the conductor seeing the cars coming
& about to run onto the Horses He hollowed [hallooed] for
the men to break but finding no one at the break
ers & the cars approaching the incline plain the team-
ster liberated his horses as soon as possible & they
Just escaped being run over & the conductor
sprung to the breaker himself & with great