Canal and rail tunnels under U.S. Steel Bldg.

[Greg King]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the additional history, never ceases to amaze me at the enginuity
of the people back then, we may have come a long way, but they were doing
and developing things with no reference points to start with, great stuff,
thanks again.

Greg
----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Rathke <brathke at mediaone.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Cc: Diane McMahon <Mac677 at aol.com>; Diane Schmitt <dls at a1usa.net>
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 1:36 PM
Subject: Re: Canal and rail tunnels under U.S. Steel Bldg.


> Thanks, Greg.
>
> In case you're not aware of the distances involved in the 19th Century
canal:
> Pittsburgh is 300 miles (480 km) from Philadelphia, and there are several
> 3,000+ft. (1,000+ m) mountain ranges between the two cities.
>
> The 1830's canal system required 10 inclined plane railways to get over
the
> Allegheny Mountains in the middle of Pennsylvania. At the base of each
> mountain, the canal boats were transfered to wheeled bogies running on
rails,
> and a cable hauled the boats up - and then down - each mountain.
>
> The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) completed its railroad between Pittsburgh
and
> Philadelphia in the mid-1850's, and the canal's portage railways were
> abandoned in 1857.
>
> The Portage Railway National Historic Site is actually in Cresson, PA
which is
> on U.S. Rt. 22 near Altoona.
> Some of the canal and incline railway structures remain, and can be
visited in
> that area.  The last time I was there, one of the old canal/incline hotels
was
> still in existence along Rt. 22 and in private ownership - although in
> disrepair - and was known locally as the "Tilten' Hilton".
>
> Bob 12/17
>
> ---------------------------------------------
>
> Greg King wrote:
>
> > Thank you Bob,
> >
> > That was truly interesting, being "downunder" was not aware of any of
this
> > and I find this archaeology absolutely fascinating.
>
> > Greg
>
> -------------------------------------
>
>
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Bob Rathke <brathke at mediaone.net>
> > To: Pittsburgh Trolley List <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> > Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2000 4:07 PM
> > Subject: Canal and rail tunnels under U.S. Steel Bldg.
> >
> > > In 1967-68,  I took some  photos of thecconstruction of the U.S. Steel
> > > Bldg.
> > > (officially, 600 Grant St.).  Derrick has uploaded one of these photos
> > > to his website.   See
> > > <http://www.dementia.org/~shadow/PCC/brathke/CanalTunnel68.jpeg>.
> > >
> > > This photo was taken  from Grant St.on 2/11/68, and the view is to the
> > > south toward the old Bigelow Apartments.  The rubble in the foreground
> > > is the beginning of the excavation for the foundation of the
> > > U.S. Steel Bldg.
> > >
> > > What's unusual about this scene is the daylighting of TWO tunnels,
> > > visible along the back wall.  The tunnel to the right is the old PRR
> > > railroad tunnel that is now used by the PAT subway.  The tunnel to the
> > > left, above the yellow power shovel, is an older canal tunnel that was
> > > UNDER the railroad  tunnel. For a very short time in 1968, the canal
> > > tunnel was visible.
> > >
> > > The canal and its tunnel are shown on a copy of an 1830 map of
downtown
> > > Pittsburgh that I have.  In 1830, more than two decades before the PRR
> > > railroad was completed between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, a water
> > > canal connected the two cities.  The canal boats from Philadelphia
were
> > > hauled over the Allegheny Mountains on incline railways, and then
> > > traveled by water to Pittsburgh.  However, the boats didn't enter the
> > > city by river - they were floated on an elevated canal that paralleled
> > > the north shore of the Allegheny River (near the present Canal St.).
> > > The elevated canal crossed the Allegheny River on a BRIDGE near the
> > > present 11th Street, and near the site of the current Federal Bldg. it
> > > went into a tunnel under Grants Hill.  The tunnel was not straight,
but
> > > had an "S" shape, and emerged near Ross Street and the Monongahela
> > > River.  However...at that point the canal was still some height above
> > > river level (remember that the canal crossed the Allegheny River on a
> > > bridge), so there were a series of locks near Ross St. (and the
present
> > > Liberty Bridge)
> > > that allowed the boats to descend to the level of the Monongahela
River.
> > >
> > > It's hard to believe that this canal and tunnel were constructed by
hand
> > >
> > > and operated for several decades in the early 19th Century!  It was
easy
> > > to identify locations of the canal and tunnel, because even in 1830,
> > > many Pittsburgh streets had the same names that they have today.
> > >
> > > By the way, part of the canal's incline railway over the Allegheny
> > > Mountains has been reconstructed, and the site is managed by the
> > > National Parks
> > > Service along Rt. 22 near Altoona.  It's worth a visit.
> > >
> > > Although the downtown canal tunnel has been publicized previously,
> > > especially around the time of the PAT subway construction, I find the
> > > 1968 photo to be very interesting.  The tunnel was uncovered - and
then
> > > covered - in an era when the concept of "preservation" didn't get much
> > > attention.  Wouldn't it be great if today you could walk in the
basement
> > > of the USS Bldg. and see a museum-quality display that was a
> > > cross-section cut of the actual canal tunnel?
> > >
> > > Bob 12/16
> > >
> > >
>
>