Existing comment:
The bas-relief above is made from a painting in the possession of the Blair County Historical Society at Altoona, Penna. It represents a sectional canal boat being transported over the Allegheny Mountains on cars pulled up the incline plane by a steam engine winding a rope around a drum. At the same time these cars are going up the plane others are going down. This view was taken from almost the spot where this monument stands and the cars have just come through the skew arch bridge behind you. This bridge carried the original highway over the old Portage Railroad. The powerhouse is at the top of Plane 6, which extended through the skew arch bridge and can be followed up the hill on the other side of the concrete highway. |