Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-09-15

:, .Lo whole massage between Ll nt ha
Ahnous Manchester is series OF en N;ahfs nj.
,, a" surnassing any in the AIao,a vet there INF
n,S, thew are realities, not nG.u hcS are pc tie,
. certain epochs in the uan tho startings the T.
eyily excNlns, the tunnels the Chat MOSS th
plosidHss.sa At the insta mt of starnng ., i'm
two, quisS. automaton beches lorln ON or b,
reiterated, ~" and seems, for seconu are d.
till they becomc>S quickly the explG1, tsrvais. h
still distinct. Thex and shorter ..a Az" thongh b
more nearly resemble ITO be counted, no o;nns
ger, than any sound thatsags or eXp'os,rti q
nv ear During the ascent MS OF anon nm Il
err and slower. till the automaton
like an animal out Of breath, from th3S a st
Gus effort to gain the highest points OF sd g
| The progression is proportionate; and oefS ,
the said point is gained, the train IS NOT moving
faster than horse can pace. with the $40"
motion of the mighty and animated machine,
and the breathing becomes more laborious, the
grow more distinct till, at length, the amman
appears exhausted, and groans ike the tiger
| when nearly overpowcred in combat by the DuI-
| falo.
The moment that the height is reached and
the descent commences the paintings rapidly IN
crease; the engine, with its train, starts on WIN
augmenting veocity and in few seconds II IS
aying down the declivity like lightning, and
with uniform growl or roar, like continuous
discharge of distant artillery AT this PERIOD,
the whole train is going at the rate OF thirty nVe
or forty miles an hour! was on the OUTSIDE,
and in front of the first carriage just over the
engine The scene was magnificent, had al
most said terrific. Although it was dead calm,
the wind appeared to be blowing hurricane,
such was the velocity with which we darted
through the air. Yet all was steady; and tnere
was something in the precision of the machine
ry that inspired a degree OF confidence over
| fear-of safety over danger. man may traVel
! r.. A. D,l O. nofn
Mallacca to the Isthmus of Darien, and he VIII
see nothing so astonishing as this The pangs
cfEtna and Vesuvius excite feelings ofhorror as
well as of terror; the CONFUSION OF the elements
during a thunderstorm carries with II nothing
but pride much less of pleasure, to counteract
the awe inspired by the fearful workings OF per-
turbed natures but the scene which is here pre-
scnted and which cannot adequately describe,
engenders a proud consciousness OF superiority
| in human ingenuity, more intense and convlnc-
inc than any effort or product of the poet, the
painter, the philosopher, or the divine The pro-
iectons or transits of the train through the tun-
nels or arches, are very electrifyln9. The deaf
ening peal of thunder, the sudden EMERSON IN
gloom and the clash of reverberaed sounds in
| confined space combine to produce momen-
tary shudder or idea of destructlon-a thrill OF
annhaton which is instantly disspeled on e.
merging into cheerful light.
"The meetings or crossings Of the steam
trains flying in opposite directions are scarcely
less agitatng TO the nerves, than their tran
S Is through the tunnels. The velocity OF
their course the propinquity or apparent identi-
ty Of the iron orbits along which these meteors
move, call forth the involuntary but fearful
thought of possible collision. with all its borri-
BILE consequences. The period of suspense,
however, though exquisitely painful is but mo-
mentary; and in a few seconds the object OF
terror is far out of sight behind
Nnr ict rapi6 Chat
Moss unworthy of notice. The ingenuity with
which two narrow rods of iron are made to
bear whole trains of wagons, laden with many
! hundred tons of commerce, and bounding a
cross wide, semi-fui morass, previously i'm
passable by man or beast is beyond all praise,
and deserving of eternal record Only con-
ceive a slender bridge Of two minute iron rails,
several miles in length, level as Waterloo, elias
tic as whaIebone, yet firm adamani! Along
this splendid triumph of human genius-thls
veritable ria Hiump hdhs-the train of carrla-
ges bound with the velocity of the stricken deer;
the vibrations of the resilient moss causing the
ponderous engine and its enormous suite to
glide along the surface of an extensive quag-
! mire as safely practised skater skins the
icy mirror Of Il frozen lake.
"The first class or train is the most fashiona-
ble but the second and third are the most anu
sing. / travelled one day from Liverpool to
Manchester in the lumber train. Many OF the
carriages were occupied by the "swinish multi
tude," and others by multitude of swine
These last were neat as imported from the
Emerald Isle, and thefore were naturally vocf'
erous, if not eloquent. 1t was evident that the
other passengers would have been considerably
annoyed by the orators of this last group, had
there not been stationed in each carriage an Of
ficer somewhat analogous to the Usher Of the
Black Rod but whose designation on the rail-
road found to be Comptroller Of the Gam
mon' No sooner did one of the long-faced
gentlem en- raise his note too high, or wag his
Jaw too long than the Comptroller of the
Cannon gave him whack over the snout
with the but end Of his shillelagh; snubber
which never failed to stop his oratory for the
remainder Of the journey"