The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-16

oousys, prins iadioatioa d the abssacs a stag
nant water. and consequently Of immunity foa
LAvaLslle foe nins months, till jus before Len.
whsa two bodies wess brought there from places
some dozen miles OF, whore, 1t would seem, they
had never had occasion for burying ground! This
sounds funny, but y is fact.
We returned TO Cumberland BY stage, along the
line of the future Cumberland and Ptsburg railroad,
and after lingering day or two In the City Of Goals,
luxuriatDg In Its climate AFTER the cold which had sci
In among he mountains, started 10 the An. tram
Of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, to cross the big
Allegheny. Il was about sunrise when We reached
Oakland, where tho picturesque portion Of thus ia.
moss route begins. may briefly say that have
never seen any scenery YET In this country 20 COM
pare With II for Wild and rugged beauty: Go da =;
Maryland, a. seen from he windows Of railcar on
this mountain road, have none OF the Agricultural
and pastoral richness Of the former IL was not long
before We rea bed Chest river. The roeo nero runs
upon trestes Of iron Of exquisite ahtness and dizzy
boldness. You look down, and far beneath you is
gravel pavement, like tho walk OF garden, a. It
seems, but really filed in with huge stones and peb-
bles. Below are solid arches Of masonry. On TO the
north is profound valley, and mountain heights
beyond; but Of this We saw only nero
glimpse, the view being shut OF BY pro-
vokiDg and untimely fog. Here occurred the
to passengers upon it, from the sinking Of one Of the
ravines. At that time the trestles were wood, and
the subsfrueture had not received the massive per-
fiction which now renders the passage OF the Cheat
river one OF the masterpieces OF modern engineer
ing The whole course Of the road thence. nearly
to Wheeling, 10 succession OF beauties was fresh
from the autumnal glory Of the higher Aleghanies,
but / was astOnished at the brilliant woods and
8 ems Of western Virginia. As We approached the
Ohio tie country grew soft, and began to be richly
cultivated.
Wheeling is celebrated for its bridge, and boasts
rather plain but large Roman Catholic cathedral.
Apropos Of the latter, the inhabitants relate that
when the spire Was finished, (Which is very loftyD
no one Of the workmen wasf0und bold enough to
plant the cross upon the ball, whereupon the Bishop
himself, who had lsbored like mason in the erection
Of the building, assembled to the ball, mounted upon
it, ST. cd balancing himself at the giddy height till he
had acquired his equilibrium amid the bresthless h0r
ror of the multitude below, who expected each in
slant to see him FALL planted the cross with bis IN
bands in the socket prepared for IT, and safely de-
scended. II is probable that few American prsates
have ever been In more elevated position. Tais
bishop, DR.. Whelan, is an American by birth, and
,ura avy among Catholic bishops in this country
old fashioned WING in politics. which with some
Nothings entirely failed at wheeling-the only
place, almost, in the State which they failed to
carry But for the fact that the 80 called Catholic
vote in this ,untiy has in the main been cast all
originated. At least this is my view Of the Gaze.
The Ohio Central Railroad was not yet completed
when we passed through Wheeling, although poesi.
bly, 1t may be at the present momsnt, as was po-
sitively assured by th.se interested that the drst
train would pass over the road in three days. We
accordingly hal to take the old Ohio mail coach line,
and 1t was with load Of fourteen inside and five
top, with at least twenty huge trunks, and SIN al
articles ad ibitum, that we committed our
selves to the mercy. Of the temporary suspension
bridge, just one carriage-track wide, which hangs
fearfuly in the cir, for distance Of one thousand
yards across the bed Of the Ohio. As we rolled
the frail structure bent beneath our weight, and /
thin the boldest heart in the stage beat more firmly
when our heavily laden vehic reached the opposite
end of the bridge. The ne bridge, to replace that
carried away last spring by the tornado is to be
noble work. Il win have an additional pier, and an
amper system of lateral braces, 80 that 1t is hoped
1t may defy the most violent gale.
Though it was . tedious thing In these days to
Wheeling and Cambridge, was glad to do it, for
the sake Of seeing the old national road, . most
beautiful work, equal to any hing In Europe, wind
ing like silver ribbon over the hills Of Ohio, smooth
as barn floor, broad and firm and white. In the
palmy days of staging it must have been glorious to
travel over it. The bridges are extremely solid and
beautiful and the numerous sharp turns In descents
are guarded by fine walls Of masonry. 1t seemed
great pity that 80 perfect road should be just b..
coming useless. The scenery Was finer than l
expected, the landscape being exceedingly varied
with hill and VALE with occasional bursts OF noble
pros poets from the brow of tedious ascent, the
top OF lor 8 ridge, extending like huge wave be-
tween two valleys. But the villages we're wretched.
The houses all stood directly the street, without
lecture. had expected . richer and more fertile
New England; It was any thing else. But after Q
night passed In some two or three trains of cars,
where we dozed very comfortably, we dashed into
disappointed in the Queen of the West Not to
string ont this letter too long, will reserve what
saw, both Of persons and things here till my next
letter. RUF. RAMBLER.