Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-06


a capital glance of the s;nuosities of the river
for some twelve miles up and down. The sill
very stream, fanked by deep green borders,
mile or two in width, with high hills equally
verdure-clad for back grounds, made magnif-
cent picture truly.
The city or town of Marietta--of four or i've
thousand nhabitants-formedn no mean feature
of it, Notwithstanding the responsiveness Of ITS
first appearance on rising the river bank din I
gy, dirty and mean, as it seemed on the mo-
ment's acquaintance. OFF the lowest plateau,
as discovered from the mound, IL. was well
built and neat. AS seen from that point its ap-
pearance was very pleasing, satisfying me that
the mass of the crowd on the river bank was un-
mistakably composed of first Plateau -ers only
Marietta was the first town in Ohio settled by
the English. We left it at $50 p m, on four
trains, the throng of excursionists having been
visibly increased there. Our departure was at
tended by a much larger portion of the popula-
ton than our reception, evidently second and
third Plateau-ers in the main, who babe us
farewell with cheers, the ladies among them
waving their handkerehiefs after US with adeus
Immediately on leaving the station we COM
meneed ascending to the high ground (ridge) at
Its back, by means of Wye's tracks for the
backing and filling of trains to get them on
higher levels without accomplishing space Ion
gitudinally. We thus accomplished a very
great rise in the distance Of quarter of a mile.
Below our elevation the company arc prescott
| ing the work on a tunnel, which will soon obyi-
ate necessity for the wyes. From the top of
the ridge we descended rapidly to fruitful
and capital agricultural country, much of it
evidently newly opened, and all cultivated, 50
tar as care and Judgment is concerned, as wish
| all farms in our own immediate section were
managed. Our route lays very nearly Mt right
angles from the Ohio, and we are pursuing it
leisurely along. the track being too new to al
low of very rapid travelling.
AT Vincent, thirteen miles from Marietta
we were greeted by large throng at the stop
ping place, that rushed wildly to the car con-
tanning the Band, which-while the engine was
watering-played a merry tune
L am fOrcibly struck with the fact that if the
Northwestern Virginia road is the underground
railroad, IA railroad Of tunnels) the Marietta
and ChillicOthe road is the airline railroad for
every now and then it hangs suspended in mid
air as 1T were, on tressle work, evidently de-
signed to answer but temporary purpose. In
deed, it is but barely finished to permit it to be
used, the company wisely adopting the plan of
| completing the fills by the use of the rails laid
over trestle work. which as their fills (embank
ments) are numerous and heavy, will greatly
reduce the cost of the work. One of these tres
sizes rises on four tiers los feet above the Little
Hooking creek Complying into the Ohio near the
foot of Blannahassett's island below Parkers-
burg and $40 feet in length. We passed through
quite number of tunnels upon this road, and
over as many more; stupendous works still in
! progress of construction, over which temporary
(almosD surface tracks are laid far above the
progressing main work, up which 1.-THE grade in
such cases always being very steep the locomo-
tive tugs and tolls with its precious freight be-
hind it, like a faithful servant, working for
dear life. At Athens, a town of considerable
Importance, set upon the hills and contain
ing University, we were greeted by an im-
mense throng of we'll dressed and intelligent
people, who having welcomed us with shouts
essayed to ''eall OUT flor SPECIFY various GER
tlemen on the train, but finally compromised
for more eloquent sounds from our capital ex
cursion band; the three minutes for watering
being too short period in which to discourse
any other desc riptiOn of eloquence whatever.
W. ID. WI