The Washington union., 1857-05-06

surpass 1t la utility, science, and magnitude but they
have no grandeur To tho eye It's peculiar character is to
be the greatest Of all those monuments that at dazzle
the imagination by their spendor and suseyient 10
general convenience 1t is said that the cost of the road
averaged about s25 900 mile The object of Napo-
leon in its formation is well marked by the question
which, two different OCCASIONS he first asked Of the
engineer sent 10 him to report progress lie canon
quand pourra-t-il passer Simplonp - shall quote
still further from Murray, skipping from place 10 place,
because his description is far better than any / can
give and to the untraveed reader fail of being
interesting lhe ascent of the simplon begins
from the posthoue in Beigg 1t approaches the gorge of
the sne skrting the verge of precipce at the bot
tom of which the torrent is at vast depth, forcing
its way among black and brstng slate rocks which
still shattered by the convulson which first gave passage
TO its waters 1t is of grandeur almost of terror
at the upper end Of the rvne high above his head the
traveller may discern mountains of ice and snow called
glaciers under which the road is carried After passing
the third refuge you to the gallery of Schabet 95 feet
longs 800 feet above Gys Near this and hence to the
summit should the sky be clear the traveller attention
will be rveed by the glorious view of the Bcnese Alps The
glitterng white peaks of the Breithom Aetsch, Horn
er and viescher- Homer magnificent objects in this
scene while below them two strips visible of the gla
cers of Alech of the most extensive in the Alps.
The fifth refuge is thus described by Johnson Here
picture of desoation surrounds the traveller. The
pine has longer the scanty pttance Of soil which it
requires for noushment the hardy but beautiful Alpine
flower ceases to cmbesh this sterile solitude and the
eye wanders and glaciers, fractured rock and
roaring cataract relieved only by that stupendous
of human labor the road ITSELF winding along the
edges of the precipce, penetrating the prmeva gran
ite strdng the furious torrent, and burrowing
through dark and dripping grottoes beneath acclmu
~ -. !. 4lfn.x ~.
road,'' continues Murray, between the fifth refuge
and the summit is the most dangerous of all at the
when the avalanches fall and touentes arise the head
of the gorge wild recess in the fanks Of the Monte
Leon Is filled up with glaciers, beneath which, along the
edge of yawnng abyss the road Is necessarily conduct
ed" Near here constructed the glaciers galleries.
party cxcavated partly built of (stone) masonry BY
an ingenious contrvancc of the engineer they in
place of bridges and aueducts at the time the tor
rents being conducted and beneath them and be-
meath the traveller is surprised to find his carriage
driven in perfect safety under considerable water
fall In the spring the avalanches slide over their
roofs" At the sixth refuge you come to hopioea
similar in all respects and forming branch of the
one on Mount st. Bernard. 1t founded by Bona
parte; it is large building of stone, three stories
high and contains about 80 beds for travellers who may
be caught on the mountain and need refuge They also
keep the Saint Bernard dogs We rode up to it, and
and welcomed by the venerable monk Father Barras
who resided rs years at the hospce st. Bernard The
venerable father provided with wine and other refresh
ments presented with couple of roses, and showed
us the establishment Its neaness and cleanness
minded of the houses of worship of the Shaking Qua
kes. He also showed the noble dogs which are some
times used to hunt travellers lost in the ayaanches Of
snow or benghted on the gloomy road short ride
from thence brought us to small dirty miserable, kept
Mol
u.s. we were forced remain and the rain, all the while
pouring down in torrents threatened to make road
very dangerous on the morrow
snco Of the completion OF
railroad Through Alps establishment beng longer needed
has broken