The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-05-19
Is naas@lAl C Ess1 Snasnss.
WAimxorox. Maysl


WA1nSorox, Maybe
j lived We satu1ay norning. and I've
eSimprovfg the tin to1ood advantad -
Most Of the western editors came : week fgo,
and have returned But the few Of US Who are
now here, particularly thoscirom Iowa, find, that
whatever may have been the attentions given 70 j
t,eir predecessors. they have not been neglected.
Those Of N now here With ladies are much I'M
dabted 10 the Senator's and Representatives from
our State, andparsicularly.so 70 hn. Harlan ana
Mrs. Curtis.
left Newark, Ohio, Friday morning, and
came through 70 this city, just 500 miles, N -
hours running time, riding over the Western Or
mountainous division Of the Baltimore and ONO
Road by daylight / should like 70 take my
readers over this road, through its tunnels, over
is immense iron bridges, along it, dizzy mcun-a
tain de6les-show them the Potomac, the Pa
tapsco, the Monongahcla, tho Cheat river seen
cry, but my descriptive powers are entirely nr-
equal to the task. After Mr. Jeffersons descfip-
ton Of Harper's Ferry, which everybody has.
read, think it is hardly worth while for me 70
attempt anything in this direction. !
From the Valley Of the Mississippi there Is =
continuous, but till you reach the Ohio. very
gradual ascent, until the summit Of the Ailegha-
mics is reached at Altamont, point nearly eqai-
distant between Wheeling and Baltimore. Here
the waters flow towards the Atlantic and towards
the Gulf, the road bed being $500 feet above
tide water and several hundred feet below the
blue SUBMITS of the highest peak. For many
miles on each side Of the summit, and IN TACT
from the Ohio, there is surfeit Of grand, noun
tain scenery. One grows weary Of looking down
into Wild rayines and up at bcetling crags-
dashing over mountain torrents and through dark
pine forests. s@
7 had never formed an adequate idea of the
difficulties to be surmounted in constructing this
road In common with everybody else, sup
posed money could build a railroad anywhere
that earth was found for it to rest upon. But
had not comprehended the fact that Virginia was
all mountains from the Ohio to Cumberland. In
fact. the traveller Is not out Of sight of what
would pass for mountains in Iowa, until ne mas
nearly reached Baltimore. The main stem OF
this road is $40 miles long, and with the various
branches there is total length of over five hun
dred miles, two hundred miles being double
track. On the main road there are fourteen tun'
nes, all solidly arched with stone, iron or brick
The longest is seven-eighths Of mile, and cost
million of dollars The whole road cost over
thirty millions of dollars, if Irecollect Alright A
small army Of five thousand men are employed
in the various departments. Two hundred and
thirty locomotives and four thousand cars are in
use The annual revenue of the road is over five
millions of dollars.
The management of this road is no doubt the
very best, very few accidents having occurred
| upon it. A great many watchmen are employed,
their boxes being seen at the tunnels and at all
the deep cuts and other points, and every pre-
caution taken to prevent accidents.
! Since my arrival here, l have looked at the
National Capitol, and been filed with admiration
at its gorgeous dornments-looked at the Treas
ury, Patent and General Postoffice buildings, a
the White House-seen Mills equestrian statues
/ of jackson and Washington, visited the Conserv
atory in the Capitol grounds, and seen grea'
variety Of exotic plants from China and Soutl
America-seen great many lions, small ant
great-visted the Congressional Cemetery
heard Dr. Stockton preach in the Hall of TIL
House. and seen Potter, of Wisconsin, the mai
that Pryor concluded not to fight with bowie
| knives. 5-s.
/ Our party expects to visit the Navy Yard to
day. where the Japanese Embassy will probabl
be received, listen to a speech from Douglas il
the Senate and visit the Smithsonian Institute
Tomorrow we go to Mt Vernon.