The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-05-23

Buzzing DER the vale,-
Bless me! this is pleasant,
Riding on Rail-"
The excursionists met at the Nc Clure
House in Wheeling, on Thursday evening,
the 3-d inst, and effected an organization
by appointing Harper, of the Mt. Vernon
I(O.) Banner, Chairman, and sundry gen.
tlemen Secretaries. A committee on res
olutions was appointed, of which Capt.
Heaton was Chairman; and other pre-
liminaries were arranged.
On Friday morning, at eight o'clock
the train of ten magnificent cars, contain
ing nearly three hundred guests, started
from Wheeling. The locomotive was
decorated with flags and flowers and hung
with wreaths of evergreen, prepared by
the fair hands of the ladies of Wheeling
Every State in the Mississippi valley was
represented, Ohio presenting the largest
number.
The irst point at which we stopped was
log cabin of the pioneer order, near
Broad-t tree tunnel. Here the entire par
ty left the cars and paid visit to the
oldest inhabitant. When we went to the
cabin, and heard Mr. Smith the indefati-
gable and accommodating Master of
transportation, pronouncing tie old gen
temans age to be one hundred aud nine
years, we looked at the old man and was
not little surprised to see old Henry
Church, or "Grand-dad Church" as he
was more generally called. Mr.. Smith
also introduced Mrs. Church aged lO2
and "their promising little girl" aged 80.
Church came to this country with Corn
wallis, and has since made it his home.
From this place we passed through
picturesque and beautiful scenery for
many miles; now rattling past pleasant
village. and again shooting through q
tunnel, until we halted to view the Valley
River Falls, near Grafton. These falls or
rather rapids elected numherless express
sions of admiration. Many regarded this
as the finest scene on the route. The
clear blue river dashes down alb. ut twenty.
Eve feet in few yards over huge rocks,
splashing, dasEing and roaring to it,
foamy bed.
/ After leaving this stream We :ommenc
climbing tho Cheat River Mountains
1t is through the dividing ridge between
| Valley River and Cheat River that tn,
Ig-eas Kingwood tunnel, over four thou
sand feet in length has been cut. W.
dive into this huge cavern, dark damp ant
cold, with mountains over our heads, ant
, emerge into daylight TO see the romanti
/ and wild scenery of Cheat River. Her
e the track winds around the mountain
while on the left we look far, far dow
into the mahogany colored water of tn
rapid river, and on the right the mountai
; rises nearly perpendicularly almost beyon
the vision. The river seems to have wor
9 its bed, cutting down between the peaks
, , the banks on either side rising, abrupt
: in places, hundreds of feet. Lookin
/ from the car window downward and to
;. ward the opposite side one is almost i'm
2 pressed with the idea that he is ayin
through the air in the mrie of eagles
:. Crossing Cheat River we again com
e mence climbing the mountains. Here
5 exhibited the most stupendous eDgineerin
work ever undertaken by mortal man.
was while viewing these works that N. r
Willis said that fifty years ago, ma
. would as readily have expected to receiv
. an invitation to visit the stars on the ia
!. tof comet, as to be asked to ride in
: |csr across the lofty Alleghenies. All da
it trains stop here to allow travellers
It view the grand viaduct aud the romant
2 scenery. ~ ..s.ss- $500
) Ascending q few miles further we com
{ to AItanont, on the summit Of the All.
: ghenies, and the highest point Of land q
= tanned by any railroad in the Unite
. States. The village is situated on tt
dividing ridge, from one side Of which th
Il Ifzs 4
waters Cow to the gulf of Mexico, an
q from the other into the Atlantic Oceal
From here we descend the celebrate
grade of ll6 feet to the mile for II miles
II A celebrated English engineer prove
livery satisfactorily that such a grade coul