Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-05-18
EUrAw HousR, Baltimore, Nd, I
Sunday. Nav g. 1860. (

Ohio river, the valley Of which for few
miles is = mile or so broad, with the best
Of bottom lands, which are very rich, and
are highly cultivated Then the hills rise,
increasing into mountains hundreds Of feet
IN height; some arc tillable TO otheirsummits,
Others are ali rocks piled up in grandeur by
the hand Of the great Creator, where they
have stood since the time He said 'lct the
dry land appear" The track Of the rail
road winds through the valleys, around the
bases Of the mountains and through them,
still rising higher and higher, until at AL
tarnonte, the road is 2,70o feet above Bait
imore. Az Mouudsville, had glimpse
Of the great Indian Mound from which it
takes its name, on the summit Of which
there is a dwelling. 1t makes grand dis
play from the road, and the scenery around
here is very fine. But we 60 dashing on
up the mountain, sometimes drawn by two
locomotives, where the grade is too steep
for one-then dashing into the mountain
four or Eve hundred feet under the rocky
crags Of its head, there for several seconds
to be in Egyptian darkness, with a trenor
going through your whole frame for fear
that some casualty may happen in such 3
hole, Then emerging into daylight on the
broad brow of the mountain, with one of
the most magnificent psnoramas of nature
spread out before you that the eye of man
can look upon; but which the pencil of an
Angelo only could paint, and then fall far
short Of the reality. The train made many
stops where the passengers got out and
viewed for several minutes the beauties and
native grandeur and the great skill and
science Of engineering displayedin building
the road. Mr.. Smith, Master Of Transpor-
tion, who accompanied the train, was always
on hand to point out the sights of particu-
lar interest of construction, and the sights
Of natures great picture gallery which are
so numerously interspersed from one end Of
buO IOuLo W bu0 ObuCTs we iutu0 u SIODht
Tygart's Valley to call on the aged couple
who reside there: Henry Church, aged
Ill years, his wife 107 years, and maid
en- daughter about 70 years; there is also a
SOP, their "boy," aged 20 odd, that we did
not see, as he was out choppiDg in the
woods. These aged people are hearty and
active. / talked and shook hands with
them all. / asked the old gentleman if he
hoped for the future, and if he had treas
ure laid up in heaven, to which lie replied
"yes" He is an EngIishmsn and came to
this country with King Georges troops, but
deserted from them. For upwards of 80
years himself and wife have walked through
life together. What couple! 1t seems
almost a miracle that they have both beer
spared SO long. For more than so years
they have lived on the same spot and il
the same log cabin. The valleys are eth
er filed up, or immense iron bridges
built that are almost as enduring as tht
rocky foundation itself The river scenery
is very fine; sometimes broad and deep
running as placidly as the Hudson, thor
rocky, with the rapid current rushing
madIy along over crags and precipice,
like miniature niagara. The Falls o
the MonongaheIa are as romantic, though
not as sublime as Niagara. We stopped
fifteen minutes to view them. After leav
ing Texas Station there was one of th,
charming pictures which one could scarcely
conceive its grandeur in ten minutes
view. At Grafton we took DINNER at tn
Company's Dining House; remaining a
hour, and then proceeded. In about al
hour the conductor came around and light
ed the lamps to give us light in goinl
through Kingwood Tunnel, which is 4,l0l
10 length, cut through the solid rock; thi
tunnel alone cost 81 100000. I took ou
my watch 10 see the time in going through
which was two minutes and thirty-iye sec
onds; but the time seemed much longer
These tunnels are all arched with doubl
courses of brick laid in cement, and ther
is really no more danger in passing throug
them than in going over any portion of tn
road; but II caused feeling indescribabl
TO c,,me over me as would dash into III
side Of vast mountain. There arc 8
tunnels on this road, some Of them only
couple Of hundred feet in distance, yet su
iicieus 10 shut out the light of day, an
make a darkness that could almost be fel
Then came the Cheat River view which q
ceeds sil other views on the road and pr
sents some Of the greatest skill in engil
eering that can be found on the continen
I cannot describe it in a letter. We Al
now npproaching Altamont, the summit
the mcuntains, where we have reached a
elevation Of over half a mile above the eli
Of Balhmosel Here tbe waters divide an
run TO the Atlantic ocean and the Gulf
Mexico. Al Cumberland We stopped f