Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-07-11

sion Bridge appeared 10 full view ana seemed
to be delicate loot bridge in the distance
although II has Q double track and is the
longest bridge of the kind in the world. It's
span is 1000 feet long between towers, 90
feet above high water, and is suspended by
six immense wire cables, each about inches
in diameter. E.T
Wheeling cannot be called beautiful city.
The buildings are plain, and everything is
besmeared with black coal dust, Ia Pitts
burgh. But Wheeling doubtless has more
dimes, in consequence of her blackness, than
her more comely sister Cleveland She has
no Euclid streets to swallow up her surplus
cash. Her capitalists invest in rolling mills,
blast furnaces, nail factories, machine shops
and other manufacturing establishments;
hence the city has grown in spite of its ILL
favored location, dirt, smoke and plain build
ings. Hope our real-estate owners viii take
hint from our remarks about that city.
At 10 o'clock A N. we took the cars for
Baltimore and Washington. After proceeding
twenty miles, we commenced pitching into
the hills, which soon became mountains in
their proportions. Aftef winding and thread
ing through the mountains for 700 miles, we
arrived at the village Of Grafton, where a
frst-cfass dinner was served up at the Com
pany's hotel. Here the Parkersburgh branch
of the B. & o. R. R. branches off and connects
at Parkersburgh, about 100 miles below
Wheeling, with the Marietta Railroad.
Leaving Grafton, we soon reached the
lovely valley of the Tygart where the scene
ry is surprisingly rich and beautiful. The land
scape softens and becomes much more civilized
with the marks of agriculture and habitation.
The Tygart River runs through this valley
In most enchanting manner, with an occa-
sional waterfall. 1t is here Where this river
unites with the West Fork and forms the
Monongahela. A quarter Of a mile below
the junction an iron Viaduct, $50 feet long,
crosses the latter stream. This viaduct Is
said TO be the largest Of its kind In AInariaa-
11onongahela7 we passed through ridge of
Mountains, BY means Of tunnel two hun
dred and fifty feet long, when we were ush-
cred into the valley Of the Raccoon Creek
Here the scenery becomes perfectly grand
and wild. Mountains seem to be piled one
upon top of another, apparently in endless
succession. They kept growing higher and
more bold, till we entered the region of
Cheat River, where they rise almost perpen-
dicularly, as it were from the waters edge to
a height of about 1000 feet. The river seems
to be enclosed between two gigantic walls
In order to enable the road to thread its way
through this almost impassable gorge, the
track had to be cut out of solid rock in the
side Of the mountains, like, we might say.
an immense shelf hundreds of feet above the
river. The engineering difficulties that were
here encountered, were really appalling
After cutting the road this way for miles, it
came 70 an almost impenetrable barrier, in I
he shape Of a long spur Of the mountain = |
Here the engineers were sorely puzzled how
o overcome this obstacle. They finally ran |
ne road zig-zag over, with a grade of oper
IVe hundred feet to the mile. The cars were
hauled up by stationary engines. This PROV
ng too slow, lRboriOus and expensive. it was
determined to pierce the mountain with an 1
immense tunnel Of about three-quarters of a
nile in length. Accordingly, the great King
wood Tunnel was built, at an expense of q
million dollars This tunnel is a most mag
lihcsnt piece Of WOrk-the largest in Amer /
ca-and, with the exception of one through /
he Alps, the largest in the world, The SEN
alton, on riding through the tunnel. is yerv
leculiar indeed. It's so intensely dark. that
me can readily imagine why the Egyptians
hould feel Of the darkness that pervaded
heir land during the days Of Noses. Before
ntering the tunnel, the cars were lighted. =
iven then the lamps only served to make
aTkness more apparent by contrasting the
utside gloom with the inside glimmer.-
After emerging from the tunnel, we entered
be table land Of Oakland, where It is as
3Yel as the prairies for twenty miles. Gre~~
10 the table land we mSiIa ---alfer ascent,
nd attained the LisIIest point OF the road,
lta----.'s which is nearly 1900 feet above
be level Of the ocean. It is said that this is
he highest railroad elevation in the world.
East of Altamont the road commences de-
,ending very rapidly at the rate Of ll6 feet
, the mile, to the village Of Piedmont le
lilies. Here the scenery is literally Alpine.
fountain peaks rise up one after another, the
lllest being fully half a mile in heiqht.-l
here is net another road in America that
as such stupendous mountain scenery that
to be seen between Altamont and Pied
lont. The tourist viii feel that he is richly
paid for a long journey if it is only to
fitness the mountains between Altamont
nd Piedmont and the scenery along Cheat
liver. - l-,,s5
Between Piedmont and the city Of Cum
srland the country is much less wild and
roken. Arriving st Cumberland at about 8
clock, we laid over at one Of the best of
otels, the st. Nicholas, where we obtained
veral hours rest, and resumed our Journey
2 o'clock in the morning. d
The country beyond Cumberland is not SO
ountainous and wild, and when we struck
e valley Of Shenandoah, it is as level as | I
e prairies. Eighty miles beyond Cumber-
nd, is the famous Harpers Ferry, madeever
emorable as being the place which John 4
rOwn took with only seventeen men, and +
Id till he was captured By several hundred s
irginia Militia and U. s. Troops. ~ y
The scenery here is immortalized by the
lnscendent description given by Thomas
derson, in his notes on Virginia. The
mtry between HaTper's Ferry and Balti- 0
ore, distant so miles, is very rich and '
ickly settled. The road follows the wind d
g Of the Potomac most Of the way, ena- d
ing the passengers to have good view of e
1t celebrated river.
Ehere is one pecuIarity Of the B. & o. R. b
We y, have not seen on any roads, excepting q
{ Sennaglvania Central. II Is bedded With P
oAen = stone It's whole length. Consequent-
y Is enQrely free from that great an RI
gsles o. rellroaa travelling, dust. A road
Qdea with broken stone has these sdvau. =
ges over the dirt bed, It heTer vim bol5 va
) consequently is free from the action of Of
'st. BrokenstOnes are not so easily V-ssbsd s.
ny Ry toe llater q gravel Og dfrt, a no. | o.