Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-09-02
6. C9wles d Co. Publishers 2 @ q


ls5-sv CLEVELAND, O., Aug. 80th, 1861.
What would ypu say, my easy-sOipg sir
or madam, who rise just in time for your
coffee and morning paper at s O'Clock, to =
ride up the Allegbanies this morning at
SUNRISE The proposition may not strike
you favoTably, b1t II did me, for the sake
Of novelty, if for no other reason. Rising
therefore as the sun was gliding the sum
mits Of the mountains about me, noeoti-
atod With our social e0nduolOF Green, Of
the Pennsylvania Central, for my favOrito
seat upon the back Of the locomotive, and
as the train left the wide awake, hard
working town of AltOona, and begun the
ascent of the mountains, you could not have
persuaded me TO exchange places with you
for sll the promises you could make OF lux
uriOus ense or heavenly dreams. There is
q wild excitement, and glorious exhilara
tion which one feels nowhere else, in be-
ing perched NJ upon Che very back of the
fiery dragon, where the boiler, with all its
fearful powers for your convenience or
your destruction, is under your very nose,
and the roaring, consuming furnace clutch
es at you with its blasting breath whenever
us ponderous door is opened for more wood
en- victims, aud where you know that upon
the skillful manipulation Of those levers
aud valves and pipes depends not only
Jour existence, but the hves Of all on
board the train. But the elimination Of
al that is wild and exciting is when, be-
Jag thus located, you dash to aud through
the tunnel, almost three-qnsrtGrs Of a mile
/ long, at The summit of the mountain. Then
the scene and The feeling becomes not only
6earful hut Internal. Before ou is not
ray oflght for tbe tunnel is curved You
are pluBging into the utter blackness o.
darkness. Your eyes are OF no use, bRr
your ears do double duty for added to the
clashing and thnudering Of the engine are
the deafening reverberations from the
yaulted sides Of the gloomy cavern. Your
fireman opens The door Of his furnace, aud
the red glare m kes Of him q very demon
feeding the roaring fires Of hell Travelling
by night, you would Rave the glow Of the
locomotive headlight, but here you see
nothing and know nothing until at last
the day dawnsi and you are once more upon
the earth.
The passage Of this road over the noun
tains is a wonderful triumph of engineer
ing, the grade between Altoona and Cres-
son averaging "a feet to the mile, and ID
some places being more than 100. Aside
from the magnificent scenery which greete
the psssenger atevery point, the road is
one of the most pleasant in the whole
country to ride upon. The track being bal
lasted with stone, there is no dust what
ever, and the cars are luxuriaus and spa
cious The uouble track enables the COM
I pauy to transact their immense husiness
with great dispatch and safety. IN short,
/ the Pennsylvania Central is a model road.
/ AT the MOuptain douse, ~ Cresson, among
the other numerous guests, is Major Ander-
1 son He was &C the sthtion this morning,
and seems to have much recovered his
Wasted strength. A-oa bet4
Upon the Cleveland e. Pittsburgh Road
we crossed the newly built bridges over she
Big and Little Beavers, where, tvo weeks
ago, there was only Wild waste Of water
aud drift-WoOd. such dispatch is worthy
of all praise. A.E Al rIE
! And so, home again, alter lying triI
through twelve States and District
Bp30TIE8 s D. r