Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1863-09-26

| Jo"u ." INaHyt ttue Bruuuest puenOmenOn
Of creationi t't r
1t was about FIVE in the afternoon when
we reached the Derifs Bridge. Clouds
had begun to gather round tbe mountain
tops. Squalls of rain had compelled US 10
put up the carriage top. 1t was growing
colder. We were near the ST. Gothard
Pass, and all the signs Of vigor in the high
Alps were apparent. AS we drew near the
lam us bridge, we alighted and sent for.
ward the horses. A precipice above us, q
precipice below us, and the river, now
frlghtiuI IN its violence, bursting from rock
to rock as If it had been sent out of one pool
into another by volcanic discharges, and
hlling the air with spray. The stream was
dark, almost black, in the low light o! even
Ing. Ii seemed at once to be affrighted and
raging with Internal passion. 1t. made me
giddy to look over and down into its whirIs
and vapor.spitting depths. To gain foot.
hold for the road, the face Of the perpendi.
cular mountain had been cut, and the bridge
springs from the solid mountain across the
abyss to tie almost equally steep rock upon
The other side. Here, across the span Of
the old bridge, which yet stands many feet
below the new one, the French and Austr
ans, and afterwards the French and Rus
SLAMS, fought desperate battles. II would
need but such a rout above this turmoil of
spray and waters TO complete the idea OF
internal violencei Down the sheer face of
rock fell the dead on 1 wounded, to be wrap.
ped 10 the borrid winding sheet that scarce
could let them forth till they were dashed
| over falls-ground against rocks to powder.
: q H. "a, 4. II
stream, looking down upon the bridge and
tormented river, seeing visions and dream
ing dreams OF horror, there came lowering
and black, around the corner Of the noun.
tain, cIoad driven by the wind, torn aud
ragged, eddying and unfolding, borne right
! on toward us, filling the gorge from side TO
side, aud pelting forth from its depths large
drops of singing rain From the west, be
bind us, faint cold light shone against it,
only to give it ghustly relief We were
swallowed up within it, aud men and bridge
and mountain and torrent seemed changed
into gray specters. Only the thunder of
the water held its proportions. But we
were shadowy men, the mountain was most
ly gone, and only points of it stood grimly
forth. This movement of storm.cloud
through this gorge was oil that was needed
to crown the hour! ..ts s-m- hs.s
Arrived in few moments at Hospen.
thai, we were glad of supper. bed, aud
sleep. This same Reuss was flowing past
and beneath our windows. We walked al
times through the night, aud still heard its
sonorous chant as it moved OF to It's des
tiny. ! could not help being affected /
was in the tops of the Alps, strangely ex :
cited by the sights and scenes through the
day. 4 was among people of q strange
| language. aud my own mother.tongue lay
| almost dead within me. Those whom
loved and had dwelt amoug were far off
over the land and beyond the sea. And as
awaked from dreams of home to hear out
OF the darkness of the night the hoarse
song of the river, that had but just heeu
released from the entertainments of the gla
cier, and was now holding on its way. that
should not know an untormented moment
till it rested 10 the Lake Lucerne, will
confess to some waking dreams and visions,
some sal imaginings Of human life, that
were more somber than the dreams of sleep
had been. "e
But morning cleared them oil away.
The sun was already over the mountain
tops, the air was clear as crystal, the ex.
quisite green of The mountain sides, along
which we were that day to travel, filed US
with secret JOY that stood out well on the
dark background of The night.
Now came our first saddle experience.
We were to cross the Furea Pass. Our
valises and bags were on porter's back.
| was a good mules load The fellow was
slender, young, and seemingly not strong.
But he rose up with bis burden, bound to
a wooden frame fitting the back, with
straps around the shoulder, and led off the
journey For two days he was in the lead.
But once did we pass him. and then be was
sitting on q bank TO rest. The burdens
which these mountaineers will carry, the
journeys that they will make, the little
fatigue they seem to feel quite puts to
shame our more slender physical manhood.
Away we went; no more road, only path
through the thin strip of meadow, that
shifted its quarters from one side of the
Reuss 10 the other as the stream changed
its course. Flowers inuumerable lined all
the way. We set out to gather specimens,
but We soon saw that if we took all we
wished, We should come 10 at evening like
"aino VI nsg' my uoie0 ooou oeCauo my
faVorite. He was small, we'll built, silky
hair, chestuut-colored, with Zoe head,
broad across the eyes, with small muzze,
large eyes and nostrils, and small ears He
was ambitious and quick-paced Alasl the
guides put him into the second place, be.
cause he would go too fast if 10 the lead
Not once in two days Of climbing up or
plungng down did be slip or stumble. '2
Till nearly twelve, We wound our steep
way along the mouutain.sides, still rising
toward the summit. aud yet never seeming
to make any impression on the mountains
on either flank, that lowered up apparently
as high above us as if we had not four
hours climed toward their tops. Allmoun'
tains, in Eastern America, are the merest
bills in comparison with these gigantic
Swiss Alps Six thousand feet Is great
attainment for an Allegheny, but 1t would
rank an Alp among the dwarfs. The very
valleys are from three to six thousand feet
above the level Of the ocean, and nothing
under ten thousand feet do we regard as
FIRST class mountain. "a +'
W. o.s.iad Aauears Nth ne al tha No ~