Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-02-02


The finest railroad ride in the world,
/ perhaps, is from Vienna to Trieste, dis
tsnce Of about $40 miles, the most Of the
way over mountains, or through them, or
near them. The building Of such road is
3 wonderful accomplishment. The ride IS
very much like that across the Alleghe-
MES, only still more magnificent. We
started from Vienna ct $50 on Monday
taking a slow train that we might have q
better view Of the scenery along the route.
At frst we found only g besutiful land
scape-level on one side Of Us, and hilly on
the other. Before noon the mountains
were nearer, with their sides as well as
tops covered with snow; then soon We
were in the midst Of them The day was
beautiful, and the bright sunshine above
us added still more to the glory around us.
At first the heights seemed robed in only
q thin covering Of gauze, the green appear
ing through the snow; then it was dense
pure white.
We drove on, sometimes looking down
upon 9 village many miles below, where
! ell wss green-not fake Of snow has
reached that Around US is light snow,
for we are higher, and far above US it is
deeper and denser. Here is q steep, oraggy
height, along the edge Of which we are
moving at a speed OF only twelve miles an
hour, but apparently quite fast enough for
safety, for We are passing around as upon
| q high gallery. A great gorge falls away
TO our left. and all slong it the mountain
pesks, without order Or arrangement. But
still up. Now the snow is an inch deep.
! And here is q tunnel We dash through
1t in'o the light, only to plunge into
another little way beyond; and looking
far ahead, we see another ready to receive
us before long. And looking back, we
discover that we left Eve minutes before is
smoking as if the mountain were on fire,
and itseH were the outlet of fumes-hole.
And now those Gothic piles that look
| like SO many giant Cathedrsls, large and
small, only that they have not yet been
followed out for human use. There they
have stood, Of solid rock, sending their
spires revereDtly toward heaven for these
tens Of thousands of yesrs-while as yet
there was no race Of man 10 admire or
wonder or worship. And here we look
down into a beautiful valley, not green
any longer, but where the snow is deep
enough for sleighing; and above it stands
\ an old ruin-the castle once Of some proud
knight, but the home of owls and bats to-
day. Could its occupant lock out through
its open windows TO see our smoking loco
motive SO near his strong place Of defense,
he would despair Of any further security
in such refuge; for we are higher than
| his bulWSrks ever reached.
And now single look at the magnif-
cence that presents itsslf-mountains and
gorges, little farms and hamlets-mist
and struggling sunlight, and still another
magnificent old ruin, are all in the picture
But we are going higher-fsr, far down
these steep walls stands that little cluster
Of houses, with church in its midst; snt
we dash away from them into the deeI
darkness of tunnel, through which We
pass in little over five minutes. But 8
length we begin to descend-the snow
grows thinner-and yet thinner. Soon i
has disappeared The grass is green agail
and fOcks of sheep are here and Their
among the hills.