New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-08
NEVADA.
Over she gIountains-The Eniifond-f"'
Wagon Road- Douner Lake Virginia
Correspondence ofThe ~ Y. Tribune

June "a, l5ta |
Though pioneer Californian, this is my 1lrs'
trip over the Sierra Neyadas. Whatever miB'' "'''
x,en and were the hardships Of the early o'eranu cur
agrant. IN their passage over the snowy nou,.ius
on,v neasure.trp now even for Ladies. You leave
Fen Francisco ut D. in the Crysepois OF iosei's
ard al midnight arc lying quietly at ile oacramc'o
-shsrE Finishing your nights sleep IN peace an IN
orfo,. vo, 90 ashore al W., take a hasty breaS
fast and are off FOR The moUltans on the 1r OF Use
t.,,raI Pacific Railroad IN two hours Including stop
,,rcs at half dozen more way stations, you are at
Clipper Gap the present terminus 40 miles rom Sacra'
ento and 1900 feet up tho sopa Of the mona
suns and at midnight Usually you at Virginia.
better road thus far thin the CENTRAL PACIFIC is not
built in the United Stases The sructureis Solid evenly
leveled and scarcely any vibration Of the cars Is felt
You can read your 10 per with much while 60
ding the rate of 31mies hour as If seated IN your
easy chair in your sanctum; If. indeed you are
sble TO withdraw your gaze from the wild scenery
through which you whir away into hefastresse OF the
Golden Hills ol the very site Of the railroad. where
* passes through Auburn, the county town Of Placer
County dug fI gold l6 years ego. Thcn.not house
existed and but few tents Of brushn which the min
ers burrowed after the days work was done. the gold
.panned cute and put away in the bottle or oucksSm
tar. What changol Who then dreamed that The
Steam
m the lifetime Of those who delyOg for the shin
Ing ores
Al Clrper Gar--where an imprompta town is being
xpdly bun, TO meet tue demands OF trade and travel
Ri the terminus takes further stride 70 lhnoisio"n
few months later and le miles uIwe enter six-horso
Concord coaches nod start or at saiop over broad
xnooth eveny.graded road. known as the dutch
Flat and Bonner Lake Wagon Road Does the reaAoF
.ank trip the famous Sierrs Neyadas, 'Ooo iee'
high at the "Pass" where we cross the summit is z
toilsone uphill business If he is seriously mis-
taken All the way up thunder along the SIDES OF
teep gorces around points where The solid rock walls
rise hundreds of feet above your head while below
well it looks fearful but there is no danger, though
you can hardly into The dephs-at the average rae
nj ten mile, an aonr II il marvellous enterprise the
construction of such a wagon road To LOOK gu tne
hills niled on Mills before you and the fearful Gallons De-
meath, il seems impossible that road could be pni
over which six-horse coach shc1d travel at speea
seldom attained on the best turDpikes Of the Atlantic
States and cutie as safely 700. To be sure eases 81
pyerturn down the precipces have occurred and he
and limb been endangered-Ost OF brolen-but always
from carcessnoss.
Leaving Dutch Flat c. miles from Sacramento, we
snter tie dense forest OF tai AtTees ineiningled WIN
mines and cedars II is magnicently sober yet beau
iifa and 10 tao tud suggestive If grizzly BEARS but
We saw nothing more terrible than the nmbe izard
Everywhere aoDS tie road are SuOstant aisoat umes
MISUNDERSTANDING. pictnresguely situated, with
sssr cold mountain streams 10 encnch ne thirst ard
MI the Injuries Of civilization at tho command Of TIE
traveller Approaching the summit. the higaer ranges
OF either hand and the FAR distance Clustering
with fields Of snow OF which We made seDsD.c by
the Increasing cooness Of the clear. cxhilarang at
taosphere of that elevated region. We pass through
drifts Of in tie gorges almost bene ath our wheels
fy.nr along the road while clouds 81 dust whr hitler
and thtlei from tie horses iee-not foot from dust
~ snow wall.
Now we are at tie summit, IFS approach was tt
gradual as scarcely be perceptble. But seated OF
si,e top Of The behind The presiding Jehu, mag
nihcent view opens down the canon TO Bonner Lake
four miles below; and away on. between toe sRowl
peaks following tho Tructce River where it breah
through the seeoad summit Of the Sierras. and look
out upon the Humboldt Desegt. As We 60 down Tx
canon the scene is wild and fearful beyond description
In the descent re pass through the remains q an eLor
nous avalanche OF STOW. which down from tn
oyerbau cling peaks one day last W1tor. covering h'
road 100 feet deep and burying beneath hs caiil
shroud Travellers, who were passing on foot at The
precise moment. Five mOnths after their entombmeIi
tbey were dug out frozen stark and stiff The ho,es
from which their bodies weredrawn still intact in
the Snow wall not dozen feet from tie passing coach
The road lhN DceD feOpencu ny a uetP cut "HicH Ia
covered the unfortunate Travellers.
Down, down We thunder along; the rocd scans ia
cling Ike thread along the Perpendicular sides OF
preciYces-doEn still down, go, 100 feet in mile
ortwo till We approach Bonner Lake, four miles iros
the summit where chance afforded 10 clean on
the redundant dast and satsfy appotes On fresh
Lake trout
The most romantic part Of tbopassage over The noun
tain here ended and with it the close Of day We
had 90 miles further to CO. down the Valley OF tie
Truckee and then away southery to reach virginia.
the Silver City. Weariy through The night III a. M,
podded on, when the goal wac reached IN 70 hours
Of travel from San Francisco.
The Bonner Lshe Road. through tho Truekee Pass,
Is the general reste Of the Pacific Roil,Oad. Tho
western slope OF the Sierra s gradual ascent,
exceeding grade 81 los feet to the mile and the
init ia reached in a distance Of lC4 Ins from Sacra
mento; willie the slope is accomplished in less
than dozen miles ct the grade. The Great
Basin beisg 5000 feet above level the eastern
descent 10 than lsO miles a. sink OF tie Hum
boldt is but about 600 feet OF which u made
when the road siikes ,he Truclee piver twelve miles
from the surnuit During the two years ary 10
carry the road over theiierra, thousand miles might
snd sbond te bait over tn natural rodes If the Preot
SAX LGke Basin, and casa Of the Rocky liountuins
Cars shonld and may be from Kew York TO San
Francisco IN the Fan Of ai,e year 1870 II only a
reasonable degree of energy !, manissea by The CON-
paDies whom Congress has Efficiently lowered in aid
, ofthe grand enterprise. .r..l. -r.I.
The route from Virginia to tAis prncpa town Of the