Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-07-22

of the summit of Mount Diabo. Here W,
, expected to, but did not, meet the descend
, ing train, which had been DELAYED by al
accident on the other side of the summit
!, by which the cars between Reno and Co
burns or Truckee, had been thrown off tn,
track and smashed up, making it impossi
bic for the passengers to reach the snmmi
by stage in time to connect with the regu
lar train on the western side of the noun
tain. Here the roofs of the houses bcglr
to pitch sharply after the style of Alpine
cottages-an indication that the SHOWS fal
heavily here in the winter. The mountain
sides are covered with magnificent pines
which increase In size as we ascend to a
point some distance above here.
The stream, far down al the bottom of a
deeper canon, is now saffron colored
thread, and we cling to the side of the
mountain as a swallow clings to a cliff.
Snow now appears on the heights, but lit
tie above us, and at intervals along the road
where there are deep cuts, long, sharp-roof-
ed sheds of heavy timbers, to ward off the
snow drifts, rise over the track. Passing
Shady Run station, we reach the first tun-
mel, 800 feet in length, Is miles from Sac
ramento, and 800 feet above the sea. The
mountains are growing more rugged, and
the snow fields come down to Il level with
the road.
THE HEART OF TIE SIERRA.
Still up, up the trees grow smaller :;
cedars. tamaracs and frs take the place of
the noble pines, and we no longer see the
red earth of the gold-belt below. Gray
granite rocks are growing plentier, and the
small mountain peaks on either side of the
road begin to show bald heads. We are
in the heart of the SIERRA barren, drea-
ry, desolate country 1t Is not at all like
the Heart of the Andes-as Church paints
it.
At Emigrant Gap. 81 miles above Sac
ramento, we meet the down train at last
and the road is open before us. Another
tunnel 800 feet in length. We pass Crystal
Lake, and are at Cisco, town of shanties,
which was for long time the terminus Of
the road.
We are $500 feet above the sea, and
still ascending The pines have almost en-
tirely disappeared. and we pass through
many long cuts blasted through the solid
granite spurs of the mountains. We trav-
erse continuous snow fields and immense
drifts, through which the road has been cut
with shovels for the passing Of the trains.
\ few hours since we were among the flow
ers. ripe fruits, and singing birds of the
valley, sweating under the summer sun;
now we are in the midst of dazzling snow
fields. and the atmosphere and aspects of
the scene are such as we might find in the
mountains OF New England on any fine win
ter's day The streams which come down
the sides Of every precipice and dash in
toamy torrents down every canon. are cold
as ice from the melting SHOWS. Cinnamon
are swarming all along the road. They
have nearly finished their work in this VI
cinity, and are packing up their traps pre-
paratory to passing on over the Summit IN
to the great interior basin of the continent.
One hundred and two miles from Sacra-
mento we reach Summit Valley, and stand
eco" 1-vo atUsU tII, l~,-~I of tho eoa- ift
Mount Tamapais bodily from its base and
place 1t on the summit of Mount Dablo,
and we could still look down by hundreds
of feet on the double mountain height. The
snow banks rise high above the road on ei-
ther side. Two miles more and the cars
TtdCi the tuiIauCt VI lllC great tutttis L
90 feet in length.
THE SUMMIT OF THE SIERRA.
We have scaled the great Sierra at last.
and ne pluS ultra might be written on the
granite walls of the great tunnel before US.
We are 7,043 feet above the sea. The air
feels cold and damp, but not oppressive, |
and we experience no Inconvenience from
-, Il,
The ice and snow, and rocks and
white, tieecy, curling clouds, are all here, \
but there Is not a shadow OF a tempest !;
and If there was, why should he face it .
baldheaded? We will not stop to discuss
that question, but merely ask it as we /
pass, and reserve the point for future .
discussion. The snow lies piled in i'm I
mense banks above the tunnel, and rises (
in solid banks, with sheer precipitous
sides on either side of the track. 4 .
swarm of Cinnamon are busy at the 9TH
er end of the tunnel shovelling away the
snow, which has come down in great
slides, bringing with it huge granite .
rocks upon the track The water pours |
down in torrents from numberless crevices
and seams in the granite walls and roof of
the long dark, cavernous tunnel, but we
through on foot, and anxiously
inquire after the prospect of getting the
train across the mountain.
Two or three hours will clear the
track We wait with what patience we
may, and at last, at four o'clock the pro-
onged whistle of the good locomotive
Antelope which has drawn us to the sum-
nit of the Sierra, is heard All aboard,
shouts the conductor, George Wood, who
las the honor of taking the first passen-
ser train across the mountains, and the
rain moves slowly on. \ halt for another
slide ; another start, another halt and so
IN, slowly and carefully The snow banks
come down so close to the track that the
caves of the cars rake them on either side.
1t is the closest fit imaginable. Six more
ranging from one hundred TO eight
hundred and sixty-thrce feet each in I
ength, in many of which we see great
masses of solid blue ice, hanging down
rom the wall like stalactites and stalag- ;
mites in the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, {
ire slowly passed through We have de-
,cended six hundred feet already, and, as {
We emerge from the last tunnel, the con-
luctor exclaims: By Heaven, we are over '
he mountains, This is new road, fin {
shed this summer, and we shall have no ;
more snow-slidesn 1t is true indeed, the
mighty task is accomplished, after years of I
oil and the expenditure of millions of
money Words fail US to describe our SEN
'ations we will not attempt it. '
DOWN THE EASTERN SLOPE.
And now the train with accelerated {