The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-08-05
WEDNESDAY. AUGUST S, 1868.
ACROSS THE SIERRA NEVADA.
THE FIRST RAILWAY PASSENGER TRAIN
FROM SACRAMENTO OVER THE
MOU Y T AIN.

railroad passenger train over the Slerrf
Nevada:
"Desiring to be among the first to crosi
the Sierra Nevada by through train, the
writer left San Francisco at P. M. or
Wednesday, June 18th, by the steamer "
Semitic, in company with several friends
bound for Silver Land. 1t was long past
midnight when the heavily-laden steame,
| reached Sacramento and tied up at the
| landing. .-...
The train moves out of the town of So.
| cramento, across the Slough past the un'
finished round-house and immense machine
shops of the Central Pacific Railroad Com
pany-in which an army of workmen viii
be employed Mt no distant day-up the Val
lev, along the northern outskirts OF tht
rambling town, and then by q long bridge
across the American river. AS we emerge
from the trees and shrubbery along the
American into the open plain which
stretches away to the eastward towards the
foothills, the mighty Sierra Nevada looms
| up like a gigantic cloud-bank against the
eastern horizon. The mountains for long
| way upward from their base are enveloped
| in q dim, blue haze, which contrasts beau
| tifully with the snow-felds on their SUBMITS
flashing against the blue sky and lighted
up by the glory Of the summer morning
sun. One distant peak sparkles like on
iceberg, with all the hues of the opal an
| other is tinged with delicate pink, like the
! inner surface Of sea-shell and third If
of pure brilliant white, like frosted sil,
yer. The country at one point is open and
! treeless, like a western prairie, and at an
! other dotted with wide-speading trees, like
the 'oak openings Of Michigan; but the
soil is poor, and few herds OF horses, ano
now and then the residence of some small
ranchman or hcrder, are the only. signs q
| life we see for miles and miles. The coun
trv is poor, uncultivated, and, for the mos
part, unfenced and uninhabited.
i" AT the Junction, eighteen miles from
Sacramento, a branch road leading towards
Marysyille takes away a portion Of oul
passengers, and four miles further on VIZ
come to Rocklyn, where are the immens'
granite quarries from which an unlimited
supply of building material for Sacramento
and San Francisco is obtained, with sim
ply the trouble of quarrying.
q Now we enter the foothills, and as WI
commence to ascend more rapidly, the grea
mountains before lis seem to sink dow1
until we lose sight of them altogether, ant
we do not see the snow-felds again for {
long time. The sun is shining down upor
lis from an unclouded sky, and the heat Ii
such as to drive us all to the shady side
the cars. Luscious strawberries, ripe pears
cherries, and other summer fruits, arr
brought through the cars for sale. Every
thing around speaks of midsummer. 81
UP THE MOUNTAINS. ' 49,"
"The engine blows and whcezes will
short, sharp aspirations, and the feeling o
weight as we lean back on the seat tells III
that we are ascending a steep and lncreas
ing grade. Newcastle, Auburn,-a prett.
little village and somewhat active place
Clipper Gap, and New England Mill, al
more or less important mining and trading
posts, are passed, and at $3.50 A. M: we haV
ascended two thousand four hundred ant
forty eight feet, and reached Colfax, ftty
four miles from Sacramento, where stag
roads from Grass Valley, Nevada, and othe
rich mining towns, branch off. The town
built of slight materials, and does not looi
| as if made for all time. Here we shoul(
meet and pass the down train from the sum
nit but. snow-slides beyond the great Sum
init Tunnel have delayed the train betweel
that point and Reno, away down on I'M
Truckee, beyond the Sierra and after walt
ing few minutes, just long enough to par
| take of capital cup OF coffee and a nlc'
spring chicken on toast, at the depot, w
move on. ..-.-....
"Soon after leaving Colfax the cars pas
on high embankment around Cape horn
and nervous passengers begin to looi
around anxiously, peering with evlden
trepidation down into the depths below
Around the edge of canon the train whirl
steadily along, q branch Of the American
river living like yellow ribbon hundred
on hundreds of feet below. Eight mile
from Colfax we pass the mining camp o
Secret Town, and look back into the vale.
from an elevation Of 1885 feet-somethlns
greater than that of Mount Tamalpals
Up, up and onwards, ever climbing steadll.
skywards. Through the openings IN th'
mountains we begin to see other mountain
beyond, whose peaks are covered with snow
| and the hot air of the valley reaches us NJ
longer, the breezes now being tempered
| by the snow-felds above. The atmosphere
is gloriously exhilarating, and our spirits
rise as our corporal substance ascenos
| heavenwards. . ..s.
"At sixty-seven miles from Sacramento
we look down upon the well-nlgh exhausted
| placers and town of Dutch Flat-tiat enough
the town appears at this time. Two miles nile
further on we reach Alta, at an elevation o.
1926 feet above the sea, almost the height
of the summit of Mount Diablo.. Here We
expected to, but did not, meet the descend
ing train, which had been delayed by ar
accident on the other side of the summit
by which the cars between Reno and Co
hurn's. or Truckee, had been thrown Oft the
track and smashed up, making it impossi'
BILE for the passengers to reach the summit
by stage in time to connect with the regular
train on the western side Of the mountain
Here the roofs of the houses begin to pltcE
sharply, after the styleof Alpine cottages
an Indication that the snow falls heavily
here in the winter. The mountain sidesare
covered with magnificent pines, when IN.
crease in size as we ascend 10 a polnt Son'
distance above here. -, IL. :.
2"The stream, far down at the bottom Q,
deeper canon, is now o satfron-coloreo
thread, and we cling to the side OF the haee
mountain as o swallow clings to acilt
Snow now appears on the heights but ut
tle above US, and at intervals along the
road where there are deep cuts, long, sharp,
rooted sheds Of heavy timhers, to ward OIL
the snow-drifts, rise over the track. Pass,
ing Shady Run station, we reach the trs'
tunnel, 500 feet in length, seventy-hve
miles from Sacramento, and 4, 500 feet above
the sea. The mountains are growing more
rugged, and the snow-helds come down 70
level with the road.
THE HEART OF THE SIERRA. -'''.' I.