The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-19
Aero.. he Sierra Nevada.
FIRST PAssENGYR TRAIN FROM SACRAMENTO OVER
THE MOUNTAINS.

ASCENDING.
At sixty-seven miles from Sacramento we look
down upon the well nigh exhausted placers and
town of Dutch Flat fat enough the town ap-
pears at this time. Two miles further on we
reach Alta, at an elevation of 1925 feet above
the sea, almost the height of the summit OF
Mount Diablo. Here we expected to, bat did
not, meet the descending train, which had been
delayed by an acCident on the other side Of the
summit, by which the cars between Reno ard
Columns, CT Truckee, had been thrown of the
track and smashed up, making it impossible for
the passengers to reach the summit by stage IN
time 10 connect with the regular train on the
western side of the mountain. Here the roofs Of
the houses begin TO pitch sharply after the style
OF Alpine eOtJsges-an indication that the SHOWS
tall heavily here in the winter. The mountain
sides are covered with magnificent pines, which
increase in size as we ascend to point some
distance above here.
The stream, far down at the bottom of a deeper
canon, is now sahrOn-cOlored thread, and we
cling TO the side of the mountain as a swallow
cngs TO a cliff Snow now appears on the
heights but q little shove US, and at intervals
slODg the road, where there are deep cuts, long,
shaTp.rOOfed sheds OF heavy timber, to ward OIL
| the snow, rise over the track. Passing Shady
Run Station, reach the first tunnel 500 feet in
length, IS miles from Sacramento. and $500 feet
above the sea. The mountains are growing more
| rugged, and the snow fields come down to a level
| with the road.
THE HEART OF THE SIERRA.
Still up, up; the trees grow smaller, cedars,
| tamaTacks and frs take the place of the noble
pines, and we no longer see the red earth of the
| z Id bell below. Gray granite rocks are growing
| plentier, and the small mountain peeks on either
side of the road begin TO show bald iheads. We
are in the heart of the SeTra-a barren, dreary,
desolste country. 1t is not at all ike the heart of
| the Andes-ss Church paints it.
AT Emierant Gap 81 miles above Sacramento,
! we meet the down train at last, and the road Is
open before u.s. Another tnnhe, 300 feet in length.
| We pass Crystal Lake, and are at Cisco, town
| Of shanties, which was for long time the termi-
| nus of tie road
We are $500 feet above the sea, and still ascend
! ing. The pines have almost entirely disappeared,
| and we pass through many long cuts blasted
| through The solid granite spurs of the mountains.
| We traverse continuous snow fields and immense
| drifts through which the road has been cut with
| shovels for the passing Of trains. few hours
| since we were among the flowers 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 noun
tans of New England on any fine winters day.
| The streams which come down the sides Of every
| precipice, and dash in fOamy torrents down every
| canon, are cold ice from the melting SHOWS.
| Cinnamon are swarming ali along the road. They
| have nearly finished their work in this vicinity,
and sTe packing up their traps preparatory TO
| passing on over the Summit into the great interior
basin Of the continent. One hundred and two
miles from Sacramento we reach Summit Valley,
| and stand $500 feet above the level of the
| Lift Mount Tama bodily from its base, and place
| it on the summit Of Mount Diablo, and we could
still look down by hundreds Of feet on the double
| mountain height. The snow banks rise high above
| the road on either side. Two miles more and the
cars reach the entrance Of the great tunnel, loo
| feet in length.
THE SUMMIT OF THE SIERRA.
We have scaled the great Sierra at last, and ne
plls ultra might be written the granite walls of
the great tunnel before Us. We are 7O34 feet
| above the sea. The air feels cold and damp. but
| not oppressive, and we experience no incOnve-
nience from its ratification al this great elevation
The poet wrote:
he who ssoends to mountain tops shan End
| The lOiliest peaks most clad in clouds and snow.
Though for above the sun Of glg%y glow.
Roand him are icy rocks, and loudly blow
Coutending tempests on bis baked head,
And thus reward the tolls which to those IS led"
| The ice and snow, and rocks, and white, heecy
curing clouds, are all here, but there is not the
shadow Of tempest; and II there was, why should
| be face it baldheaded? We will not stop to dis.
| cuss that question, but merely ask ii as we pass
and reserve the point for future discussion. The
snow lies piled in immense banks above the tunnel,
and rises IN solid banks, with sheer precptOus
sides, on either side of the track. A swarm of
Cinnamon are busy about the other end of the
tunnel shOyelling 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 DumbeTless crevices aud seams in
the granite walls and roof Of the long, dark, cav.
eTnOus tunnel, but we struggle through on foot,
and aD&Ousy inquire after the prospect OF getting
the train across the mountain.
Two or three hours will clear the track. We
wait with what patience may, and at last at
four O'Clock the prolonged whistle of the good
locomotive "Ant-lope,n which has drawn US to
the summit Of the Sierra, is heard. GAN aboard"
shouts the conductor, George Wood, who has the
honor of taking the first passenger train across the
mountains, and the train moves slowly on. A
halt for another slide; another start, another halt
and so On, slowly and carefully. The snow banks
come down so close to the track that the caves OF
the cars rake them either side 1t is the closest
1T imaginable. Six more tunnels, ranging from
100 TO Sos feet each in length, in many Of which
We see great masses Of solid blue ice, hanging
down from the wall like alacttes and stalag.
mites in the mammoth cave Of Kentucky, are
slowly passed through. We have descended 600
feet already, and, as we emerge from the last tun
mel, the conductor eXclsims: " By Heaven, we are
over the mountains This is a new road, finished
this summer, and we shall have no more snow
sides!n 1t is true, indeed, the mighty task is ac
complished, after years of toll and the expendi
ture Of millions OF money. Words fail Us 10 de-
scribe our sensations; we will not attemptit.
DOWN THE EASTERN SLOPE.
And now the train with accelerated speed
moves steadily dOwnward toward the Valley Of
the Truckee. The steam is shut of, the brake,
put down, and as the eagle sets his wings and
! floats nOiselessly down. down, through the realm:
of air TOW ard the earth from his eyre among the
| clouds, we slide swiftly and smoothly down the
: activities OF the mountains into the Great Basir
| Of Nevada. Bonner Lake, as lovely sheet o
water as is to be found on earth, lies far below
among the pine clad hills, It's bosom unruffsd Ol
| a breath of breeze, and as blue and calm as tbt
, ! heavens above il. The road winds around thu
| pIecipitous mountain sides. almost encirclng d On
| ner Lake as it desCends, and following around
! ! long canon, mel king a circuit Of seven miles Il
| gain advance OF no more than a quarter of a mile
, | we reach the outlet of the lake, swift, rushnJ
, | stream of blue cold water. We have travelled q
miles and descended Is3 feet since leaving In,
| summit.
Now we descend rapidly, on one of the mos
, beautifully smooth and solid roads on the cont
, | nent into the romantic Valley Of the Truckee
whose mountain torrents come rushing and roar
: | ing out of the mountains from the sOuthwards
, | hidden in which lies the loveest sheet of waite
| on earth Lake Tahoe. The timber here is i'm
mense, and from this source the supplies for build
ing the road for hundreds of miles eastward arr
70 be drawn. Sawmlls by the dozen, driven bl
the rushing river, line the banks of the stream To-
3 miles and miles, and the hills swarm with labor
{ ers of every nationality and hue-Europeans
5 Americans, Africans and Asiatics 1.-THE latter i'm
e mensely preponderating in number)-engage'
in cutting down and preparing the timber TO