The New York herald., 1868-06-07

The Mount Gents Railway-Trial Trip ON the

The Mount Gents RaiIway-Trinl Trip ON the
Line.
ISt Michel May 2D correspondence OF London Times.l
There are not few OF us who can remember be
It only dimly and as boyish reminIscence, the
opening OF the first railway, when Mr. Husksson
lost his life and the greatest soldier OF the day Is
reported to have felt less inclination 20 entrust
himself to the iron horse than he had shown to
mount his charger. Thirty miles over level
and well prepared road was thought extraordi-
nary and perilous feat TO be accomplished by
steam traction that the announcement that within
forty years similar means OF locomoton would be
successfully adopted over the summit OF one OF the
highest mountain ranges Of Europe would then have
been laughed at as the dream OF insane enthusi-
asst ACROSS the Alps In Four Hours" reads like o
very sensational heading and the success OF the
sommering Railway cannot be said TO have prepared
the world TO believe In the much greater feat OF rail-
way over Mont Gents. Like most great and auda-
Cous novelties, the design had TO contend against
the doubts Of the incredulous and the apprehensons
OF the tmld, to say nothing Of the opposition and
manQuvres OF rival interests. There nothing
easier than TO make 1t look highly dangerous not
20 say wholly impracticabe, to persons at distance
Thrown together. With ones feet ON the fender on
chilly January night how natural 10 conIure up
visions ofa fororn train. looking In the distance like
string of coflns drawn by portable stove, toiling
its way over the snowy expanse of a huge Alp until
st slipped back over glacier into fathomless
BILE perdition Happy, then the prudent folks who
preferred the tedium and discomlorts Of the fine old
pace OF three miles an hour TO the hdeous risks Of
over. Alpine steam traffic believe there are still
some old ladies In England who have never entrusted
their valuable lives to the tender mercies OF any rail
way, and certainly four-horse coach daily takes a
good load OF nsdes and outsdes In four hours down
to Brighton
The time hitherto employed dn the various trial
trips recently made In getting across Mount Gems
has been little over four hours OF actual locomo-
tton. But soppages are Inevitable, chiefly for the
purpose OF watering the engine, and the journey will
hardly take less time than i've hours ana naif AT
teas under present arrangements. IL is great OBJ
Sect to economic weight and consequently much
water cannot be carried. The unnecessary weight
Ol the French engines has To be saved In other ways
The provision Of the French law by which machinery
katented anu used IN France must proceed from
rIench manufactures has been dsadvantageous TO
Snis company IL would not be surprising u English
engnes were hereafter TO be introduced on the
staen sue OF the mountain, which IL the more dil-
cult OF the two The engines must then be changed
~ the station before arrival a the French frontier
thero marked by large stone with "Ttalia,' on one
Side ana FRANCE on the other. on the journey from
Busa there are four stoppages for water and two on
che ascent from st. Michel the tourney 10 Italy
Going down the mountain stoppapes for w vafer
occur, because no steam power IL used the train
proceeding by its own momentum. When under
steam no more pressure Is put upon the central rail
shan really necessary for perfect safety because
The greater the resistance opposed the larger must
be the force employed TO overcome 1t, and the
greater consequently, the consumption Of fuel and
fhe wear and tear Of machinery.
side are CisQione, ST. Martin, Bard and La Grande
Croix. Half mile below Bard isone Of the wors,
sooking bits Of the whole line combination o
sharp curves and stin gradients. Az the CrandC
Crox the ascent is about terminated the train get
khe frontier station, and the descent begins
tanslebourg Is the main staeon on tne I'm I'm
Ind the locomotive depot, and 10 Is there tina
che engines are at present changed. Aiter