The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-31

7O4s feet above the sea. The air feels cold and
damp; but not oppressive, and we experience
no inconvenience from its ratification at this
great elevation. III.
heecy, curling clouds. are all here, bat there Is
not the shadow OF q tempest; and IL there was,
why should he face 1t baldheaded! we VIII not
stop to discuss chat question, but merely ask II
as we pass, and reserve the point Tor future dis
cusson. The snow lies piled in Immense banks
above the tunnel, and rises IN SOLD banks, with
sheer precipitous sides, on either side OF the
track swarm of Chinamen are busy at the
other end of the tunnel shoYelling away the
snow, which has come down the great Sides
bringing with il huge granite rocks upon the
track. The water pours down in torrents from
numberless crevices and seams in the granite
wall and roof of the long dark cavernous tuu-
mel, but we struggle through on foot, and
anXiously inquire after the prospect OF getting
the tram across the mountain.
Two or three hours will clear the track. We
wait with what patience we may, and at last,
at o'clock, the prolonged whistle of the good
locomotive Antelope which has drawn us to
the summit of the Sierra, is heard. All
aboard y shouts the conductor, George Wood,
who has the honor of taking the first passenger
train across the mountains, and the train
moved slowly on. halt for another slide;
another start, another halt, and so on, slowly
and carefully. The snow banks come down so
close to the tracks that the caves of the cars
rake them on either side 1t is the closest fit
imaginable. Six more tunnels, ranging from
one hundred TO eight hundred aud sXty.three
feet each in length, in many of which we
see great masses of solid blue ice. hanging down
from the wall like stalactites and stalagmites in
the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, are slowly
passed through. We have descended six hun
dred feet already, and, as we emerge from the
last tunnel, the conductor eXclaims, by
Heaven, we afe over the mountains This is q
new road finished this summer, and we shall
have no more spow-slides' 1t is true, indeei,
the mighty task is accomplished, after years OF
toll and the expenditure of millions of money.
Words fail to describe our sensations; we will
not attempt 1t.
DOWN THE EASTERN SLOPE.
"And now the train with accelerated speed
moves steadily down wards towards the Valley
of the Truckee. The steam is shut Off, the
brakes put down, and as the eagle sets his
wings and floats noigelessly down, down, down,
through the realms Of air toward the earth from
his eyre among the clouds, we slide swiftly
and smoothly down the activities of the
mountains INTO the Great Basin of Nevada.
DOnner Lake, as lovely u sheet of water as is to
be found on earth, lies far below US among the
pine clad hills, its bosom unruffied by breath
OF breeze, and as blue and calm as the heavens
above 1t. The road winds around the precip-
tOus mountain sides, almost eucICling Bonner
Lake as it desCends, and following around
long canon, making circuit of seven miles to
gain advance Of no more than a quarter OF q
mile, we reach the outlet of the lake, a swift,
rushing stream of blue, cold water, We have
travelled niue and half miles, aud descended
seven hundred and eighty-three feet since
leaving the summit.
"Now we descend rapidly, on one of the most
beautifully smooth and solid roads on the con-
tinent, into the romantic valley of the TruCkee,
whose mountain torrents come rushing and
roaring out of the mountains from the south
wards, hidden in which lies the lovelest sheet
of water on the earth, Lake Tahoe. The timber
here is immense, and from this source the sup.
plies for building the road for hundreds OF miles
eastward are to be drawn. SaWmillS by the
dozen, driven by the rushing river, line the
banks OF the stream for miles and miles, and the
hills swarm with laborers of every nationality
and hue Europeans, Americans Africans, and
AsiatiCs (the latter Immensely prepondeTatug
in numbers) )-engaged in cutting down and
preparing the timber for the road.
"As the first through passenger train sweeps
down the eastern slope of the Sierra, John,
comprehending fully the importance of the
event, loses his natural appearance of stoldity
and indifference, and welcomes with the swing
ing of his broad brmmed hat and loud, uncouth
shouts the iron / torse and those be brings with
| him. Well may he shout Millions of his an,
CestOrS JUIlcu IUl yCore years 10 eFeCI against
! the barbarian Tartar a barrier over which he
! should never break; the Tartar wave broke
over it, and inundated his land at q single surge
Nature erected between the East and West q
barrier such as in other lands divides countries
and makes enemies of natOns,' and john with
his patient toll, directed by American energy
and backed by American capital, has broken
it down at last, ana opened over it the grandest
highway yet created Tor the march of commerce
and civilization around the globe"