The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-31
ACROSS THE SIERRA NEVADA.
The FIrat Railway Passenger Train
from SacT am ntO over the Mountains.

The Aua California gives the following de-
scrption of the passage oil the nrst rallfoau
passenger train over the sierra Neyaaaisn nevada
Sierra Nevada by through train, the writer lett
San Francisco at p. NJ, on wednesday, June
IL, by the steamer Yosemite, in company with
several friends, bound for Silver Land: IL was
Dong past midnight when the heavily laden
steamer reached Sacramento and tied up at the
landing. gu..
mento, across the Slough past the undnisned
round house and immense machine SHOPS VI Uue
Central Pacific Railroad CompanY-ln which uu
army of workmen will be employed at no dis
TAM uay-up the valley, along the northern
outskirts of the rambling town. ana then by a
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 foot.hllls,
the mighty Sierra Nevada looms up IKE
gigantic cloudbank. against the eastern horlzon.
The mountains, for long way upward from
their base, ore enveloped in dim,
blue haze, which contrasts beautifully
with the snow fields on their SUBMITS,
flashing against the blue sky aud lighted
mn by the glory of the summer morning sun.
One distant peak sparkles like an iceberg, with
ali the hues OF the opal; another is tlnged with
delicate pink, like the inner surface OF sea-
shell; and q third is of pure brilliant white,
like frosted silver The country at one point is
open and treeless like a western prairie, and at
another dotted with wide-spreading trees, like
the oak openings OF Michigan; but the soil Is
poor, and few herds of horses, and now and
then the residence of some small ranchman or
herder, are the only signs of life we see for miles
and miles. The country is poor uncultivated
and for the most part unienCed aud uninhabited.
"At the Junction, eighteen miles from Sacra-
mento, u branch road leading towards Marys
vile takes away portion of our passengers
and four miles further on we come to RoCklyn,
where are the immense quarries from which an
unlimited supply of building material for Sacra-
mento and San Francisco is obtained, with
simply the trouble OF quarrying.
Nov we enter the foothills, and as we COM
mence to ascend more rapidly the great noun
talns before us seem to sink down until we lose
sight of them altogether, and we do not see the
snow fields again for long time. The sun is
shining down upon us from an uncloud sky,
and the heat is such as to drive all to the
shady side of the cars. Luscious strawberries,
ripe pears, cherries, and other summer fruits
are brought through the cars for sale-every-
thing around SPEAKS of midsummer.
UP THE MOUNTAINS.
''The engine blows and wheezes with short,
sharp aspirations, and the feeling of weight as
we are ascending steep and increasing grade.
Newcastle, Auburn, pretty little village,
and somewhat active pace-Clipper Gap and
New England Mills all more or less important
mining and trading posts, are passed, and at
800 a. Nj. we have asCended two thousand four
hundred and torty.eight feet, and reached Col
fax, ffty.four miles from Sacramento where
stage roads from Grass Valley, Nevada and other
rich mining towns, branch Off The town is
built OF slight materials, and does not look as if
made for all time. Here we should meet and
pass the down train from the Summit, but snow
slides beyond the great Summit Tunnel have
delayed the train between that point and Reno,
away DOWN on the TruCkee, beyond the Sierra,
ana after waiting few minutes, Just long enough
to partake OF capital cup OF coffee and a nice
spring chicken on toast at the depot, we move
on.
soon after leaving Colfax the cars pass on n
high embankment around Cape Horn, and
nervous passengers begin to look around auX-
iously, peermg with evident trepdation down
into the depths below. Around the edge of a
canon the tralu Whlrls steadily along, a branch
OF the American river lying like a yellow ribbon
hundreds on hundreds of feet below. Eight
miles from CoaX we pass the mining town of
Secret Town, and look back into the valley from
an elevation OF 2985 feet, something greater than
that OF MOUNT TamalPa,si ue up. and on wards
openings in the mountains we begin to see other
mountains beyond, whose peaks are covered
with snow, and the hot air of the valleys
reaches US no longer, the breezes now being
tempered by the snow fields above The atmo-
sphere is glorously eXhilarating, and our spirits
rise as our corporal substance ascends heaven
wards.
'At sixty.seven miles from Sacramento we
look down upon the well-nigh exhausted placers
and town of Dutch Flat; fiat enough the to oHn
reach Alta, at an elevation of 1925 feet above
the sea, almost the height of the summit of
Mount Dlablo. Here we expected to, but 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 and
COburn's or TruCkee, had been thrown off the
track ana smashed up, making IL Impossible lOr
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 roots
of the houses begin TO pitch sharply after the
style of Alpine cottages-an indication that the
SHOWS taI heavily there in the winter. The
mountain sides are covered with magnificent
pines, which increase in size as we ascend to o
point some distance above here.
''The stream, far down at the bottom of
deeper canon, is now saffron colored thread,
aud we cling to the side of the mountain as q
swallow clings to a Cliff. Snow now appears on
the heights, but little above u.s. and at intervals
along the road, where there are deep cuts, long
sharp-rooied sheds of heavy timbers, to ward
off the snow-drits, rise over the track. Passing
Shady Run station, we reach the first tunnel
300 feet in length seventy-hye miles from Sacra.
mento, and tour thousand five hundred feet
above the sea- The mountains are growing
more rugged, and the snow fields come down to
level with the road.
THE HEART OF THE SIERRA.
"Still up, up; the trees grow smaller; cedars,
famaTacks 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 grow
ing 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-a barren,
dreary, GesOlate country. 1t Is not at all like
the heart of the Andes as Church paints it.
, AT Emigrant Gap, eighty four miles from
paclamenJo, we meet the do Rn train at last, and
the IOau Is open before us Another tunnel,
three hundred feet in length We pass CRYSTAL
Lake, and are at Cisco, a town of shanties
which was for Il long time the teIminus of the
road
awe are 5000 feet above the sea, and still
ascending. The pines have almost entirely dis
appeared, and we pass through many long cut
blasted through the solid granite spurs of the