The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-11-05
prom the Editor.l
Across the Continent.
SAY FnANcrsco. Oct. 9;


4eros. the Continent.
Sax Fn,xctsco. Oct 23d.
W. -, :. - 49,. -. :, q
.,.i..L ..,,.u.. "a - - o.h, 100
0e'0NN' "sny 30 nou's hVn' ""'"''
miles. and 3fi3O miles from Bidleford which VIC
|. len Friday morning, and seven days from Dos
10, Thu r.,,,l,r tain which len Omaha with
'o"' i"S 800
-
The average running Tune Was Menty-iour anu
/. h,ls miles an bour. but considering that We
were three hours late NJ frommtory ltne emu Oh
A. Ill.,, p..;6o \ .,J mar, NJ An. ,av won, n,
the OhIpn i"o"OJ m" P"''V' wv ""y "'"' ~
the rate of FIVE, ten, fifteen and twenty miles an
-.
hour, Tor hours, u VIII DC seen that NJ tunes our
-. n soo.I -. xo,w ,,,..t N. x-c arrival ex
is'o " - W
aety accoruuhg 10 tue Scoeuue' ine 'no'n'"s
papers contain the 'oiio"ing'
r,Inan PSlass E.pIsss Train ever run throusS to
San fIsnsi;so serSss The PnsIss ka,lrHsd, having
Of dnwing.room apartments, with eommissary and
dining car . ,sS snsh .h mas 81 iSs a n
and the luxurious accommodations, which have
eurnsy%
k.ofs,s ns, TO-, 70 neo NJ , n nnSss I.s
ears, and whose indonit,ble energy and enterprise
sausIlSd Sciiites, whereby we have accomplished
our quincy IaG'd e ana ss1a' sans suyi
tendent Of Union Pscihc Railroad; and A. n.
porSe RsIIlcaS' who are ever rsady to provide for
the public by putting this train upon the rOad We
Who eoOseu plate visiting the Pssse and Atlantis
Sp% Sf PSiiman'. SPECIAL Pslaes ESpreSs train.
Loan GARLir;; NJ. p Great britain, Ill.,.
J. FRspsRic CaEsTa.s, Gfsat britain,
IE Rr, y; ST sIsIna san fian''0'
4. II; THOMPSON, Ms<achasstts,
CAPTAIN /. d. CnvRcm, Chicago, ILL.,,
Mas. ~ J. HASenE IT. Chl SsfI, III,
JOsEru BEckER. New York, and others.
Looking back over the long distance traVersed
through bleak deserts, along b0undless prairies
and over almost impossible mountains, oy day
and by night, at this time man must be great
ly insensble in whose breast thanks to merci-
fal Providence DO not spring up and hnd utter
anee.
The condition Of the Union Pacific road to
within 200 miles Of its western terminus Is not
very excellent but Is good. Amer leaving Raw
lings, $50 miles, thence to Promontory the road
bed is very deficient in ballast, and II not bal
lasted before the rains wash 1t, serious accidents
must happen. AS soon rs we struck the oei-
tral Pacific the change was noticeable, and the
road which we passed over IN the day-time' Is
equal to any eastern road. The rails on the
Central are 4 inches high and weigh To lbs TO
the yard, while ON the Union they are ~ inches
high and weigh % lbs. to the yard.
In the Sicrras we found the cold much greater
and more piercing, although 1000 feet less
Rocky Mountains. On alighting from the cars
at Trucker ono only notices that the air is frosty
like sharp October morning in the East !;
but in few moments he fnds himself pierced
through and through with the frost Of this
rare air. Indeed, l never experienced In our
coolest winter such sudden aud painful sensi-
ton Of cold, rs in the few moments at the sum
init OF the Sierras. Here our track IS much
more perilous than at any point eaSt' ana winds
along the she'll cut ont oil the mountains WnlIe
on the one side we look down upon the CLOUDS
which hide rayines SOo feet below. fos li'
miles we descend grade OF W ieet 70 the m'ie'
through 10 tunnels cut through the mountains
the largest OF which IS lo'o ieet IN iens'h' tue
next Voo ieet' &C. on the 'ehtfai are inc III
nous woodsheds which cost TO onhd Slo'"o
per mile, and we pass through iorty miles OF
them, not in darkness but scarcely light enough
to see to read inside the cars Snow Tails In the
s'erras % iee' deep oy ae'uai measurement out
hils light ana the hist sunny Jay Will se''ie
u nearly one-thlru' ins ro0'S u ue s"eu'
along inc sneh O' inc mountains a'o YUM ''os'
I" 'ne mountain anu ". '""'' VI "O" "'
supporters ior ireiuen''! SNOW, "'n'e' a"'
oouiders roll uo"n EVo IONS over tue uaoA in'o
the valleys below "hue coming uo"n 'nrU'sn
these she's one OF our hnsnsn 'rienus' '"P@
Fr'ce s'epPeu On inc 'iah :" s"PfS' '''
ter and al'housh WITHIN 5" ise' Oh inc 'ear
car nc was uhaoie 10 o'er'aAe "hen 'ne
brakes were iooSed' so rapn un inc sraue
cause the Tram 10 star'' fortunately way
tram soon p'cSea nun up anu he arr"o' In TINS
city SATURDAY evening
Nearing the descent NJ p'ue canon wei a''eh
along mountain shelf WHERE standing on the
platform one looks down declivity commenc-
ing not two feet from the track, into canon
200 to 300 feet deep the grantees, ana most
awful scenery aons the en'fs DISTANCE. !"
'nese mus ar. sOia n'ine' "n''a "ONu I-. :"
enHy iVu' """' ep'"N, ~
mines TO DO something IKE the coal m'"es' o'
the sides OIL the mountains, oa' 'ne' A'' no.. VI