The New York herald., 1869-05-03
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.

Stations.
RENO STATION CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILRoAp.)
NEVADA, April l5 1869. I
LEAVING SACRAMENTO
In my last spoke particularly OF the climate o
Sacramento and how balmy and peasant the atmos
phere was and how advanced The vegetation ever
for California, Leaving Sacramento In the morning
eastward bound, unless posted, the traveller little
dreams what he has to pass through before night.
He hears OF mountains ard ravines, snow slides,
glaciers &C., and knows that he has TO pass over
some and through others: but there is a vague some
thing that appears like a dream until the reality
breaks upon him, until he finds himself among them
all, looking IN wonder ana astonshment at what
nature has created AMI what man has accomplished.
AT hafpast six A. M. we were seated in car Of
the Central Pacific Railroad; bound on the long,
long Journey across the Continent. The morning
was all that could be desired and it promised day
wherein all the wonders and beauties OF the route
across the Sierra Nevada mountains could be
viewed to the greatest possible ADVANTAGE. There
was fresh northerly wind that cleared the atmos-
phere and rendered distant objects remarkably dis
tinct and his was remarkable for the voyageur
making the tour for the first time. Passing out OF
the station and skrting the northern end Of the CITY
we son in the open country, and one cannot
fail 10 remark the difference in It's appearance
from that OF the country south OF San
Francisco. The former presents appearance more
like ou Eastern States, well titled fields, with trees
of various kinds relieving the picture while the lat
Ter exhibits only vast expanse OF country relieved
only here and there with few groves OF live oaks.
AT the junction, eighteen miles from Sacramento,
the road to Marysvllle branches on, and this road
will be continued to oregon with great rapidity; In
deed enough TO reach Red Bluff will be constructed
this year. This feeder to the Central Pacific Will
be found OF vast Importance, running, as it does,
through an immensely rich country and one up to
this time only scantily settled. Emigrants will
throng along its line and five years hence
large and productive farms VIII be found where
now is only q wilderness At the junction we
stop TO breakfast fifteen minutes being allowed for
that operation, and here station buildings can be
found superior to many on much older roads In the
East and meal far better than the average OF those
furnished at railroad stations At this point was
fortunate enough to be invited to join the president
and superintendent OF the road, who in a special
train, were following the regular passenger train
bound to the end OF the track with the new COM
missioners to examine and report upon the recently
finished sections that have not yet been inspected.
This special train consisted OF the locomotive tender
and two cars-one 70 contain provisions and accom-
modations for the train hands, the other fitted up
the convenience OF the principal officers Of the road
when at the front and compelled to remain for days
in the wilderness. This car q model OF comfort
and convenience. and the luxury OF travel would be
TO nave IL OF nVe 10 cross the Con-
tnent in. 1t has Kitchen dining room, large sleep
ing apartments, and drawing room fitted with lux
urous lounges easy chairs tables, &C. and in fact
every article to render thousand mile ride nothing
more than a mere pleasure trip. / could not help
wishing that was going through without break, for
then the few miles OF staging from end 10 end OF
track would have been nothing. Having the Oppor-
tunity OF going along with this select party found
of great advantage; very much information
given me, and many points shown that other
wise would have renamed IN ignorance OF. Indeed
/ was in luck and made the most OF it,
UP THE MOUNTAINS.
AT Newcastle station thrty-one miles from Sacra-
mento commences the heavy grade Here the freight
trains take the heavy thirty ton ten wheel engines
wherewith to make the ascent, which is continuous
until the summit is reached. From Newcastle to
Auburn, FIVE miles, the is ASS feet, ninetyone
feet to the mile. Between Dutch Flat and Alta, two
miles the grade Is 100 feet to the mile, tue heaviest
grade on the road beng ll6 feet 70 the mile. Upon
this portion Of the road as soon as you commence
The uphill work the view in every direction is
passingly fine. or to the westward the Sacramento
valley can be viewed in all Its loneliness; at one
point you catch a view Of the Marysville Buttes,
range OF hills rising suddenly out of
the scenery is much the same, ranges OF nils and
mountains, well umbered, rising one above another
as far as the eye reach, while at the eastward
the snow caps OF the Serras can be observed coming
closer and closer at every turn OF the road and
presenting much more cold and cherries appear
ance than when viewed ninety miles OF from the
vicinity OF Sacramento.
St t"nnssx Il Town nained after the Vice President ,
tne platform OF the station covered with pas
sengers bound in different directions. Here the Vest
ward tram was met, ana the place presented lively
the town don't amount to much yet, but a radical
would, from us name, have doubtless pronounced 1t
a,n,, we approach Dutch Flat the operations
of hydraunv Ionl. , On he seen in every direction.
For some tinie We nave been Passing sulces
mines and we had a nne view OF the amount q
labor done in the locality through which We passed
Entire hIls have been washed away, and In some
places when an extended view could be obtained,
the country for miles looked as Il 1t had been deso-
lated by freshet. Other points were noticed where
some swut-running stream, their little camp looking
like speck in the wilderness around them Here
were well able 10 Judge or the nardships endured
by the miners OF early times in their prospecting
expeditions and location SO far away from all that
appertalned 10 civilization. Gold has Its lasclna-
tons, l will acknowledge but could not see the
point OF gong through so much hardship and priva
order 10 obtain it,
1t would MI book, and one OF respectable dimen-
sons. 10 describe at length every beautiful view that
Is obtained along the line OF thIs great railroad You
cannot see them all on one trip, for Yeie your eyes
the other Wh;cEsvsr '.e s% eass p,stafs @ on or
- ,vr expressions Of delight and 1t must be
% nunian being devoid OF feeling who can pass to the
sun summit without acknowledging that the picture ne
Iole NJ, IS uhexceled In beauty 90 no, say tns
because have seen no other, and do not wish the
HERALD readers to think that IL Is novice seeing
magnificent scenery for the nrs time thai y wrtng'
No; Europe, Asia and south America are OLD riends
re,rsct nacs ssen one woSd Of what have said and
an gong 10 say respecting thls Journey. 49,.
i will take the celebrated point called 'Cape
Horn. where the ROAD makes a sharp curve around
a precpice several thousand feet hign, as one place
alone where the grandeur OF the landscape can be
witnessed TO perfection. You LOOK down upon
fork OF the American river that appears no bigger
than creek you could step across; you watch u ln
its turns and meanderngs for miles through ravlnes
Whose walls appear almost high as the mountains
you are crossing. Mountains and valleys, covered
with a magnificent growth OF forest ugnber, and
peaks OF the sierfas snoW-covered are b,lore you,
and above you tue mountains rise TO height tnaI
cause you to think you cannot DC Ia, Hon os n aar
base, aud yet, to make false step would SEM YOU
down a distance so great that dislike TO think Of
AZ, for the precipice Is almost perpendicular Here
II was that Mr.. Crocker, the superintendent OF the
road was nearly lost Dy OF the ground giving
way when attempting TO crawl around the point;
he succeeded In graspng root that held him until
others by reaching over, managed 10 grasp hln and
haul him 10 plaCe OF securlty. morse anl