Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-06-17
Incidents of an Alpine Railway.

A csrrespondent of the Hartford Chr
rant writes from Paris an account of a
trim over Felps Alnine railway Mr. Fell
the constructor of this line. suilt the
Mount Washington railway in the White
mountains. he rims American cars
over the Aims. The Couranfs CORE.
snondent savs. "The carriages are about
half the len0tb of onrs at home with seats
on each side. 40 that the Messengers face
each other as in an omnibus. and with
windows at the sides. from which it il
difficult to see out when one is squeezed
in tight on the seat. with his hack to them
The cars are also yery narrow. the track
beino onlv three feet ak or seven inches
gange. 40 ,hat thew are not much more
Comfortable than an omnibus. The fare
6rs, olass was twentv. q vs sacond class
twantv-two francs. from Susa To ST
Michel The time occunied in the massage
he;nc from fonr IN five bonrs
"1'he locomotive, of these trains are
smoll cnmnact and nowerfnl. their
trncls as we'll as those Of The carriages.
act veil in tbe middle 40 that thew can
tnrn very short curyes. The track has
three rails. one elevated in the center.
Rss;des its ordinary driving wheels. the
Iocomot;ve has two horizontal wheels
mh;oh nrass This third rail on eitber side.
and i "a bv this strong traction that the
train ia nnlled nm. The carriages have
corresnonding wheels for the center rail.
hut tbeir only use ia to keen the train on
The track Roth cars and locomotive
ha.o dophle sets of breaks. one for the
ord;narv and one for The center rail. so
that tbev can screw the cars to the track
nth ne Grin of a vice and render Il
oIr,ost ;mness;ble for the carriages 10 run
amav Tbsra ia avery nrecant;on against
accident: and / should only fear the
snow storms of winter. and perhaps an
svelancbe in some places high mn which
are not roofed in.
UOnr train seemed to he a huge live
ron,;Ie with legs and claws that crawled
M % hv ;,s own nower. IL literally dug right
* Iii and we faIt ourseIves mount-
~ nd iooL;no hack conld abe the deem
;neI;na On The curves where the wheels
not aood Grin of the rail. we moved
w;,b case and more ranidity than on a
s,r;aht mil vhare the locomotive evil
San,iv labored more. and we rose more
s,owly. Tbe steenest grade ON the road
;s ons foot in nine feet. but this is only
Co.. short distances. Tho rise of one in
.wsiva % ia more ,common. and the least
Sof wb;cb anv note ia taken) il one in
t ,twan,y.6ve The curves are 40 short as
to he startling. We seemed to turn in a
o. " ~ a. shert as an ordinary wagon
opnid The shortest curyes are on a
% .eS;ns of onlv one hundred and twenty
cot. % ,bst ia our train would run round a
,;eo n;eoia I onlv two hnndred and forty feet in
S;ame,er % 0ur track was all the time in
s;ah, bebind and before. running along
rs s,.sn bill aides. and Constantly doub-
linz l;ke oompressed letter s.
Snnr view was, for the most psrt. nm
;n,errunted and magnificent The sum
~, lsvel ;s about six thousand four
bnndrsd feet above the sea, aud before
we reached it we passed into o covered
nov hnilt Of wood at the sides and arched
with iron. and we were immured in this,
in ,bs ascent. descent. and on the level Of
four or Eve miles. should think; dark,
nnnleasant passages, made worse by the
smpke and fumes of the locomotive.
Tboss covered waysare absolutely neces-
sarv 49, os a nrotection against ayalanches
% snv nlaces and against the falls of
sno~ e. lonr distances. Through the
oL;nLs ~ he boards I'oould ses tue snog
5 u;l.J mn HIGH along the way, The sum.