Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-10-22
The Rocky Mountains.
ELEVATION, GRADE, RARfFIcATIoy, TENPERA.
TCRE AND SCENERY

TCNE AND SCENERY.
we commence our asct nj of the mouu-
aims. The grade is mi orm, ri-ing IL
I3 miles 2,200 feet, and for the last ~
niles over so feet 10 The mile. The sur
face of the copnirv il still SIN, 9th and
undnlating, and covered sparsely with
the short, cIisp grass; while, as we
reach the summit, at Sherman, we find
ourselves upon the top of an immense
mound, stretching afar for many miles in
every direction, aud 5000 feet above the
ocean. Toward the north we behold.
perhaps % or more miles away, a mag.
nlficent anphithcatre of 25 miles diane
ter, sunk deep in the rocks and SURROUND
ing bills, aud known as the Grauite Can,
yuh. Toward the south, lG5 miles away,
PIke's Peak looms up, plainly visible |;
to the northwest, 100 miles distant, we
see Elk Mountain, famous landmark !;
and 10 miles To the southwest is Longs
feak. No range Of mountains Of inl-
poitant altitude is near, 10 raviues of
great depth, and the traveller who ex.
poets startling scenery of awe-insprinr
ihagnficence, or mountains of stupcnd-
Gus hight, will be astpnshed at the
evenness uf the landscape, although the
majestic distance will surprise bin. But
how cXhlaratimg the almost here! You
almost tecl ready 10 take Wings and iy
away, The air is cool aud bracing, the
sun shines brilliantly upon this immense
tableland, and the effect OF light and
atmosphere, together wi h :he sensation
OF extreme altItrde, overlooking peak
after peak and distant range OF noun
ta,ns, give to the behulder feeling of
dep inspiration aud high eXulIatiop. IL
Other words, you seem ~ be Oh the top
ct' creation. 1t is easy to feel happy and
Joyous there. Every face wears Il smile.
The scene is really one Of sublime
grandeur The wild, dcsolate country
around, stretching We know not how
many miles away, never relieved by u
single tlee, and scarcely by IL shrub, re-
| veal bleakness aud desUation every
where aud. as the sun declines, and the
shades Of night draw near, they tell us
the cold winds come sweeping down
across that summit ana whistles with a
iierceness we neYer knew at home in our
comfortable rooms. Never have we felt
such sensation OF being utterly alone.
No liie-ineplring object meets the eye,
All is solitude, complete Isolation from
mankind, aud you are left alone in the
presence of your Creator,
The exceeding lightness of the atmos.
phere sometimes affects the traveller uiI-
favorably. At first it is difficult to
breathe, tie lungs expand and the heart
fs Iti t..W ,.tc
you become accustomed TO it, and how
delicious are the deep draughts OF noun
tain air, reviving you and throwing q
double power Qt IMMIGRATION into your
rame.
The winters here are of unparalleled
severity. Even IN summer the cool winds
sweep sometimes gently, sometimes
S ron2ly, yet constantly stirring; and
If, ell our sleeping-cars need fires to make
them warm and comfortable. But in
winter the hottest fire can scarcely over
come the pifreing cold and double
windows, double blankets, and double
overcoats hardly suffice TO make the
tourist comfortable. Very little snow
remains upon the ground, being
mostly driven and swept away by
the winds. The largest quantity yet
that remained upon The ground Tor oyer
II year past was but three inches, and
hat tell il the mouth Of May. No dan
ger tn the working Of the railroad is APP
pretended from the depth of the snow /;
out the rapid formation OF diiits causes
ii very serious inconvience. Hence, we
often see snqw-sheds, completely cover
ing the track, wherever we pass through
IA cut of any magnitude, while on short
er curyes or CUTS q spow-ience about
feet high, stretching along the track for
several hundred feet in length and about
100 or $50 feet back The fences inter
rnpt th" driving SNOW, and torm an ed
dy or current OF air, which piles the snow
in huge drifts between them and the
track, thus keeping the railroad in a
measure quite clear. The east winds
usually brings gold rains and the deep
est suows; but the worst storms came
from the southwest. The coolest day
of the winter of 1869 the thel mOmeter
stood deg. below zero, One the warm
est day of the same season the thermom-
eler stood % deg. above zero. in sum
mer TING, however, in the middle OF the
day, it often rises to 60, 20, or even so
deg. but rcceded rapidly at night to
80 andsso Dig,