Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-10-12


The fun is exciting and becomes in
tense as we time by our watchesa speeI
of 80 and 55 miles an hour. On be
yound US stretch the plains of Wyo
ming, Como, and Medicine Bow. w,
catch elegant views as We make sud
den bends or some emagnificentsw sweep
and almost double back upon our for.
mer course. At one place we remem
ber splendid curve of miles, wber,
we sweep around a long valley, and
yet return again to within a mile o
our starting place. Elk Mountain
looms up on our vision and as nigh
ialls upon us we enter Rawlings, 16l
miles from the summit. The eXhIla-
ration Of the scene, the intense ex.
citement of a ride so fine, so daring
ana bold, and the glimpses we catch
of scenery so beautiful and inspiring
are too great a strain upon our ener
gies, and it is long before we can closC
our ewes in quiet slumher. One grand
ride like this fills TO the full the en-.
/ ioyment of the tourist. Were the Pa
/ cific Railroad worthy of no other in
/ terest, we would be satisfied with that
! grand locomotive ride down the Rocky
/ Mountains, with the deep blue sky
and snowtOpped peaks around and
/ above Us.
ECHO CANYON.
The next morning gives US a fine
view Of the Green RiUer Country
Standing upon the rear platform OF
/ the train, as.it first sweeps around the
mountain side and strikes the banks
of the Green River, we look down its
beautiful valley, 50 green and peace
| ful, and behold on its furthest verge
| the bold rocks Of the Colorado Canon
made so memorable by the eXplOra-
[ ton of Major Powell's expedition
/ Our vision is necessarily short, but the
/ view is grand; those majestic rocks,
with their precipitOus sides, appear to
/ rise 8, 900 and /, 900 feet above the lev
el Of the valley, while the pure azure
sky imparts blush sOftened haze, en-
hancing the picturesqueness Of the
I scene.
/ At Wahsatch, few miles on, we
/ pass the Wider POmOlOgicdE Party,
just returned from California and
have few moments to enjoy their
I conversation, and to taste a little of
/ the immense trout caught in the
/ stream near the station. An Observa-
| ton car, about so feet in length, with
seats at the sides, without any cover
| overhead, is attached to the rear of
/ the train. The passengers thrOng in
| from al the other cars, and soon we
dashed among the grand rocks of
/ Echo Canyon. We pass first, and sud-
/ denly too, through n tunnel, which Is
. of itself an interesting feature. It is
/ 40 feet in length, cut through hard
red clay and sandstone. From the
east it is approached by two long piec-
/ es of trestle-WOrk, one Of which is
go feet long and 80 feet high, the
other $50 feet long and 75 feet high.
On emerging from the tunnel on the
westward side of the mountaiH, we
/ beheld a beautiful little canyon down
/ below us, with anarrOw strip of grassy
bottom land. The track follows close
/ ly the sides of the mountains, with
I scarcely room for an additional foot Of
soil on each side, while we seem sus-
pended midway between earth and
heaven. A steep down-grade 0fnear-
ly so feet to the mile carries the train
along with laundering velocity, and
at its foot we reach the widest and
most majestic scenery of the trip
We stand in our car and look up
ward to the SUBMITS of bald and pre-
cipitOus rocks, 500, 500, and 1000 feet
in height. Some of them are called
fanciful names, from resemblance to
historic objects. A fine old bOWlder,
jutting out its prominent point in
mid-air, is called the PrOtO of the
Great Eastern, from its almost life
like resemblance to the prov of an
immense ship. A little further on is
a rock which, true as Nature could
have made it, represents an Indian
woman in a kneeling posture. MOHI-
ment Rock towers up between two
immense bOwlders, a majestic column.
A group of rocks at another point are
so disposed as to form an immense
amphitheater, ready for some theat-
rical or tragic display; and for six
teen miles we have an uninterrupted
view of a succession of curious rocks,
of an average altitude of 200 feet
Their sides are as smoOth-shaven and
precipitiOus as il cut with a knife,
while at frequent intervals they are
detached from the range and stand
like everlasting sentinels. Riffs in
the sides of the chain reveal other lit
tie canyons and gorges beyond, with
occasional strips of grass or a few
shrubs and clumps of trees. The rail- |
road track follows the foot of the can
yon through its entire length and |
within $50 feet of its base, and the |
reader may imagine the grandeur of /
the view when he has to turn his head /
upward at an angle of 80 deg. to be-
hold their SUBMITS and then gaze for
over an hour. There is nothing like /
it, East or West, within the range of |
ordinary railroad travel. Stupendous
rocks, apparently thrown up by vol
canic action, their sides showing at |
various intervals toward their sum-
init that some time far in the distant
past they have been washed by some
turbulent inland sea. We
see solid walls everywhere-walls of
sandstone walls of granite, walls of
red clay-apparently having with
ItOOd for centuries rain, wind, and the
effects of time; and still they stand,
their frowning buttresses
ind towering domes, their noble forms
If pillar, column, and spire, in awe
inspiring majesty and weired grand
eur to the vision of the traveller. As
itting scene to close this glorious
Pulpit Rock stands at the
DOT of the canyon, in the form of a
bOwlder of detached rock,
like a pulpit, overlooking
he valley of the Echo River; while
beneath it a sudden curve of the rail-
'Oad cuts close under the edge of the
ock. We pass this and the Witch's
ave, and our train comes in sight Of
echo City.
WEBER CANYON.
Here we make friends with the en-
-ineer, and prepare for another glOri-
us locomotive ride. Standing firmly
n front of the lantern, with a tight
rip upon the rail beneath it, we bare
,ur heads to the breeze and swing our
Iats as we approach Weber River ,
rom Echo City for six miles the ,
ounUry is laid out as plain, and cul-
ivated to some extent by Mormon !
ettlers. We see also their fOrtificR- !
ions, on the other side of the plain ,
It the western end of the valley the :
fountains close abruptly, leaving a :
arrow and eireuitous passage-way, J
bout 80 yards wide, where the Weber
liver glides down with rapid current,
nd leaves only a small strip, of less
nan Is feet, at its side for the railroad
,ack. Even this has been washed \
way by the severe spring torrents, d
nd the grading has often to be re- q
ewed.
For 40 miles the river rushes foam :
10 along this deem raVine on either =