The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-11-07
The Equinox on Mount Washington.

The Goth day 0f September was the last
day OF the season to ascend MGunt Wash
ington by that marvel OF engineeri an,
mechanical skill-the Mount Washington
Railway.
he roads tbither are almost lmpassablc
from deep mud and numerous pitch-holeS,
Washouts, and protruding rocks, rs the
broken wagons and loads upset along the
road fully attest. Still il is the last chance
and we must 90 if possible Seventeen
miles OF hard travel brought Us. lust nj
dark, to the White Mountain House. where
pleasantly housed for the night. we found
ourselves. ten in all, ready i'll the morning
to start for the base, in II strong mud-
wagon drawn by four stout horses.
Seven miles of such break meek public
highway are scarcely to he found Oh the
face OF the earth Keeping in as good
humor as possible notwithstanding the
hard iolts and alarming pitchcs-right
and left. fore and aft t.-alternately heap
ing us together ludicrously, or sprawling
Us veNatiously. in four hours our laded
team brought us to the unfinished depot
at the base Of the mountain. Several
were already there waiting to ride up,
and more, the telegraph said, were ccm-
ing. We whled away the spare hali-hour
in gazing 1T ihc mountain Railroad-itselt
the greatest wonder OF the place. peercd
curiouSlv at the odd-looking engine with
its several effective brakes and Thought tn
| ourSclveS-wel what is there that Yankee
ingenuity will not undertake. " All
aboard" and soon in crowded ear we
We're being vigorously pushed up the
track, ut the rate of two miles an hour.
W. slowly ascend the mountain, mp above
| tie uep-grOwth, higher than shrub-lile,
| past the rank grass to the blld gray rock.
/ But Oh! how the wind blows the ear
trenhles like a ship in a gale. What ii
we should be blown over, Crowd ON
| the windward Idle oil the car" shouted
| the cautious conductor. The busy hlnu
Of voices is hIshrd into silence at the
| presence of our fearful dancer. The wind
raised to Il tempest roarS lrightullN with
| out Dense dark clouds cnvrlopinw tine
mountain ~lve Il torchoing of gloom tu
| the scene But still upward we rise into
Il higher altitude and increasing tempest
| The clouds clear mp little and we grt -
| glimpse OF our awful danger ct hrinW
| blown down the side OF the mountlju tp
certain destruction. Mcrciful Father keen,
us safe now! 1t grew intensely coid
| The drenchng rain turnrd to Il furious
snow-storm compelling the feeling thai
we were suddenly huriyd forward three
months III time from Srptembcl'S pleasant
| autumn to Dccembcrs fierce winter. AuN-
| iety is on every face. We huli om breath
Us the most exposed station Is reached.
! Tn" wind. now Increased to Il hurricane
/ screams as Il vulturc ior its prey and in Il
| vtrv mountain 0t madness seems Bent or
| our destruction. Women and children
are frantic, and strong men are pale with
| fear. The world beneath H. seems to reel.
! What shah we do? Ills dangerous To-
/ Jump from the train, no mortal could stand
/ long before such n tempest. We must not
| stop even for an instant. We cling t.
the car, the track, to life. \ moment
more and we reach the top in shelter
| safe.
The wind-guage indicates scvruty-iwo
miles an h0ur. and we've bltudlN informed
that but Ior the comparative hghtnc~~ ul
the atmosphere at that high altitude it
would have beer impossible Tor the train
to have remained on the Track we barely
| escaped Il fearful fate. Well, It's over
and we are ut home safe. We missed the
View of the ''grand mountain scenery.
but we experienced the grandeur ot the
| equinox, over six thousand feet above the
level of the sea-. Cor. LitIrton Rcpub-
lie