Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-07-23

1
| As we proceed, the view becomes more
and more contracted; the mountains are clos
ing in upon US on every hand. Large crews
of men are at work on the extension of the
Portland & Ogdensburg ROAD, contractors
pushing forward their work on the several
stations, boarding their men in rudely built
but very comfortable cabins in the woods.
The road is being pushed far into the Notch.
In some places hundreds of feet of the noun
tain are levelled in its construction. 1t must
require pluck, patience, perseverance and a
good deal of money to complete the task.
| Here is the site of the old Crawford House,
named for the patriarch of the mountain, old
| Abel Crawford, who was the pioneer and rep
resentative Of a family large in stature,
strong in muscle, hardy in endurance and
kind in heart. These mountain regions are
favorable to the rearing of such men; and
they have hardly deteriorated, the New Hamp-
shire legislature to the contrary notwithstand-
| ing.
This turnpike leading to the Notch was
| once the best paying thoroughfare in this sec.
ton. The "Willey House," situated on the
left hand side of the road, is directly at the
| base of the Wiley mountain. 1t was once
| kept as a public house. In 1926, it was occu
pied by Mr.. Wiley and his family. There
had been several summer rains and slides cal
culated to excite alarm, but the family had
courageously stood their ground until the
night Of August 2Sth, 1926 when after pro-
tracted rain, there was terribly destructive
slide, one half mile in width of the mountain
being torn from its solid foundation, carrying
death and destruction in its track. The whole
family, consisting of Mr.. Wiley, his wife and
five children, together with two hired men,
rushed from the building, for safety, to a
place that had been provided, and were swept
down by the flood and avalanche. Had they
remained in the house they would have been
| saved, as just in the rear of it huge boulder
parted the avalanche, and of all movable OBJ
jects in that vicinity the house alone was
spared. Hawthorne, in his sketch, found
ed on the event, adds another person to
the list of those that perished-a lover who
was to take one of the girls as his wife. Our
stages stopped at the house, and we took
hasty glance at it, the rock in the rear, the
family table, the old fireplace, etc-all for the
small sum of twelve and a half cents, child.
rem thrown in.
Passing several cascades, we come at last
to the Great Notch, narrow pass three miles
in length, running northwest, which Is UNI
doubtedly one of the most interesting features
| of White Mountain scenery. From the mar
row valley here formed by the Mountains,
| flows the Saco river that we-have traced in
our journeyings. The scenery at various
points is sublime and awfully grand. You
look upwards and see but narrow space Of
blue, that you take for the sky. Browning
precipices seem ready to break away from the
places where they have been confined for ages,
| ss, hor, IS .okp
are unknown to cremation. You are hedged
in on every hand by steer, perpendicular walls,
wild and abrupt cliffs and rocky ramparts,
towering y some places to the height of POGO
feet from the solid road on which you stand.
| The width at the entrance of the Notch is but
90 feet.
On emerging from the Notch, we come to
| level platform, with ponds and streams, foun-
tains and gardens, in the midst of which is the
Craw ford House, kept by A. T. & o. F. Bar
ron, where we find all the elegance and
comfort of metropolitan hotel, situated in
locality Astounding in the greatest possible va
riety of scenery and natural attractions. The
Messrs. Barron are also propretors of the
Twin Mountain House, situated on the banks
of the AmmonoOsuc river, commanding fine
view of the White and Franconian Mountains.
To all who visit the Notch, we would say,
don't fail to make the ascent of Mt. Willard,
distant one and one half miles, and which is
easily reached by carriage road The pros
pect from the mountain has nearly the mag
nficent sweep of Mt. Washington with none
of its sad disappontments. Before you Is
the entire Notch; the road you have threaded
and the river looking rs though they had been
marked out on by pencil on green card.
board. The Wiley House and the hotel by
the side of it appear as but specks, from
/ a. &c nat tha 1a(t tha
whole White Mountain range is visible-Mt.
Webster directly over the chasm. 1t would
be difficulty for one of keen feeling and pos
| sessed of the least sentiment, to give express
ion to the feelings of our little party that
stood in that evening hour nearly trans.
| fixed upon the mountain top by the Won
drous scene. Just below the summit Of this
mountain is the Devils Den, large cavern
and as some of our party had a natural
draw ing towards that dangerous locality, and
were about tuning their harps to sing "Home,
sweet Home" we thought it best to leave be-
| fore the evening shadows deepened.
On Thursday we made use Of the excellent
stage lines connected with the Crawford
| by rail, to reach the Profile House, situated
| in the notch of the Franconia mountains, the
distance being twenty seven miles. We could
| fill columns in narratiDg the scenes and incl
dents of the remainder Of this delightful trip,
but must satisfy ourselves with q mere
glimpse. The route extends through a most
romantic country. From the hills of little
picturesque village bearing the historic name
of Bethlehem, a good view may be obtained
| of the White Mountains and short distance
on, the Franconia Mountains, Mt. Lafayette
being prominent in the latter as Washington
is in the former range. The wooded road
from this elevation, as we descend into the
Notch, at the farther entrance of which we
find the Profile House, forms one of the most
delightful drives that can be found in the
country. The House is perhaps the most
fashionable" of all the mountain houses,
although style has not yet put gas into the up
per stories. Here come the Astors and Stew
arts of New York and Philadelphia, with
their families, to spend the summer months.
The ladies, instead of visiting the places of
grand natural scenery about them, spend their
time in changing and exhibiting their clothing.
large installments of which they bring in gil
gantic trunks.
The Franconia Mountains, in the Notch of
which the Profile House is Delightfully."- situated,
are northwest of the White Mountains; Mt.
Lafay cite the highest peak in the range is 8. 200