American citizen., 1875-04-24
PeriIs of the Sierra.

IeTllS OI tue SfeTTd.
SINCE engineering skill has so far over
come the Sierra as to construct a rail-
road over it and to operate it in all sea-
sons, some may have concluded this
mountain is, after all, only considera-
BILE molehill. Fancy is sure to vanish at
the touch of fact, but the fact that it is
an every day event for the locomotive to
climb to the Sierra summit does not do
away with the facts that it is a very lofty
and rugged range, and that the depth of
its SHOWS can hardly be exaggerated.
Though crossed by railroad, 1t must
not be forgotten that its builders en-
countered obstacles only a little short of
insurmountable; that it requires two To-
comotives to take up a train; that it is
kept open in winter only by method
that defies any depth of snow; and that
no other practicable route can be found
for many miles north or south.
Those only. who have effected or at
tempted the passage in winter by an un-
known and unbroken way know the diff
culties and dangers of such an enter
prise. But they are now sufficiently
known TO deter the boldest. The agri-
cultural and mining districts are-the
former wholly, the latter mainly-with-
out the very deep snow region. few
lumbermen, ranchers, miners, ditchmen
and some others dwell there the year
through, but they lay in ample supplies
of food and fuel, and submit to being
showed in" with the unconcern that a
squirrel, with stock of nuts in store,
goes into winter quarters. Others avoid
the greater elevations in winter, except
by we'll known and beaten WAYS.
Some of the earliest parties to arrive
on the Pacific coast overland encoun-
tered the Sierra in winter. The stories
of the difficulties and disasters that be-
feh them here are among the most thrill
ing of far-West adventure, and show the
character of these mountains. Fremont,
with his exploring party, was the first to
cross in winter. In 1S43 he mpradently
undertook to explore the Great Basin-to
journey from Oregon to the States in
winter. Owing to the difficult nature of
the country he was forced from his pro-
jected route and compelled to travel
south along the eastern base of the
Sierra. Crossing the locality of the Pa
cific Railroad near the site of the pres
ent town of Wadsworth, he progressed
as far as Carson River, where he aban-
doned for the time the homeward jour
ney, and determined to cross the Sierra.
The feet of the animals were SO cut and
worn by the rocks that they could not
travel SO far as the States if other things
favored, and the stock of provisions was
getting fearfully short. Hundreds of
| mikes of desert and wilderness separated
his brave, little. travel-worn, well-nigh
foodless party from every place of relief
| save just one-Capt. Suffers settlement
IN the Sacramento Valley, less than 200
miles distant. But an uneXplOred noun
| tain range interposed here. He knew
| almost nothing of its character, but that
| it was lofty, steep, rugged, snow-covered
| and sterm-swept he had only to lift his
| eyes to its pinnacles to see. Nerved to
desperation a man sometimes does al
most superhuman things. With but one
way of escape it must be difficult indeed
if he does not escape by it. Already the
lean wolf, hunger, was dogging theii
had braved death In hundred forms,
were the last to yield without the most
| desperate fight. But their dread of en-
| countering the mountains and snow is
| seen in their almost two weeks wander
| ing at the eastern base-up and down
the branches of Walker River and across
the separating divides-before commenc
ing the direct ascent.
He crossed not only in a difficult
time but in difficult place-from the
head of Carson River to the summit
near the south end of Lake Tahoe, some
| thrty-five miles south of the Pacific Rail
road pass; thence to tine Sacramento
Valley along the middle branches of the
American River. The summit camp was
1888 feet high. The snow was five to
twenty feet deep and SO soft that the
men had 10 make trail by tramping It
| beating it with mauls and covering the
softer places with brush. Even then the
animals were brought up with the utmost
difficulty without the packs, and, through
| failure, had to be sent back down the
mountain for grass time and again
Horses foundering in the snow ant
camp stores strewn along the trail fol
miles was a common sight for weeks
The animals were weak from scant ant
poor feed and the very hard service, and
| the men were reduced to dog and mule
meat. In this condition, and ignorant o.
the mountains, they could hardly have
| escaped had a great snow-stOrm over
taken them, but they had almost unin
terrupted good weather. The difficul
part of the snow did not exceed forty o
fifty miles, and yet it took three weeks t.
clear it-seventeen days to get up the
last fifteen or twenty miles Of the ascen
and it was forty-seven days from tn,
abandonment of the eastern journey ell
their arrival at Suffers, though MOI
above 100 miles distant by direc
course. What may be called the com
| mencement of the ascent was on Feb. =
1874; with the animals and all the ma
terial they camped upon the summit tn,
Goth, and cleared the snow on the wes
slope the 23d. OF the siXty-seven ami
mails with which the passage was begun
only thirty-three reached the Sacrament,
Valley. The remainder gave out, wer,
slaughtered for food, or fell over preci
pices and were killed. The men-twen
tyfive-all got through, though nearl,
exhausted, and a few even became insan
from suffering and anxiety.--Hearth an,
Home.
The Massacre Of Surveying Party II
India.