The Portland daily press., 1875-08-09

ton, which occasoned. some remark from the
Portland party. After short stop special
train returned to the Crawford House, where
the company dined and remained until. six
o'clock. Here they met the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher. who had come over from the Twin
Mountain House.
During the afternoon sudden and drench-
ing shower came down, making things lively
on the piazza, as walking parties came hurry
ing in for shelter; horseback parties came dash
lug up, and mountain coaches arrived, whose
fair passengers had to be disembarked with
skill and address by the gallant clerk of the
Crawford House. AT half-past six the train
started for Portland. the sky being again
cleared. Once more the cannon woke the
echoes of the Notch as 1t passed between
Mounts Wiley and Webster, and rolled along
the dizzy height overlooking the valley.
Among the party, some Of whom Joined at
North Conway, We're President Woodbridge,
directors Williams and Jones, and Manager
Hatch of the Eastern Railroad, Rev. DR.. Fl. G..
Stebbins, John Mcmillan, the celebrated
mountaineer, 5. II. Stevens, general agent OF
the Boston and Maine Railroad, and Benz. H.
Latrobe, the distinguished engineer.
w. S. Dana, Esq, in conversation, states
that the up-country trade with Portland before
it was cut off by the railroads west of us,
amounted to from 500 to 300 teams per year,
which used to come down through the Notch
mostly in the winter. This ceased between 1910
and 1916. The last man to come down was
Judge Morris, now director on the Vermont
division of this railroad, who had IS to 100
teams on the road
Cottages are to be built on the road through
the mountains within signal distance of each
other. for the trackmen, so that the track may
be under constant surveillance, and that the
repairers may be concentrated at one spot in
case of emergency. This will be satisfaction
to the travelling public, for however we'll assured
they may be of the absolute safety of the road,
it is difficult to skirt these airy heights, appar
emily suspended in air, and looking down hun.
dreds of feet, seeing no support below, without
having curious speculations as to the effect of
the broken rail-
Benz. e. Latrobe, the distinguished engineer
of the Baltimore and Ohio Road, whose opinion
had so much weight in corroborating the opin-
ion of Chief Engineer Anderson as to the prac-
ticability of road. through the Notch at the
inception of this project, was with the party.
He said that although his road had twice the
distance of 116 foot grade, it had no scenery to
compare with the wild beauty of this upper
Saco Valley.
He spoke in high terms of the fine engineer
ing on this road, and seemed to agree fully with
the general admiration which was expressed of
the ability and genius shown by Chief Engi-
neer Anderson in carrying out this great work.
The most thrilling part of the excursion, and
that which will be most carefully noted by the
crowds of excursionists who will crowd the cars
during the remainder of the summer is the
passage across the cobwebby iron trestle work
at Frankenstein Cliff. The startling effect of
finding the train apparently flying through
the air, is succeeded by equal astonishment on
looking down at finding the fabric so delicate,
while the vast cliff towering overhead adds
grandeur to the scene. Notwithstanding its
frail appearance this iron trestle is one of the
strongest on the road.
At North Conway portion of the party re-
manned to spend Sunday, and the rest arrived
in Portland at half-past ten.