Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-08-24
Walks in the White Mountains,
iEdito1Idl Correspondence Of The Star
GLEN HOUSE, WHITE MOUNTAINS, }


August 15, 1876.
Our "walks" this week commenced with a
ride ito use Hibernicism) over the Port
land and Ogdensburg railroad up the Craw-
ford Notch from North Conway to the
Fabyan House; the Mount Washing ton
branch OF the Boston, Concord and Montreal
railroad Cnow completed to the base of the
mountain); and the Mount Washington
railway to the summit. This railroadlng
was taken to improve the especially fine
view OF the scenery of the Notch obtainabIe
from the railroad. which follows a success
sion OF curves into and out of gorges and
around the shoulders of the mountains, on
terraces, and trestlework at q commanding
elevation along the western walls of the
Notch.
NO MOUNTAIN RAILROAD
In the country, not even the Central Pacific
In its course through the Nevadas, affords
any single view of such magnificence aud
grandeur as that presented on the Notch
railroad high up the Wiley Mountain and
overlooking six miles of the Wiley Valley,
which, with its mighty bend, and walled in
by impending mountains, JOCKS like some
amphitheatre OF the Titans. or course IL
will be conceded that the views from the
cars going up Mount Washington are on q
yet grander scale; but the latter line does
not strike one as real railroad. The engine
passengers, who are all seated to face the
mountain, see no motive power, aud there
is no dust or ctnders to suggest the presence
OF the engine. The motion is SO slOT-less
than two miles TO the hour-and the sound
or the teeth OF the arriving wheel playing
upon the cog rail is SO much like that of the
wIndlass- chain OF a well, that one gets the
idea or being pulled up the mountain as If
in well-bucket.
THE DISTANCE
from the base (Ammonoosuc Station) to the
summit Is q fraction under three miles by
the railroad, and the time occupied in the
ascent Is u hours; the descent Is made In
less time. The average grade is 1 300 feet to
Inc mile, and the maximum grade is / $50
feet to the mile. There are nine curves to
the line, and four short stoppages are m ade
at water stations In the ascent. In the eight
years that the road has been run there has
been no accident resulting In the loss of life
though two or three of the railroad workmsn
have been killed in attempting to slide down
the rails on boards fitted with rude iron run
ners to the center rail, and regulated by a
brake OF Ii ke simple construction. Notwith
standing the dangers OF a descent In this way
1t seems To have great fascination for some
and In our ascent we met several persons
cOmlng down on these sleds. As we approach
ed they stopped their odd vehicles and de
tached them from the track; resuming their
downward flight when we had passet. Tney
are all right "while the breaching holds, !"
but when that gives out 1t is the last of earth
for the unfortunate sledter. In one instance
where the rude brake gave way the rider
was hurled down the mountain side against
car with such impetus as TO crush him to
almost homeless jelly. The descent of three
miles on these sleds has been made In Az
minutes, or nearly the highest railroad spec l.
"turnouts" for trains to pass, is less than 10
minutes. Though the railroad has been
worked with entire safety TO the passengers
1t has not thus far proved pecuniery sue
IN Inn hns a
very short On account Of danger from frost
In the ground trains do not begin running
nntll July LIST, and they stop running on the
LIST of October. Perhaps the road IL NOT
worked economically. An Immense amonnt
OF, apparently, rejected steel rail has ,sn
lett 10 rust out all along the road up the
mountain side In way scarcely reconc' a.
BILE with our ideas OF New England thrift and
economy,
MoUNr WASHINGTON IN 1876
What with the wooden hotel OF q siz7 l.,
accommodate 200 guests; the old Tip TJp
and Summit Houses OF stone; the engine
house Of the railway; the U. s. Signal Service
Observatory OF wood, aud the wOsden sta
bles OF the Glen House, there Is now quite a
cluster of buildings up in the clouds on the
summit OF the mountain. The b Dtel Ia q
fairly comfortable one when the weather is
easterly wind prevails the large stoves and
the hot air pipes distributed abundantly
throughout the house are quite unequal to the
task OF keeping such a shell either warm or
dry. 1t is light structure OF pine, and peo-
pie hereabOuts expect to see 1t 60 sailing
away in some gale, as did the late engine
the Storm King in March last and distrib-
uted over three counties in New Hampshire;
the heavier portion going to the bottom OF
February last the heavy timbers OF the rail-
road platform were torn up and driver
through the roof of the stable.
WINTER ON MOUNT WASHINGTON.
An interesting point TO all visitors here Is
the Signal Service Observatory, where q
good collection OF the Alpine fora of the
White mountains, corresponding identically
with that Of the Arctic region at 70a north
longitude) ana where one can talk with the
signal men who have wintered as well as
summered on Mount Washington, about the
peculiarities of life at this elevation during
the Arctic season. The possibility OF win ter
Ing upon the top Of Mount Washington was
and now squad OF signal service men o.
cupy the summit continuously. Messrs.
William Line and Charles j. King are now
did not see, but found Mr.. King, who has
spent several winters on Mount Washington.
able TO give some graphic experiences OF
intense, but where the wind has such tre-
mepdous velocity and force In January o.
1875 the temperature fell to 46o below zero;
the hour. In November last, the tempera-
ture was 400 below zero, and the wind swept
across the mountain top at the extraordinary
speed OF 10 miles TO the hour. the greatest
velocity ever registered anywhere. Ga
inquiry find that the amount OF snowfall
on the top OF the mountain Is not SO heavy
as might be supposed. In the language of
the Signal man, when the temperature falls
q few des ress below zero 1t Is too cold to
snow. Looking over Mr.. Kings diary I found
the following memoranda OF some Of his win
"Dec. n. 1874. Went to the base for mail.
StOrm-staid below until the 30th. Made the
ascent with temperature 15a below zero;
wind 80 miles. Carried pack of 80 pounds
weight on back. Walked on snow-shOes to
foot Of Jacobs Ladder; the rest of the way
up on the railroad sleepers. Two-thirds oi
the way found my lower limbs were be-
numbed and was obliged to 60 into the rail-
road building and take some sharp exercise
to restore the circulation.
January 9Th, T6. Down and back same
day for mail. Wind 20 miles; temperature 8
degrees below zero. Had TO stop on lona
treeeel to repair cable. Froze nose, cheeks
and fingers twice In repairing breaks, and
thawed them out by application OF snow. On
starting again after mending cable found
my body was getting numb and knowing nv
only chance for life was by throwing this Oh,
managed, by running half Q mile and other
wise taking violent ex ercise, to restore the