Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-04-06
Spring-Time Among the White Noun
talns,
BY HIRAM A. CUTTING.

IN summer, and the scenery is we'll known
to many during that season but it is to the
enterprise of our capitalists, that We are en-
abled to view the splondors of winter and
spring among the mountains from a we'll.
warmed railroad car. The Portland and Og.
deusburg line runs through the true White
Mountain Notch, aud the road.bed is one Of
the best in New England On the 28th Of
March, in the midst Of heavy rain storm,
| left the Connecticut river valley for a
trip over this line, the principal object Of
which was to ascertain the amount Of ozone
in the atmosphere about the mountains at
the time Of spring rains. In the river val.
ley the cleared land was mostly free Of
snow, and the small streams showed quite an
increased amount Of water from the storm
and melting snow in the woodlands, but the
freshet was not high enough to impede travel,
aud we sped on over the Boston Concord 4
Montreal railroad to the Fabyan House,
from whence we were drawn by the heavy
locomotive made for mountain work, aud
used for the notch run on the Portland &
Ogdensburg railroad. The FIRST four miles
from this place is au up grade of so feet to
the mile, taking US to the Crawford House.
The FIRST part of the way you have a 6ne
view Of the Mount Washington railway, and
the summit Of that celebrated mountain,
with Its hotel, depot aud U. S. meteorological
station, which view was this time shut out
by dismal rain clouds. which gradually lifted
as we proceeded on our journey. At the
Crawford house the gates OF tho notch are
10 full view but perhaps sixty rods away
At the left lies a small pound, the head Of
the Saco. This pond seemed frozen to the
very bottom, and the water from this rain
and melting snow flowed over the ice down
its narrow pathway, beside the carriage road
to Dismal Pool. The elephants head upon
the lett is high ledge of rock jutting out
from Mount Webster, and is really true,
though gigantic likeness Of the head of that
animal. The carriage road is built clear
up to this rock, and with the stream from
the pond running by its side takes up the en-
tire natural gateway of the notch, the noun
tains towering two thousand feet or more
above, so steep that no foothold can be OBJ
tanned sufficient to climb them, yet not quite
perpendicular prccipice. Upon the right
is the cutting through the rock for the rail-
road s4 feet deep, leaving a monumental
rock some 20 feet high between the natural
gateway ard the artificial one used for the
railroad track. When through this cut, we
look down some hundred feet into Dismal
Pool, aud from that up the side of Mount
Wesbter where we see the Flumc falls, more
than mile in height. Like all mountain
streams it had frozen on the rocks from
the summit down what little water there
was in winter having run over the surface
aud frozen all into huge ice sheets, and icicles
The great torrent from this rain came
rushing down over the ice, pure as alabaster
The beauties Of such waterfall cannot b,
described. A little way further on, Silver
cascade, on the same side OF the mountain
came tumbling down over its mile OF icy
bed in the same manner, only more widely
spread out in width. To the right Noun
Willard with its perpendicular precipice
covered with ice sheets, the accumulation o
winter, while now and then large icicle
hang from overhspgng cliffs, giving one I
definite idea Of the Alpine Glaciers. We
arc now moving on downward grade o
ll6 feet to tho mile. We leave behind u
the steep de6les of the notch owsr which Col
Whipple in 1872 took up his cattle AM
household goods with tackle to form settle
mcnt 10 Jefferson, N. H., (then Dartmouth)
It was also through this de6e that Capt
! Rosebrooks took the barrel of rum. 1t wa
a present from Portland merchant provid
ing he could take it through the pass. Tn
3 record in his note book says that "afte
crossing the Saco river twenty-five time
with horse, they took it on two poles an
L several men carried it." In this way b
J says "he succeeded 10 getting through a
: much Of the rum as was not used up in th
D enterprise"
But we are sweeping round Mt. Willar
: and nearing Mt. Wiley. As we look up
$ deep woody deio upon our right we Sc
s Wiley brook tumbling down 4 series {
i falls, and this gorge is spanned by au iro
Q bridge and trestle 50 feet in height. Th
k is usually a small stream but swollen now b
o rain it might be called Wiley river. Lii
}. the other streams it flows over bed Of il
n which gives it a peculiar look, and as "
t gazed after il below the railroad it almo
n seemed a stream oil milk. We are no
d passing over the Wiley slide made memo
il able by the death of tho Wiley family wi
i we're buried beneath it, in 1926. Tho Wi
/. ley house is in view $50 feet below. II
IS railroad company have this winter cut dow
u the white birches which have previous
'e obscured it. The small house at the nor
u end Of the large one is the house in viii,
D. the family by that name dwelt upon Il
n memorable night OF August 2Sth, when
lie ing awakened from Sleep nine persons rush
20 out for safety aud met death; when hi
90 they remained they would have been sal
IN asI the avalanche under which they we
"a huried divided aboVe tho hnuaa rnshi,
v. down on either side but leaving the hou
ae unframed. Six Of their bodies were reco
to cred, the other three rest where they We
a overtaken in that fearful hour. The pla'
A. where the bodies were found is now 10 Fl
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