Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-14
From N private letter. ]



We reached Sacramento soon after light
on Friday morning, and it was during that
last pisht that the descent was accomplished,
and the most remarkable scenery oil the
whole route passed About seven O'Clock,
Thursday evening, We reached rruckce, Just
over the line into California, and were tod
that we should wait there two or three
hours and then 90 down the mountains on
the lightning express. This Is tram thar
runs only between virginia, Nevada. anu
San Francisco Knowing what was ahead
| made up nv mind to see what could by
the moonlight, ard 50 fixed my bunk ana
took a nap, while Lewis and Others were
foraging about town. This part OF the rad
is continued heduy dotrH yrsde. At the sta
tion next beyond Truckee the elevation is
seven thousand feet above Sacramento, ana
the distance is about one hundred miles.
Nearly six thousand feet of this descent Is
made in the frs. fifty miles. All this IS ac-
companied with the grapdest views OF noun
tain scenery, above and below, and in many
places the road passes dangerously near the
edges of high precipices But to the travel
ler much of this view Is INSTRUCTED by long
snow sheds, which are said to aggregate
thirty miles in length.
fell soundly ssleep at about eight O'Clock
and did not awake until after twelve.
Jumped up quickly and stepped out upon
the platform. During my nap our car had
been shifted to the rear of the tram and
was considerably startled to find myself com
pletey out OF doors. as 1t were. Around,
overhead and behind was huge shed. We
seemed to be fairly rushing down hill, and
the track, with its continuous short Curves.
seemed to me very steep behind the train,
as we tore along down it.
There was full moon and the sky was
cloudless, while the shed was large and
roomy and loosely built, with large cracks
and creyices through which the moonlight
poured and gave to every thirg that dim,
ghost-like appearance which makes one re-
member the story Of Tam O'Shanter SNARE,
and all other witch stories he ever heard or
read. The curves Of the track were so
sharp and the speed Of the train so great
that the ear rocked from one side to the
other and had TO cling to the door knob
for safety, and feeling come over me, such
as | imagine might possess one attempting
some dangerous, fool-hardy feat-it was
almost fear. can't describe my sensations,
but neithe. shall ever forget them. | had
started up, suddenly aroused from sleep,
and it seemed as if did not become through
" awake during the two hours | was up.
Some of the snow sheds arc a mile or two
long, but most of them are only few rods.
and as We passed in and out of them
gl;mpses of what was around and below Us
could be obtained. This only added to the
ueirdness of the scene, and in the dim light
the patches of moonlight appeared ike
snow. 1t is in rounding Cape Horn that
the grandest scene occurs. Here the road
winds around projecting spur of the noun
tain, and its bed is formed by cutting
terrace in the alIrost unbrOken slope OF the
mountain side At this point the view has
very kindly been left unobstructed by snow
sheds, and the timid traveller looks down upon
the tree tops and stream > 500 feet below him
There is here no precipce, only the open
mountain slope, and no wall guards the outer
edge of the track And here. again, came
over me that feeling almos; of fear as saw
from the car platform all that could be seen
by moonlight. We stopped at one station
for water, at which the sheds were over
everything - station-house, water-house,
side-track and all-and door in the side of
the shed opens into the station and the
outer world. The grandeur of the overland
trip is worth all the cost, but we were thor
oughly tired and heartily glad when our
long railroad journey Jinem feat.
W. n. FgRRIN.