Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-05-09
BY DIR. HIRAM A, CUTTING.

~ Much mas Deen Salu NDOuI IleSe luOuH-
tains in summer, and the scenery is we'll
known to many, during that season; but
u is to the enterprise Of our capitalists,
HAT we are enabled to view the splendors
of winter and spring amcng the noun
lains, from II we'll. warmed railroad car.
The Portland and Ogdensburgh line runs
through the true White Mountain Notch,
and the road-bed is one of the hest in New
England. On the 2Sth of March, in the
midst of heavy rain storm, l left the
Connecticut river valley for trip over
lhis line. the principal object of which was
10 ascertain the amount Of ozone in the
atmosphere about the mountains ut the
lime of spring rains. In the river valley
the cleared land was mostly free of snow,
and the small streams showed quite IN in
Creased amount of water from the storm
Ind melting snow in the woodlands, but
the freshet was not high enough to impede
travel, and we sped on over the Boston,
Concord & Montreal railroad to the Fnbyan
House, from whence we were drawn by
Die heavy locomotive made for mountain
york, and used for the notch run on the
Portland & Ogdensburgh railroad. The
Iirst four miles from this place IS an up
Grade of 80 feet to the mile, taking us up
Ia the Crawford House The fr,t part of
lhe way you have fine view of the
Mount Washington railway, and the sum-
hit of that celebrated mountain, with its
hotel, depot, and United States meteoro-
logcnl 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
Df the notch are in full view, but, perhaps,
bixly rods away. At the left lies II small
pond, the head of the Saco. This pond
seemed frozen to the very bottom, and the
water from this rain and melting snow
lowed over the ice down its narrow path,
way, beside the carriage road to Dismal
Pool. Tho elephants head upon the left
Is high ledge Of rock jutting out from
Mount Webster, and is really true,
shough gigantic likeness of the head OF
hat animal The carriage road is built
elose up to this rock, and with the stream
rom the pond running by its side takes up
Ghe entire natural gateway of The notch,
the mountains towering two thousand feet
or more above, so steep that no foothold
Ban be obtained sufficient to climb them,
let not quite perpendicular precipice.
Upon the right is the cutting through the
Tock for the railroad, 81 feet deep leaving
monumental rock some 20 feet high be-
ween the natural gateway and the arti-
Acial one used for the railroad track
When through this cut, we may look down
Dme hundred feet into Dismil Pool and
Again, up the side of Mount Webster,
Rhere we may see the Flume falls more
hama mile in height. Like all mountain
Dreams it had frozen on the rocks from
be summit down; what little water there
Vas in winter having run over the surface
md frozen into huge ice sheets and icicles
The great torrent from this rain came
Enshing down over the ice, pure as alabas-
Dr. he beauties of such waterfall can
Aot be described. A little way further on,
Eilver Cascade, on the same side Of the
mountain, came tumbing down over its
bilc Of icy bed in the same manner, only
more widely spread out in width To the
light Mount Willard with its perpendicu-
hr precipiccS covered with ice sheets, the
accumulation of winter, while now and
hen large icicles hang from overhangng
lifts. giving one definite idea of the AL
pne Glaciers. We are now moving on
Downward grade Of 16 feet to the mile,
Ne leave behind us the steep deies of the
nOtch over which Col. Whipple in l772,
BOX up his cattle and household goods
With tackle, to form II settlement in Jeffcr-
fpn, N. II. (then Dlrtmoulh). 1t was also
tbrough this defle that Capt. Rosebrooks
box the barrel of rum. 1t was present
fom II Portland merchant providing he
build take it throu III the pass. The record
a his note book says, that, latter crossing
he Saco river twenty-five times with i
horse, they took it on two poles and sever
men carried it," In this way he says
he succeeded in getting through rs much
Il the rum as was not used up in the
Enterprise"
But we are sweeping round Mt. Willard
md nearing Mt Wiley. AS we lo>k up
deep woody dedle upon our right, we
be Wiley brook tumbing down series
precipicos, and this gorge is spanned
N IN iron bridge and tre'tle So feet in
Eight. This is usually Il small stream,
hi swollen now by rain it might be call
b Wiley river. Like the other streams it
Ows over bed of ice, which gives it Il
peculiar look, and as we gazod after it be-
IDw the railroad it almost seemed stream
a milk. We are now passing over the
Wiley slide made memorable by the death
% the Wiley family who were buried be-
cath it, in 1926, The Wiley house is in
lew $50 feet below. The railroad com
pGny have this winter cut down the white
birches which have previously obscured
II. The small house at the north end of the
arge one is the house in which the fami-
liz by that name dwelt upon that memora-
Die night ofAugust 28th, when being awak
ened from sleep, nine persons rushed out
for safety, and met with death; when had
shey remained they would have been safe,
hs the avalanche under which they were
buried, divided above the house, rushing
down on either side, but leaving the house
nnharmed. Six of their bodies were re.
covered, the other three rest where they
we're overtaken in that fearful hour. The
place where the bodies we're found is now
ID full view from the railroad, and the
conductors show great courtesy TO strang-
ers in pointing out various locations of in
Ierest on the line. As we near Franken-
tein Cliff, one Of the loftiest precpices in
his RANCE. the railroad crosses the great