The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-12-13
Il BABY RAILROAD,

, from Cuch1raS The main line of the Rio
Grande road strikes directly for the noun
tains and crosses the Sangre de Christie
range. As we go bounding over the plains
toward the pass, the Spanish Peaks, two
giant twin nionntainS, stand out in all
their majpsty to our left. Both of them
left their heads above timber line, the one
being go feet, and the other 13 go
feet high. At the Mexican town of La
Neta we commence the up grade From
this point heavier engine, being expressly
FOR mountain climbing, takes ON train. IN
the next fourteen miles we must mount up
ON our trail" of steel 2 400 feet. and then
sweep down the other side of tie noun
tain iutn the Rio GIaude Valley. At Oi0
the tremendous climb really commences.
From here the grade is sleeper aud our
speed slower and more cautions. First we
Iuuunt up the steep side of Ntta Mount aii.,
the towering summit of which we have to
lean out of our car window to see. Higher
aud higher climbs the train. sleeper aud
sleeper grows the grade uulil there IS u
rise of 2i1 feet 40 the mile. Our brave
little engine, with S:news of steel and
breath If fire, aud vuice IF thunder. pnffs
as if in agony. Now we begin To climb
tie Mule Shue Bend. We are on one end
of IL. Look yuudcr across :he DaIroW
deep valley io our left. Do you See that
road lonking like "a little rocky shelf run-
ming mp the IUcky mountain side? That
is the oIher end uf The shoe Ii is hun
dreds of feet above as but our train viii
bc up there half an hour hence What a
s'I"e, over mile long on each side, aud
one end 30 feet above the other? Aud
what must lie mule have been? Slowly
up and up we go, dodgIng the precIpiceS,
and swinging round the mountain curves,
in The steady pull, uu il We reach ihe toe
of our great shoe. Here we swing round
fiom the Neta tuihe Dump Mountain. on The
sharIest curve known IN rail. uad building.
Sill up we ciImO the Tremendous
grade, aS if it were in "a balloon instead uf a
railroad train. Al last the dizzy beight Of
Inspiration Point is reached. How mag
nIiicemt :" shouts fellow traveller
''llUw lovely - says anOIher. ''iIow
fnghIful - whispers thIrd, aud no won
der. TINS is the Dump of Dump Noun
tain, he "Cape Horn" uf the pass. We
ate swinging round tue bru.v of the pro
mcutnry, aud from qua Car window We can
look over the verge of the precIpce into
the abyss below, aud oil upon u scene
magnificent beyond description. The val
ley up which we started, ,he Neta Noun
tam, along winch, hundreds of feet below
us, we can trace our TACK, the Spanish
peaks looking more majestic than ever
from this lofty stand POM, aud the vast
pain on the bosom of which hest les little
Neta all together foIm one of the grand
est pannraDaS this earth affords. This
must be The summit No, we are not at
the hig hest poInt Yet. Sui we must go Ou,
winding upward through the deiileS, among
The rocks, aud past places rather trying to
delicate nerves. But among the scores of
TWISTS and turns we feel sense Of perfect
safely. The roddScd is solid, tie system
oi brakes perfect and the uain So well
managed "" ID not think Of danger. This
is crooked; but not ''perverse genera
ton of railroads. At Last well up among
the clouds, the echo Of the eugIue whistle
IEveI berating among the mountain peaks,
announces HAT We are al the summit, 3, joJ
feet above the Sea. This Is "a puInt mono
ihau 900 feet hIg her than has beeu reach
Cd 10y any other IaIlI Dad on the continent,
point 5000 feet higher than ths summit
of old Mount Washington, the lo;Iis,t
mountain IN all New England. The com
pany have just IeasUn To Ue proud Ui such
marvellous achievement IN railroad eu-
gIneeIIug Aud now we are IN GUr fifteen
mile slide down hull, with double brakes
gIasp.ug the wheels, and The train men
whI citIng with eXtIaoIdIuaIy care, we
glide safely aud smoothly down Tue Vest
crE ,lpPc.