Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-09-16

III Europe, ara Wnlcn is laD0rlouS ana cosby
piece OF work, with many tunnels ana con-
tlnuous parapet of masonry, was constructed
by the canton, and like ali the roads of the
country is free road; no tolls or turnpike
zsrand. At the point on the road near Tells
Chapel We left the carriage and scrambled
down the steep'path to that tiny structure.
sen;ing scenes in Tells life and the Swiss war
LOT lndependence, but the weather and the
vandalism of tourists seeking cheap immor
taIlty by ScraWilng their names everywhere
have defaced the pictures almost beyond rec
0gnition. The Historical society of Switzer-
land, who don't believe with the outside hisEo-
they do, are going to have the pictures restored
and guard placed there to keep the notoriaty
hunters from defacing them. At the wharf
weiss for sale. This is supposed to be a rare
mountain flower found only along the snow
iine, in places dlificult Of access: 1t is sad
therefore. to record that the thrifty people OF
Brunner grow it in pots hence the abundance
OF the article for sale here.
UP THE R1G1.
We took the steamer for VitZnau and there
got aboard the cars for ride up the Rigi
The Rigi is group of mountains about
twenty-five miles in circumference, but the
name is now applied only to the north peak
which commands remarkable view of 800
snowy mountains and overlooking nearly the
whole lake system of Switzerland. The
"Kulm,'' or highest point, is 5,906 only above
the sea, nearly thousand feet lower than the
summit OF Mount Washington; and the rail
road, which was patterned after the railroad
OF Mount Washington, presents nowhere any
such startling climbs on trestIework over
raVlneS and along precipIceS as that up Mount
Washington. In fact it is a very mild ascent
over grade never beyond one foot in four on
we'll ballasted track, up through orchards
cultivated heldS. green pastures, groves of flg,
chestnut and almond trees, villages, hotels and
boarding houses and verdure- clad TO the very
top, so that one does not realize much of the
element of danger that goes to make the sub
lime This road, as above stated, is on the
plan invented by Sylvester Marsh, of Littleton
New Hampshire. for the railroad up Mount
travelling in New England, heard Of Marsh's
project, and went to see him with view
OF ascertaining if the invention could
not be applied to the construction OF rail
Marsh very kindly exhibited his plans
and drawings, and Mr.: Hitz was impressed
with the belief that the idea was feasible
and SO reported to the Swiss governments
with the recommendation that an engineer of
capacity be sent over to report with precision
This was done, and as the result of this en-:
in Lucerne and the capital promptly sub
scrIbed to secure the construction of the road
up the RIgi, without q. resort to any OF the
maSesnliis max n ana expedients 1or building the
poor Marsh SO long. The Rlgi railroad was
success from the start, and the stock rose so
rapidly that a dividend of 40 per cent. was
made made the first year, and it now pays diyi-.
dend OF from to Y per cent. annually. The
success OF the road prompted the capitalists of
zurich, Lucerne's rival city, to build rail
"Arth:R Rigi' line), and subsequently branch
railway AZ miles long along the Rigi ridge to
some OF the hotels was constructed: Se for
with railroads. In the speculative movements
inspired by the construction of the Rigi rail-
road, a credit mobilier was formed to gobble
up up al the real estate upon the Rigi to monop
lie the hotel sites and business, but it "bit Off
more than 1t could chew and failed, and
there are now SIX hotels of large size on the
mountain, several OF them fitted up in city
houses.
SUNRISE UPON THE RIGI.
The sunrise is the great feature of the Rigi.
We were routed out at a. m. by most per-
severing Alpine horn blower, who seemed to
be an enthusiastic sort OF chap who wanted
to get everybody up to view the grand display
of nature; but when we tumbled out half
dressed and shivering, there he was, hat in
blowing for nothing. The view was really
wonderful, but why can't the Inventors of the
age supply some means of enjoying mountain
wind and cold at that inhuman hour of get
ting out of bed? A hotel, something on the
plan OF the latest grandest of the San Fran
cisco hotels, where every guest has private
sunrise mountains Seen comfortably behind
plate glass, one could really get enthusiastic
oyer oyer the Rigi sunrise with four hundred snow
clad mountains, thirteen lakes and hundreds
OF hamietS and villages touched up and titri-
vated by rosy-ingered Aurora, but as it is
MhD sfE they snSy it. @f lie
have the placard of the Mount Washington
hotel requesting guests not to wear the bed
Clothes to see the sunrise, but in its place was
the following curiously worded warming:
Considering the great affiuence of visitors Of
all nations to this house, we beg to take g0oda
care OF all objects of value and 10 lock well the
door during the night"
We went down the Rigi on the Arth side
and then Oh TO Zurich by steamer on Lake
Zug and by rail from Zug to Zurich The de-
scent from the Rigi on that side is by no means
as interesting as the ascent on the Vitznau
track and extent OF the remarkable Landslide
OF the RossbeTg which in 1906 buried the large
village of Goldau and three other villages,
portion OF the lake Of Lower, which In turn
did great damage by flooding the adjacent
country. The Rossberg (moqntainl is com
largely Of con nglomerate Of pebbles embedded
IN sort OF calcareOus cement, tSuch as We
have specimens of near Washington, inter
stratiied St rat with layers OF sand, and one of
length, 1,NO feet in breadth, and 100 feet in
thick ness was precipitated 5000 feet down
upon the vlllagesin the valley below. The scalp
which the slide occurred remains as bare as if
the accident happened yesterday, and it is
seen that the conglOmerate strata all have
1896, weaken the sand strata underneath
there Is always an avalanche or landslip i'm
pending for the valley people. From the
number of people destroyed by this landsiip
1t Is supposed that the pressure of air must
have killed them, or incapacitated them for
escape before the rocks reached them The
debris gained such immense impetus in the
descent as not only to cross the valley but to
mount some distance up the side of the Rigi
Crossing Lake Zug, we saw in the distance. at
the village OF Cham the smoke rising from a
milk cOndensing establishment, the property
OF couple OF enterpriSihg Yankees, which
uses the milk OF 1900 cows These same
Americans have other milk k-condensing estab-
lshmentS in Switzerland, and also one or two
IN England. The cars from Zug to Zurich as
elsewhere in TeutOnic Switzerland, were on
what is called the American plan, but they
nave only approximately the cOnvenienceS and
opportunities for seeing the country passed
through that our cars have. They are, how
ever, vast improvement upon the awkward
0ld- style compartment cars still in use In
French Switzerland.
ZURICH.
we were greatly pleased with Zurich,-the
Athens, or Boston of Switzerland,- and would
have liked longer stay, had our programme
permitted. 1t is superbly situated, and is not
only the literary centre of Switzerland but it
takes the lead in manufacturing enterprises.
and has altogether the look of busy, wide.
awake prosperous city. IC is famous for its