Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-05-24
Passage III a Train Through the
Grand (nuOu.

The actual passing of the first pas
senger train through the Grand Canon
and Royal Gorge, on the line of the
Denver and Rio Grande railroad, of
Colorado, was briefly mentioned last
week. The Denver Tribune contains
a glowing description of the pioneer
excursion of invited guests. The
excursion started from Denver, but
received accessions at other points
along the route. On reaching the
canon the engine was placed in the
rear, so as to give a better view TO the
tourists. The approach to the canon
is gradual. The distant hills draw
nearer, and the valley Of the Arkan-
sas becomes narrower and narrower
until the river is shut in closely on
both sides by high mountains,
slOping gently away covered with
ycrdure. Then the slope Of the
mountains becomes more perpen-
dicular, and the hills become
higher, until suddenly the river is
completely shut in by mountains with
mighty tops. The roar and rattle OF
the train grows louder and echoes up
and down. The train is fairly in the
canon. 1t moves slowly The noun
tain walls are of a dizzy height, and
50 close together hat looking ahead
they appear simply to form a crevace,
a huge, awful crooked crevace, through
which the miserable little train was
timidly crawling. The curves Of the
canon are superb. They constitute
the finishing touch to its grandeur,
and fill the mind with a fuller appre-
citation of this great miracle Of nature,
But the Royal Gorge Imagine two
almost perfectly perpendicular walls
rising to a height of 200 feet, and
only 80 feet apart, those walls present
ing jagged and irregular masses OIL
rock that, on the railroad side
hang over the train all creviced and
ready TO fall in thousands of tons
The rOadbed is cut out of the solid
rock, and masses of this hang over il
stretching out a hundred feet. One
cannot look to the top Of this wall OF
account Of those projecting, irregular
bluffs, but the hight to the top ever
as measured by the eye disturbs tn,
faculties aud brings on vertigo. TIL,
cooped-up Arkansas rushes madly BY
a narrow thread. made still more 5,
by the rocks thrown into it. There i
not room 10 stop from the train with
out pitching into the river. Not {
word is uttered. The engineer whis
ties occasionally, and timid folks lool
for the rocks to fall. Ii is really
strain on the mind to take it in an,
this a be only feebly done ON a sin
= gle trip. Two thousand feet aboy,
you are the tops of the mountain walls
You are imprisoned in a crack thirt,
feet wide, and are partially under on
mountain wall. You can see on tn
opposite side the gradations Of tn
verdure, rich below, impoverishe
above. And the curves become NOR
awful as you look ahead or back. 70
forty-iye minutes the tourists enjoye
this sight. The train stopped at III
construction bridge near the eud q
the gorge. Statutes were fired, a fiftee
minutes halt was made, and the engin
started the train for Canon Cit,
/, There was no sun in the gorge, but /
slanted down the opposite mouutai
wall as the party returned throug'
the canon, increasing the surpassin
t beauty Of the scene. The canon /
/ eleven miles in length, and the gorge
mile and a half The tourists la
seen it all-seen the greatest natnra
wonder Of the West and the irst trai.
OF passengers had passed through IA
gorge. II will be impossible TO hull
another road through the gorg,
Until this point is reached IN