, 1880-09-13
Mount VesuYius.

The railway mp Mount Gems was
completed in 1868, and upon it the
traction of the engine was secured by
two wheels acting horizontally under
heavy pressure against middle rail.
In the railroad up Mount Washington,
N. H., the traction is effected by a
cogged wheel working in a cogged
rail. The Mount Rigi Railway in
Switzerland is on the same plan. 1t
was opened for traffic in 1873, or some
four years after its pattern. Now
comes the Mount Vcsuvius Railroad,
IN which old plans are abandoned, and
the cars are simply pulled up grades as
steep as 63 feet in 100, and averaging 56
in 100, by sheer strength of cables
moved by stationary engine, just as
the cars are raised to the top of Mount
Holyoke, in Massachusetts, and to the
top of the inclined planes on the
'switchback railroads of Pennsylva-
MIA. The Vesuvius railroad would,
doubtless, have been sooner built if
engineers had not deemed it almost
impossible to secure the rails to soil of
so crumbling a nature on SO steep a
grade. AS built, thick platform of
wood, not unlike gigantic raft, is laid
over the whole road bed, and the rails
are thus cleared of the shifting cinders,
lava and detritus which make up the
cone. The station is 81 feet under the
lava, and it is thought in case of erup-
tion (the last was in 1S76) the destruc-
ton of the railroad would not neces
sarily follow. Heretofore, to visit the
volcano from Naples has cost some
seven hours, much fatigue, and about
SIS for each person; now the ascent of
the cone. the worst of the journey, re-
quires only eight minutes.
The first public trial of this remark
able line took place on June 9th. The
time of ascent occupies only eight
minutes; on foot it takes an hour and
o half. A correspondent of the Times.
who was present on the occasion, says
It must be admitted that on this, the
first public experiment, the boldest
among the many present confessed the
necessity of screwing their courage up
to sticking point before making the
railway journey along road steep as
ladder or a fire escape and $50 meters
in length; but as regards danger it IS
reduced to a minimum. 1t is not
train in which one travels, but single
carriage, carrying ten persons only,
and as the ascending carriage starts,
another, counterbalarcing it, comes
down from the summit, the weight of
each being five tons. The carriages are
go constructed that, rising or descend
ing, the passenger sits on a level plane,
and whatever emotion or hesitation
may be felt on starting changes before
one has risen 20 meters, into a feeling
of perfect security. The motion also
is very gentle, and the effect is mag
niicent, if not, indeed, grandly awful,
as, when hanging midway against the
side Of the cone, one looks from the
window directly upwards or downwards
along the line, which, its slight in
cline alone excepted, is perfectly per
pendicular. Dismounting at little
station at the summit, one can scarcely
be said to Chamber to the edge of the
crater, for the company has cut con-
venient winding path, up which all,
except the aged. heavy or feeble, can
walk with ease. The upper station
was gaily decked with trophy of
flags. Flags of all nations waved along
each side of the line, and, after de-
scending again to the base of the cone,
we sat down. 120 in number, to splen
did banquet, spread in spacious and
well-appoirted restaurant, established
in kind of Pompeian villa.