Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-05-17
IL
NO III.
Daily kennettr 5ournaI.
CONTINUED.
MY TRIP. TO EUROPE.

Sutherland Aug. 9.-we left Berne by rail
at two O'Clock yesterday afternoon, and in
about two hours arrived at Thun, a village of
some 5000 population, highly picturesque,
with a venerable church, feudal castle 200
years old, and other handsome buildings.
Here WE took passage on steamer to cross
Lake Thun pronounced toon.) This lake is
about 10 miles long and miles wide. Ithas
many fine villas and residences on its north
ern shores, but as you proceed along the
| lake, the mountains become more steep and
abrupt, and the scenery wilder. 1t was very
pleasant voyage. After proceeding diagonal
| ly across the lake we landed at a railway sta
ton on the opposite shore. The cars we en-
tered here were of singular construction. be-
| ing two stories in height Winding stairs
| ascened to the second floor ut each end of the
car. We took seats ON the upper floor from
| choice, to secure a better opportunity for OBJ
| servation. The road followed along the mar.
gin of the lake for many miles. and was bor-
dered with forests and rocky cliffs on the land
side. BY this romantic mode of travel, we
reached the terminus of the lake, and soon
after entered and passed through the celc-
brated centre of attraction for tourists called
lnterlaken, to the shore of another lake,
| Lake Brienz. This lake is about miles
| long and WIDE 1t is said to he 1000 feet
deep at some points. We here took another
| steamer, which landed us at the foot of a
| steep hill or mountain rising out of the shore
| of the lake. Here was a railway similar TO
ehuf md tl,, ha, l~cS A..
| river at Niagara Falls, one car going up
whilst another goes down. The distance to
| be traversed was, however, much greater
than that at Niagara, and in order to facili-
| tate the operation of the cars, the descending
one was weighted with water introduced into
| a reservoir underneath the floor, and let out
| when the car reaches tho bottom and has to
| ascend again.
GIEssBAcH.
| Our hotel is very large and grand, built of
stone, on the slope of the mountain perhaps
| 500 feet above the lake. II has marble steps
and stairs, and is elegantly furnished. 1t was
asserted that the hotel and anncxcs would ac-
| commodate 1900 guests, but for the sake Of
caution. will discount 800 of that number.
Whilst we were there, the number did not
| exceed $50 or 200. There are but few other
buildings in the vicinity, and these probably
belonged to the attendants at the hotel The
spot was a beautiful and romantic one, and
| some of our enthusiastic young ladies de-
clafed they would be glad to stay there u
fortnight But such was not our fate. One
| night was all that was set down in the bills
for us.
And now some one may inquire, why such
| costly house Of entertainment was erected
in such lonely place, and why travellers
and tourists flock to it. The answer is that
fhn ot ttrnr tinu taV. ,c .
or the
ILLUMINATED CASCADE.
The Giessbach fall is alongside of the hotel.
and only few rods distant. II is estimated
to be over 1000 feet from the summit to the
| base. But the fall of water is broken into
sections by projecting rocks at different
points, so that there are numerous successive
cascades. The torrent comes down a wooded
! ravine perhaps 500 feet in height in full view
| of the hotel. The remaining half of il il be-
| lows and flows down to the lake alongside Of
the railway. 1t is grand spectacle to see
| the successive cascades coming down from
high up the side of the mountain. But the
charm that draws visitors is the illumination
| in the evening. Flights Of steps have been
constructed up the steep accivity by the side
of the fall Lanterns are hung il the trees, on
| each side of the ravine, that the vari-
Gus cascades may be distinctly seen in the
night as well as the day. But this was not
all. After little time, the falls were -illu-
minated by introducing lights behind the wa
ter fall under each cliff. In this way, it was
made TO present sheet of silvery brightness
from the top to the bottom. When the COM
pany had viewed this awhile, all Mt once, by
a magical change, the silvery sheen was trans
formed into a reddish or pink color, and a
few minutes afterward to green, and then yell
l L. AZ
artificial, and done only to please and attract
beholders. If there was Illusion, it was one
| of the cases, where
| "rhe pleasure is as great
or being cheated as TO cheat"
The unanimous verdict was thatit was a very
| brilliant and charming sight. 1t is repeated
every night through the season for the grati-
fication of the guests.
In the morning several of our party
climbed up the the stairs by the fall. two or
three hundred feet, and passed under the fall
and back again.
The surroundings here are very romantic
and agreeable. The hotel and railway are
embosomed in trees. The lake and the
mountains across the lake are in full view,
and the whole landscape constitutes picture
of indescribable beauty.
Interlaken, Aug. 10. We left hotel Giess.
bach, and took the cars down to the lake soon
after o'clock yesterday, crossed Lake Brienz
to Interlaken, and after short ride in the
two story cars, entered carriages for Lauter-
brunnen and Grindelwald The carriages
were light for this country, each having seats
for besides one with the driver. NY com.
panions were three agreeable ladies', and one
gentleman on the seat with the driver.
The scenery was grand and beautiful.
Our route was through a narrow valley,
with tall cliffs on either hand, occasionally
specked with snow near the summit. The
slopes, wherever practicable, were cultivated
and inhabited. The weather was genial, and
it was one Of our n.ost interesting rides.
After'riding about two hours we reached
rural public house, with picturesque sur
roundings, where tourists stop who desire to
live quiet and secluded. 1t begun to rain
about the time we arrived and we had our
horses and carriages put under cover. Little
shops were scattered along the roads and
lanes, where alpine views. wood carvings,
and variety of pretty souvenirs were for
sale at extravagant prices.
FALLS or STAUBBACu.
We were now in the immediate vicinity Of
a. a. -