St. Landry democrat., 1881-10-15
Railroad Travel i'm Mexico.

Mr. Louis Won Niendortf, formely resident
of New York State, went to Mexico in July
last, as one of a surveying party of engineers.
There is railroad from Vera Cruz to the City
OF Mexico, a distance of 2G3 miles. In crossing
the mountains between the two cities, the
cars had to be drawn by 1.-TWO heavy Ameri-
can freight engines with their tenders de-
tached, then coupled together, and the tire
place in their middle the weight Of which was
sixty-tive tons. Mr.. Niendortf has given an
account OF the trip in recent letters to the
Forest and Stream, from which we extract
the following description:
After leaving OriZaba we encounter heavier
grades as we cross the crest OF the continued
backbone of our own Rocky Mountains. We
climb over grades of $50 feet to the mile. At
one place called La Frata we saw a train ahead
of us away up on the mountain top and fully
1000 feet above u.s. 1 could hardly realize that
we had TO surmOunt these elevations from our
own apparently low situation, but such soon
was the case, and VIC commenced the ascent
after Il careful inspection OF all OF our couplings
and brakes by the officials III charge.
| have travelled the world over and have seen
many imposing views of mountainous countries,
many wild, rugged rocks on the ocean shore,
against which the surf recolls ill milky foam,
but the grandeur OF the scenery now opening
before us as we sped through the distance OF
| 140 miles from Orlzaba to Esperanza SURPRISES
all my Imagination could possibly picture or
Time and again stern and almost vertical Gifts
"a thousand feet more in height form an i'll
passible barrier Oh one side OF the corkscrew
winding road, while preclplces OF double the
into their deep abysses We passed several
deep gOrges, SPAWNED over with spiderweb-like
iron bridges OF greater length and depth than
that OF the famous Portage Bridge along the
track of the Erie Railway. Tie elevations
above and around us were mostly covered with
a dense and uniform Indigenous growth Of
the Western pine, along with great variety or
bushes aud beautiful wild flowers, some Of
which were trailing along the ground like our
own arbutus. Several OF our fellow passengers
were tourists, who travelled OH business, along
with sprinkling Of amateur artists and ex-
element and novelty seekers. They all unani.
mously agreed that for sublimity OF views and
gradeur OF scenery this part OF our continent
stands unrivaled. All this, taken i'll connection
with a most salubriOus climate, where the
temperature hardly ever raises above 20 deg.
F., winter and summer, along with the low
rates for all necessities OF life, point to this
country as perhaps the most desirable region
to visit during our cold and severe winters.
The building of this road must have
taken to the utmost tile highest engineering
skill to overcome all these immense obstacles
of heavy grades, deep ravines and opposing
mountains, many OF Which had to be tunneled.
counted no less than sixteen OF these exca-
vations on my way. AT last we arrive on the
summit OF the range OF the Las COmbras Noun
tains, though only to find still higher ranges
i'll front OF us, which overtop these lofty ele-
vations. Up to the very clouds the locomotive
makes its toisome ascent, until we reach
Esperanza, the first station, upon the great
table land of Central Mexico and nearly 5000
feet above the level OF the sea.
Here we leave the lofty snow-croWned peak
of Orizaba, which fades away into the horlson
and discard our heavy Notwithstanding
double engine for one OF the ordinary pattern
of those OH our roads at home. Our grades are
few and easy. We speed onward through a
beautiful and apparently tinely-cultivated
country covered with green waving fields OF
many fresh looking meadows which must afford
excellent pasture to numerous tiocks OF live
stock of ali descriptions which We see. includ-
ing horses and donkeys. We arrive at last at
the CITY of Mexico, 263 miles from Vera Cruz.