The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-09-26
xrCxRxE AND IT'S LION.



August 10. AFTER q morning stroll around
1.meerne we took the boat az 0 o'clock for
Mount Rigi, which was so crowded With
nsssengcrs that II was difficult to obtain n
seat on the upper deck. There had been
one earlier boat af hali-past z, which
we saw from our hotel windows leave
crowded 90 its fullest capacity. Other boats
left every hour during the morning, and
SIN others during the afternoon. The lake
was calm and placid, and the sun shi-
ming brightly as we left the wharf, giving
Promise OF a most favorable day for our
excursion. Mount Rigi on a cloudy or
rainy day Is the dullest and stupidest place
In the world, as there Is nothing 10 be seen
above or below: and as 10 mountaineering
iny, the slopes are too slippery for much TO
be done In that line.
The sail on ibe lake was very pleasant
one. and we reached Viznon in about an
hour. Immediately taking seats In car Tor
the mountain ascent.
NrnE RIGI RAILWAYS.
Since our last ascent OF the Rig' the raii-
vay facilities have been greatly extended,
ne well as the hotel accommodations TWO
immense hotels, six stories high, have been
built on the summit OF the mountain, and
the railroad has been extended up TO their
doors. The hotels lower down do not at
tract the transient visitors, and have been
apparently outhanked. as everybody de-
sircs 10 reach the highest point Many
visitors come here to remain all night ana
see the sun rise, but 1t Is q weiEsettlcd
fact that q clear sunrise is an anomaly
on Rigl. and that those who expect
IN see IL must remain for an indie
. finite period. The great mass OF visitors
como TO spend the day and return in the
evening to either Lucerne or Zurich; but
there are others who remain for health.
The railway up the mountain from ViZnon
has not only increased It's facilities by larger
engines and cars capable Of carrying over
fifty passengers each trip, but when the
morning boats arrive no less than four en-
gires with cars are in waiting. The early
boats seldom bring less than two hum
drcd passengers at this season, and fully
twenty boats reach Viznau daily. But
there is now another railroad from
Arth. on the other side of the moan
tain, which brings tourists from Zurich;
so that cars are arriving mt the summit or
departing for Arth OF Viznau every hour
during the day. Thee are, we should
Judge, not less than two thousand tourists
who have made the ascent to-day. and this
Is probably q fair estimate for fair days the
greater part OF the season. The road Is
nearly straight and about four miles long,
the time required for the ascent being one
hour and ten minutes, and about one hour
for the descent. We should judge that
two thirds OF the visitors to-day are either
English or Americans, and the balance
French and German. There are now
nine good hotels on the Rigi, and
most OF them are as large az the largest
hotel i'm Lucerne, with quite number OF
restaurants. The grade OF the ascent is
TWENTY-FIVE feet to the hundred, but the
logs seem to hold the cars very steady, both
I'm ascending and descending. Two tracks
are laid for most of the distance, and every
appliance and precaution appears to be
used to prevent accidents. The engine has
very little resemblance TO an ordinary loco
motive, the boiler being upright, and with
a view to give it vertical position when
on the steep gradient, it slopes considera-
bly, when standing at the station, giving it
q very odd appearance. 1t must neces-
sarily have great power to hold ard drive
q car before it seldom carrying less than
fifty persons.
THE HEIGHT OF RIGI.
The reader must bear in mind that the
Rigi mountain, on the highest peak OF
Which we are writing, is 5,9O5 feet above
the lake. The mountains covered with
eternal snow visible from this point are
thus enumerated in the guide-books The
Rossburg, the Sentor, and the Glamischer
Alps; the Todi group, the Blackenstock,
the UriZothstock, and then the rugged
Titlis. The mountains OF the Bernese
Oberland stand next in order, the princi-
pal SUBMITS of this group being the
Finsteraarhorn, the Shreckhorn, the Wet
terhorn, the Mouch, the E,ger, and the
Jungfrau. The chain ends with the Pilatus,
or the extreme right. In this area are
included large number OF nearer and lower
SUBMITS. All OF these are visible in the
wonderfully clear atmosphere Oito-day. Ten
lakes can also be counted from the summit
from the Lowerz See to the Bay of Aepach,
directly under Pilatus. The morning view,
when il is clear, which is seldom the case,
is said to be as follows " Soon as the stars
begin to fade streak Of dawn gradually
brightens to golden line on the horizons
verge. the mountain peaks blush rosy-red,
the shadows melt away, and the varied
charms OF the landscape gradually reveal
themselves, till the sun bursts forth IN all
its glory and the full splendor Of the vast
panorama is displayed"
on THE TOP OF RIGI.
Your readers will please understand that
we are at the moment OF writing seated on
the veranda in front OF the hotel on the
highest peak Of Mount Rigi, 5000 feet
above the lake, wrapped in establishment at
the wonderful and startling scene spread
out to our view. The day is clear and the
sun warm, whilst scarcely Il cloud mar.
the view in any direction. The only
clouds are those which hover over thu
snow mountains, and even these ar,
being dispelled Us the sun gains strength
A better day for viewing the scene iron
Rigi could not be possible, but as TO de
scribing what we see, so that the reade
will understand and see il also, is anothe
matter. We expected to see a number O
snow mountains that are not visible iron
below, but here there are spread out beior
us chain after chain OF mountains covered
with eternal snow and glaciers, ant
hundreds OF rugged peaks risin.
from their SUBMITS, glistening lik,
FURNISHED silver in the morning. sun
The whole horizon, on three sides
seems connected succession Of snow
mountains, but the reader must bear il
mind that the extent of the vision iron
Rigps summit is said to be one hundre,
miles in any given direction. The peaks O
all these mountains are not only visible. blI
the glaciers on their sides and the lessee
tops, SO that they appear TO be OF rrea
width as well as height. Not one of thes,
mountains, il must also be understood. |,
within twenty miles of Rigi and between
them and the lake are the lesser mountains
OF from 1900 TO 1000 feet in height, cover.
ed with pines or under cultivation.
The Snow mountains seem TO the eye 10
form perfect and unbroken chain around
almost the entire horizon Their yasfness