The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-19
4 RIDE TO NAPLES
The Wonderful Railway Through the Heart
Ofthe alps incidents and Notes.

DeeQ asked WHICH is the 1QOSb lubeISSAAuS SAOy W
visit I replied, if you are areligious deyotee,
Jerusalem If you want to see the ancient civlli-
cation, Rome. If You want the modern civiliza-
ton, London What a world in itself it is! Con-
tanning as many inhabitants as New York, Phil
adelphia, Brooklyn, Chicago Boston, st Louis,
Baltimore, Cincinnati and San Francisco com
sbinei, it can truly he said to swarm with mill
ions of all classes and conditions of humanity.
1t is better governed than Indianapolis But
then it doesn't haye a board of police commission
ers which isa law unto itself. Not.a shop or sar
loon open from Saturday night at IL o'clock I'M
til Sunday att Then they may open until
o'clock, when they, are closed until 6, and then
open until11 But then, law means something
in England. In Indianapolis two men may set
it aside for political reasons
By the way while inLendon met some rel
atives who came over on the City of Chester, of
the Inman line Hhe major part Of the Irving
troupe was on board. One of the troupe
showed one Of my relatives the notes In her
diary on indianapolis. It ransthus shndianapo-
lis city with beautiful trees and poor hotels
where we played to the pooHest7payipg houses
of our tour odate.n
left Lendon at 10 A. M on Wednesday, the
18th, for a straightaway run to this city IN
order to catch my steamer for Alexandria. We
made Doverin two heErs. Here's change to
soneo of the miserable little boats thatply between
Dover and Calais, over the toughest bit of water
sDnsthe globe. My two friends are utterly done
for within a few moments after starting, as are
almost all the passengers. Fortunately, such
things don't move me, and 4 enjoyed the pas
sage. Wepass the customs at Calais, and are
soon speeding away over the fair fields of France
for Basic, Switzerland. The people are hard
workersr-tPuly the sons of toll. The country is
under a high state of cultivation, and is very
pleasing to the eye. One notices the absence of
farm houses, and the fact that people live in
villages There are!few manufaet turing estab-
ishments to be seen, and these fewsare in the
larger towns.
We take breakfast in Basic, on the Rhine, and
then begin the most picturesque railroad ride 4
have eyertakens Six years. go1 mente thesame
route by diligence sandsWaS thereby the better
prepared to enjoy a ridethat forever remains In
my mind as the most remarkable have ever UNI
dertaken; and have been over a large portion
of the Denver & Rio Gfande, whichis the most
wonderful piece of engineering among the rail
roads of America, and runs through some of the
boldest, grandest, and most picturesque scenery
in the world. We were soon at Lucerne, the
Saratoga of Switzerland. And truly it is de-
zhghtful and beautiful place. The lake is more
beautiful than Como and the mountains granders
than those that surround her Italian rival Soon
we are rushing along towards Fluellen. On one
the beautiful lake. and beyond mountain
piled on mountain, until their eternal
SHOWS and the deecy clonds mingle
in most exquisite harmony. Hotels
and Villas are are p9rcfeQ Hp0n every 1@0dntftfn
ledge, with here and there the statelysruins of
quaint old castles that speak of days of knighty
valor and love. Here we are, at Fluellen.
This is where Tell shot the apple from off his
sons head ~ Just above here, in the little town
of Altdorf, is fine statue erected to Tells mem
ory by the huntsmen of Zurich. We now
plunge into the pass of the great St Gotthard.
Upwe go, over az fine 2 road5bed as ever was
built 1twould fill Col Miller of Richmond,
with envy, and make Ed MeKeuna chuekle, that
now some one WAS one too 1nany for the Col
Onel Around pfeeipiees over ehasms and
through tunnels we rush, until come close
tothe Devils Bridge, that we used to see pic
lures of in the old Biographies, and, as we look
ahead, the mountains close in upon us, and
there seems ITO be an end to the railroad bust
ness, for the present, at least, What road is
that to the right on the mountain side away
above ns2 1t is ours How does it get thereY We
shall see. On we rush, and into the nountains
we find we have made complete circle, ascend
ing all the while like spiral spring, and are
on the road that we saw above u.s.
Twice more we do the same thing before we
get above the otherwise monntabfe difficult
ties nature has placed IN our way. The same
thing is done four times on the Italian side of
the mountain. The circuit made in these tun
nels is fully three quarters of a mile in each
case We are soon IN the great tunnel, which is
nearly thirteen miles long. 1t cost l20, 600, 900
francs and took nearly twelve years to bore it
One hundred and forty-six men were killed and
over seven hundred injured in its construction
We come out of the great hole at Aixola- Down
we go, in and cut round about until we arrive
at Como, and thence onto Milan. Yonghad bet
ter send Trask over to write this road up. He
would be sure to mount Pegasus and drive faster
than his own little bob tail horse ] know he
would grow eloquent
We.spent the evening at Milan. After supper
in the world famous Arcade we went to the ca
thedral. What a magnificent building 1T is! 1t
seems to have grown more beautiful than when
Drs Waterman and Bayliss and myself looked
upon It six years ago. Weenter thousands
Of people are moving about its nave and aisles
the sound Of music, sweet and clear, rolls
along the yaulted ceiling, and the smell
Of incense fills the air. Here comes
procession from behind the high altar
down the north aisle What is it, Why, this
is the festival of Corpus Christi. The priests
chant weird song the people fit hither and
thither, Like phantoms across the dinnly lighted
scene; the, swinging censers suggest Dantes In
ferno, and the whole affair is solenanly Impress
i've to the hooker on.
We take the nighttrain for Florence The
ride is embarrassing and unpleasant No lux
urious, sleeper though they do have few Pull
mans in Europe to invite the weary traveller to
restful repose, In the early morning we come
insight Of Florence, the Beautiful AS we APP
proach the city, BHAnaellesohiss dome, which
served Michael Angelo as a model for his on St
PETERS, at Rome, Giottos Gaanpanile and the ia
nous Bapistry seem to rise from the heart of the
city. Westep only for breakfastsand on we gefor
Rome, which we reach after eight hours ride
through the fruitful valley of lthe yellow Tber.
This valley is as fruitful Bo-day as three thou
vand years ago presume. Great herds Of cat
DE and shocks Of sheep, under the care of shep
herds, luxuriating upon the bouuteous pastur-
age, are to be seen On every hand. AT o'clock
we come to halt in q magnificent modern rail-
way station, IN the Eternal City. We make
sniy ia half an hours stop but
me glimpse I got of the city
showed me marHeleps growth since was
last here. Block alter block of aiKsapd seven
storied houses-same just finished, some half
completed--are to be seen on every hand Rome
truly is rising from the dust of herTast great
ness
Onswe speed to Naples where we arrive at ii
o'clock r. NIL 1868 miles from IsOndsn in sixty