The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-08-03
CLIMBING THE HIMALAYAs
On an Indian RanWay-Fearful Loops
and Horse Shoe Curves.

way gauge I'VE feet and a half. AZ
ter fast ride of five hours through q
monotonoas expanse of palms. cocoa.
nut trees, mud villages and dirtv
ponds, VIC arrived at Damookdea.
Here We were put on board respect
able little side wheel steamer and
conveyed across that mouth of the
Ganges which is known ss the J1hno
River, to Saraghst. Here again we
we're transferred to the night express
on the Northern Bengal State Rail
way, gauge three feet tn es and three.
elRhtns inches. An all night ride
brought US to siliguri, where at So
clock IN the morning we took the cara
on the wonderful Darieeling-Hima-
layan Railway-gauge two feet.
Here began the journey ND the
mountains, the most remarkable rail.
reading experience which I ever en-
loyed, or rather suffered.
Ihe engine vas Q tiny but powerful
affair, weighing about ten tons. The
cars were mos! OF them Wha. are
called trollles, open observation cars.
less than five feet wide and less thar
eight feet long, and provided with
four wooden benches. There was 8
canvas. canopy overhead. The wheels
OF the cars we're affixed to adjustable
axles, 30 that one wheel nigh. tray,
ell faster than another in going
around curve. The wheels nroiect.
ed up into the trolly, as in street cars
at home. As yet no other railroad
has adopted this system. This had |
the effect OF bringing the platform
close to the ground, which in turf,
had the effect of leading US to believe
we were fairly flying, when in reality
our speed was medium.
In front was what the time. tables
pronounced TO be Ia first-class carriage.
This statement, further interpreted
would signify that there was a coon
provided with dirty canvas curtains
ana slimpsy seat-cushions. Even an
open trolly was preferable. On be-
hind was sort Of hand car contain.
ing TIE mail.
However ridiculous the cars IT
must be conceded that tbs engines
and the road bed were first class.
Inc toy locomytive ahead of us drag
geo our miniature train of seven CO - |
up the steepest inclines at rate of
even or eight miles an hour! That
We took all day to make the Journey
II nifty miles was not its fault, but the |
auit OF numerous long delays TO take !
10 water, and especially OF two stops :
u half an hour each for meals. :
We pulled out of the depot with q
GOD deal of flourish, followed close bv {
good train"of FIVE cars. For six
seven miles our course was substan-
ally straight and substantially level. v
'nen We reached the foot hills. and Fl
egsn the ascent. thought knew b
about narrow gaugiog be- q
're, having Travelled LOCO miles
trough Colorado on the Denver e q
10 Grande; but soon discovered the
Use foundation Of that suppositiop.
stands to reason thsta two.foot "a
,ad can Guido threesfoot road: bnt
had not thought a train on a two.
OF road could accomplish miracles
e did. We actually went two wavs
once. This may sound as paradox ,
81 as turning a grinds.one in botb
rectlons at cnoe, but we did n F
II II tram was short one, but while me NE
III OF it would be going north the IN IN
ner half would be going south. lct
Loops? We turned three tho, * ,fe
aoe my hair stand on end. the rsdin. Spi
oae OF them being only fiIty Feet ION ION
gags? We found plenty Of revsTs. ,ae'
: stations, Horsexsboes? There MAJ
none In Ooloradc-much less in e N
nnsylvanis. nd
Never when I have been ridiro :, III
lnost dangerous places ia COLORADO ; j
california have Ifelt unsafe. The kin
) were solid and com6ortable the ; 3aFE
es OF the mountain trails va1e AN
nite,and we had substantial ortbo. Sold
locomotives in front of us. Hera -s ET1
trollles we're SO ricke,y ths: I was /
Id to sneeze tor lear it MIGHT inn T.
the train over. Much of the time TAM
were riding on the margin of pre- Plea
ces as awful as Cape Horn in CAL " x
MA, with the added fact that The FUTy
70 was OF soft, o-umbling mate
The platform projected perbans
teen inches over the rail on either
go that while the wheels were
eWhat removed from the ragged Cor
!" could reach out nv hand
let pebble fall hundreds, and in
. cases thousands. of feet.
times | would look down dow,
and perhaps perceive a monkey
glng furiously on long pendant
which hung from some tail tree Tien
had taken root on the mouutain
DID it make ne dizzy? Everv o.,
'ldual hair on my head stood on rn,,v,,
with a fierce, r.like asnect ou icj'
> my knees gradually approached ne2t
hin and my writhing pedal ex-
tiles fairly tWined about nv mech
Eerish uncertainty. confess 7 r..
aervous. i vas not altopether Bank
ping
&c when We were rounding a half c
sharp curve at gradient OF one OF Lit
Venteen.i the gallant but exhaust. pawn %
sie engine found itself unable tn cedad i
the pressure eud fonk q CHI 49,