Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-02
This Is the part of the

were 1vertaken This Is the part of the
road where 50 many ~refuges" have been
provided Those places of shelter, as well as
the more comfortable Hospice, have saved
the lives Of many persons crossing the pass
in the fall winter and spring The tour
mente, or whirlwind of snow, is cause Of
more deaths than ayalanches in the high
Alps They are bitterly cold and binding,
and in few minutes raise mounds Of snow
through which horses and men can hardly
make their way. We were glad to know
that these icy plaques were out Of season at
the time Of our crossing.
The waterfalls-among the greatest charms
Of the Simplon pass-were at their best. The
rains had been heavy for some days, and the
sun was melting the snow in all but its high
est Judgments The white peaks of noun
tains, ranging from 1900 to II 900 feet above
the sea, were sublime and beautiful One
never tires Of gazing at them, and using some
more familiar mountain at ho!ae as a sort OF
measuring scale in order 10 form better idea
Of their height Americans are in the habit
of recalling their impressions of Washington,
Mansfield, Graylock or the Catskills for this
purpose In the Alps, however, this plan
does not help us much, for some of the most
majestic of the range have their bases at a
height Of 5000 feet to begin with, and never
seem to he as high by several thousand feet as
they really are. \ mountain of much less
stature would look just rs towering springing
from foundation nearer the sea level
BEAUTIES OF THE WATERFALLS
But when no grand mountains are in sight
then ones spirit is refreshed by the waterfalls.
never before conceived the widely different
forms which falling water could assume. We
passed hundreds of cascades between Domo
d'Ossolo and Brieg, and no two were alike.
They resembled each other as little in shape
as in size. Some were simple mill streams.
They came rushing down the mountains in
great volume to turn Che wheels. But they
found no corn to grind or logs to saw. They
were only conducted OFF through culverts be-
meath the roadbed, where they could do
neither harm nor good What might be
called lace patterns We're innumerable. They
were fiat waterfalls, thin and very wide, slip
ping gently over smooth rocks of easy slopes.
Wavy bands of lines made the breadth Of
these falls look In the distance exactly like
snow-white lace. Bridal veil, of the most ex-
quisite texture were common Some kept
their symmetry in leaps Of at least 500 feet.
There were falls which reminded one Of the
dropping of brilliants from fireworks high in
tine air. Each flashing wavelet seemed TO pre-
serve its unity as it fell over the precipice,
and to come down slowly till broken up by
some jutting rock below.
A fall that always pleased us was one that
broke into a powerful vapor ami spsrkled in
the sunshine like a cascade Of diamonds.
This is the sort of fall that Swiss innkeepers
are said to manufacture in the dry season.
II only needs small hoy with few pals OF
water. He is out of S ght on the heights..and
turns on the fall when he sees a carriage
coming through the pass. There were too
many falls of this kind TO make US question
their genuineness. Another style that never
tired came down in numerous short leaps.
The effect was that of stars made Of silver.
Sometimes they were solid-as one might
say-anG made 50 little spray that they
seemed to be shining steps leading from the
gloomy depths Of the ravine 10 the white and
serene and above.-Switzerland Cor. Jour
nal Of Commerce.