Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-31
9ails gaele
AMONG THE ALPS.
A TRIP THROUGH THE SYMPTOM
PASS m JUNE.

The Charms Of tho Cascades and
waserfall.-How Cascades are Manu-
featured in tho Dry eeesen.
We found the remains Of e. great snow
drift near the summit OF the Simplon pass;
The crest OF the hesp rose above the top OF
our carriage. This WIS 1. surprise, but not
disagreeable. On the Italian, or south side
of TIE Alps the weather had been quite warm
and even enervating. Although the sky was
overcast and rain fell ct intervals / became
unpleasantly heated whenever | walked to
ease the horses and pick flowers. But the
moment we began to descend from the eX-
treme height of owe. 6 800 feet cold wind
struck us IL front sid flank. Rugs and
shawls which had been carefully strapped up
were unbound end put to use. The road was
as good as when Napoleon made it, and the
horses were fresh from nights rest at the
halfway inn of Iselln. The carriage ratified
down the steep grade, the driver cracking his
whip nlerrijy and making echoes in TIE deep
and narrow gorses We knew that few
hours Of this pace would bring US to Brieg
and warmth Ipever before realized the full
aspect As we made the gradual ascent from
Domo d'Ossol;; snow had been occasionally
seen, but always far above us. Il filled
crevices at the height Of 600 feet or crowned
the very peais.
DANGERS FROM EvALkNCEES.
But when We passed the little village OF
Simylon and ncared the Hospicc there was
snow in yatches far below Us. And from the
road upward it still covered largo tracts, and
at times threatened svalsnchcs. These, how
ever, are OF rare occurrence on TIE Sinlplon
in the first week of June. Rude crosses mark
the spots where travellers had been swept into
the profound gulf which yawaed on our left
At one place, the driver said, four mon hat
been carried to that awful but instant deatA
An enduring cruciii1 OF bronze had been
firmly set in e. stcne socket, just where they
were overtaken. ThC is the part CT the
road where 50 many "refuges' have been
provided. Those pleces o. shelter as well as
the more comfortable Hospice, have saved
the lives o. many persons crOs@ing the pass
in the fall winter and spring. The tour
mente, or whirlT7ind Ct nov, is a cause OF
more deaths than evclsrches in the high
Alps They are bitterly cold nnd binding,
and in q few minutes raise mounds OF SHOW
make their way We were glad to know
that these icy plcgucs were out OF season as
tho time OF our crosliug.
The waterfalls-enlong Sic greatest charms
of the Simplon p.ss--Terc ct their best The
rains had been heavy for sonc days, and the
sun was melting tho caov in eli but its high
est Judgments The vhite peaks OF noun
tains, ranging from 5000 to II 900 feet above
the sea, were sublime end beautiful One
never tires Of gazing ct them, ard using some
moro familiar mountain at home as q sort of
measuring scale in order TO forLa 9 better idea
OF their height Americana Gro in the habit
of recalling their impressions of Washington,
Mansfield, Grcylock or ths Catsklls 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 az a
height of 200 feet 10 begin with, and never
seem to be q high by several thousand feet as
they really ere. 4 mountain Of much less
stature would look just ss towering springing
from foundation nearer the sea level
BEAUTIES OF TIRE 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
dOssolo and Brieg, and 10 two were alike.
They resembled each other 81 little in shape
es in size Some were simple mill streams.
They came rushing down the mountains in
great volume to turn the 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 Go
neither harm nor good What might loo
called lace patterns were innumerablc. They
were fat 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-whitc lace Bridal wells of the most ex-
QuiSite texture were common. Some kept
their symmetry iii leaps of at least 500 feet.
There We're falls which reminded one of tie
dropping of bfilliants from fireworks high in
the 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 powerful Tapor AMI sparkled in
the sunshine like a cascade of diamonds.
This is the sort of fall that Swiss innkeepers
are said to manufacture in tho dry season.
1t only needs Il small boy with a few pals OF
water. He is out of sight on the heightsEand
turns on the fall when he sees a carriage
coming through the pass There We're 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--and made SO little spray tina, they
seemed to be shining steps leading from the
gloomy depths of the ravine 10 the white and
serene land above Switzerland Ger. Jour
nal of Commerce.