The morning call., 1891-03-15

mountain Businesses has been reduced
to fine art. Here at the hotel in
Andermatt / have had most entertain
ing conversational English at that-with
Swiss civil engineer, who after having been
engaged in similar work in the Andes has
returned home to survey proposed line
would you believe it?-frGm the G0tthard
railway at G0eSchenen up through the dizzy
Schoellenen gorge right into the village of
Andermatt. They may carry it on up to
, the Gotthard Hospice later, who knows?
For after the success of such lines as the
Pllatus and others. it is pretty we'll settled
fact that a railway can be built from any,
where to anywhere in Switzerland. But
this proposed railway up through the
Schoellenen will be something marvellous
for tourists when it once gets into operation,
which l am told will probably be in 1892.
At present the distance is made in less than
an hour by diligence in summer, or sleigh in
winter from GOeschenen.
THE GoTTHARD RAILWAY.
Really. even at this season, thanks
to the GOtthard Railway, the place is Won
derfuly accessible, high as it is. You can
leave Zurich or Lucerne at O'Clock any
morning. and reach Goeschenen at without
change Of cars. The panorama on the way
up is in itself a picturesque treat never to
be forgotten. You have the Lake Of the
-Four CantOns and the Lake of Zug spread
out before you in all their beauty. Kues-
nacht, Killers Rock, Tells chapel, Brun-
shooting tradition, and a score OF other
places familiar to lovers of Swiss history
are IN turn passed. Such giant peaks as the
Rigl. Ruetli, the Frohnalpstock and the
Urlrothstork rear their gray and boary
SUBMITS heavenward, like majestic SEN
tlnels alonss the line. AT Erstfeld
the ascent of the mountain begins,
and from there on. the valley grows
narrower, shutting in the railway
and the Reuss between two PERCEPTIONS
walls Of rock At AmsteD il "a wnD6nrfuI
bit of mountain scenery. the entrance
of the famous Maderan Valley at Was
sen, village Perched like an eagles
nest among the rccks, is one OF the
curious circular tunnels. by which the
Hallway. ascending the cliffs, passes the self
same spot three times on different levels
The glories OF this scenery in winter must
be seen to be fully realized. And yet the
ascent is so gradual as to be barely notice.
able, and you suddenly find yourself at the
mouth OF the great tunnel at GoeShenen,
with large, welt-appointed station to
alight at, and capital table d'hete din
ner, served smoking hot to your order
Tor 20 cents, with bottle OF wine
drivers and hotel pOrterS standing about
the station, and you bargain with one OF
them for a drive to Andernatt and back.
POST SLEIGH.
You may, in fact, take the post-sleigh If
you wish, but it is better to have your own
equipage and return when you Will You
agree to pay francs and a trit1tng |
pourboire and off you start. You go
up and up and up, first on one side OF the
gorge with the Reuss on your left, then on
the other side with the Reuss on your right:
Now the great dark mouth of the tunnel
yawns far below you, while ahead stretch
a long succession of Zig-Zags across the ever
narrowing gorge, making the pOSt-road we
are TO follow. The driver let's the horse 90 at
its own will and occasionally jumps out and
walks to show what merciful man he Is to
the beast. At one or two points we
pass massive snow sheds built TO pro-
tect the roadway from the avalanches
which sometimes come rushing down the |
mountain sides. The angles of the zig-zagS |
are so sharp that one looks askance in turn
ing them, but the driver says he makes the |
trip three times each way daily in sum- |
mer with coach full of passengers. |
drawn by five horses, so that is !
quietiGg bit of intelligence. Now, we are |
approaching the great defensive works |
which the Swiss Federation Government |
has recently constructed in this wOndrOus
gorge, itself natural fortress. As stIate- |
gic point this pass is and has always been |
considered of great Importance. at the |
Devils Bridge, near the head OF the gorge, |
the French defeated the Austrians in hard |
light on the 14th OF August, 1799, but |
were themselves In turn repulsed a month |
later by the Russians under Suwarr0w. |
JUS beyond the bridge, we pa through the |
Hole of Uri," long gallery tunneled |
through tine cliff in 1907; and then, leaving |
the dark shadow of the gorge behind, the |
air and bright sunlight of the open valley |
burst upon US, this Andermatt Church Spire |
with the village clustering about it comes |
Suddenly into view, and we seem to be back |
in The midst of civilization once more.
A MIDwISTER RIDE.
can only add that midwnter ride on |
the Gotthard railway to and from Goes
chenen with mountain sleigh-ride to An
dermatt and back as an appendix thereto,
makes one of the most delightful excursions |
have ever enjoyed. Nor does it involve
any discomfort, labor or late hours either. l
left Zurich, for instance, at 8 o'clock this
morning, have seen all have described and
yet can be back there again before this
evening Try it some fne day and see for
yourself And you need not wait for fine
day. either. Ten chances to one it may be
rainy. or snowy, or foggy when you start;
yet by the time you are half way
up the mountain side you will be in
the midst of an eXhilarating sun
shine. This thought carries its own moral
too. How many of us grope and linger in
the fogs and discomforts of life's low-lands
when, with but little effort we might fluid
our way up the mountain side to the sun
light of nobler existence. g. 4. o.