The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-03-11
GOTTHARD In MIDWINTER.
A JANUARY VISIT TO SWITZERLAND.
Five Thousand Feet Above the Sea Level
Andermatt-The Aospics-Ths Great
Peaks-A Famous Nine Mile Tunnel
Mountain sleigh Riding.

tuo uedlltE VI thiS itlJtr NOut uIcl luco-
ton will be: Where is AndermattP'
Let me answer the question for you as
briefly as possible.
In the first pace, il is nearly five thou
sand feet above the sea-levol and nestles
in valley away UP in the heart OF the
Alps OF Canton U-i, one of the original
strongholds Of Swiss independence. The
linen of Uri." as everyone familiar with
the history of Helvetias liberties knows,
played a most important part in the great
events which gave birth to their little re-
public, now nearing the seventh century
of its existence. The valley in question
is the fertile basis OF q former lake some
eight or nine miles long. and varying
from one 10 two miles in width giant snow
clad peaks hem it in on all sides, and its
level pastures are traversed by the Reuss
which, finding its outlet by the famous
Schoellenen gorge, rushes down through
a valley OF the widest and most pict-
uresque grandeur to empty is waters into
the pacid lake OF Lucerne. Even the pro-
longed cold OF winter at this altitude does
not stop its flow. And the winter is long
here it lasts generally for eight months.
Snow there is snow enough here, and ice
too, to start a miniature arctic zone, or
polar circle with. Snow, snow, snow every
where on the fields, the roads, the house
tops, tile fences, the trees. the mountains,
a ubiquitous panoply OF dazz ing. beWild-
eTing virgin white. 1t is cold too, that is
if you look at the thermometer. which
marks, on a fair winters day such as this.
some ten or fften degrees above zero
(Fahrenheit). l said, however, you must
look at the thermometer in order to be-
come aware OF the fact, for grander or
more genial winters day, warmer. more
generous midwiuter sun. a bluer, softer or
more cloudless winter sky / never saw in
New York, in louisiana, no, not in Naples
itself
Now this hotel in which j am passing
my brief stay at Audermatt-the Bellevue
is one of half dozen to be found here,
and-would you believe me?-it has win
ter cure-gueets. And really the place is
so comfortable that, had brought more
baggage along. / should actually be
tempted to pass a week or two as a cure
guest, too. in this upper fourth floor OF
Switzerland. The house is as comfortable
as any frst-class city hotel, and have no
interest whatever in putting its proprietor
either. He welcomed me at the door
when drove up, and have not seen him
since. But his house is really a wonder
up at this height in the air. You have
your reading room, your bilIiard-room,
your conversatiou-room, yonr smoking
room, your, great big dining-room, and
your snug cosy bedroom just the same as
YOU would in any of the larger hole at
Zurich. Lucerne or Geneva. There Is an
air of warmth and comfort in the hou-e
that makes one 10th 10 leave il, and
doubt not that in the dog-days, when we
in the lowlands are sweltering, people, up
here. are smiling in their sleeves and a.
cool as cucumbers. l rather envy these
"cure-guests'' here, he Il winter or sum
mer. They must be "JOey BagstOcks' in
their way. | suspect.
My first care on arriving was to have a
look about the dorf, ii. by that nnpreten-
tious title. one may designate Andermatt
with its 500 dwellers. OF course, the
church is the first place 10 visit, and here,
though the edifce is By no means impos-
ing. it has special antiquity "a dating
back 10 the Lombard epoch, and what is
more, it has curious, though | cannot
add attractive, feature, similar 20 that
which attracts so many strangers to the
church of the Capuchns in Rome. name
ly, a charnel-house decorated with the
skulls and bones of departed humanity.
While on this subject, l may also mention
that in the cemetery of n village called
Baar, in Canton Tug. half way between
the lakes of lug and Zurich. there is a
mortuary chapel similarly decorated,
though but seldom visited by strangers.
The houses in Andermatt are all in the
chalet sly e. Imprinted, with projecting
caves, much carved woodwork, minia-
ture hower-balconies before the windows,
and, standing apart from each other, and
each projecting at slight angle toward
the main-street. The latter Is narrow,
and follows the cIrru ar line Of the base of
the mountains. The signs show curious
patrnnymics. and are partly in French.
partly in German. As everywhere in
Switzerland, the school house is one of
the best and largest buildings in town. IL,
and the church spire, prominently catch
the eve of the approaching stranger. The
people look sturdy and hearty. and are
clad as warmly as Laplanders. The
fact that it is high up in the
mountains and away from the big
towns, doesn't prevent the small street
boy from "hitching' with his sled behind
your Portland cutter and stealing ride,
Just as his boyish colleagues do in the
world be ow. But the driver here is more
good-natured, and isn't apt 70 surprise the
culprit with a crack of the whip around
his neither integrements. as most we'll
regulated drivers will sometimes do. The
small boy "has it good" up here in this re-
spect.
Really it doesn't take long TO make ones
self acquainted with all Andermatt. in
Guiding its collective "culs de sac" pur-
| lieus and suburbs. But there remains an
other inspection yet TO pc made, the sur
roundings, and they are well worth in
specting. This zig-zag roadway which
| you see mounting the ascent there on the
| left of where We entered the village, going
up and up and up, with it's serried
rows of stone posts TO mark its
outer border, is the Ober-Alpine post
road to Chur, or Coire as the
French call il, thirteen hours distant by
| diligence. THE great peaks close by are
the Blackberry, the Mutthorn and the
Badus from the latter's summit, reached
with guide in five hours, one sees a al
most numberless array of peak of the
Grison. Bernese, and Wallis Alps; fur
| ther beyond there to the right is how
ever, the most interesting point OF all, the
Gotthard summit aud Hospice. What o
history that Hospice has of the good
monks unsefsh devotion 10 belated way
| iarers, OF the wantonness OF the French
soldiery who tore it down IN the campaign
OF 1900 10 make frewood, OF Goethes two
or three visits, and OF all the other thou