Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-03-12
ACROSS BRITISH AMERICA.
Continued from first page.

tom of the valley by series of extraor-
dinary curves, doubling upon itself
again and again. Directly ahead is the
Great Glacier of the Selkirks; passing a
long snow shed, sharp curve brings
the train directly in front of this glacier
a vast plateau of cleaning ice, extend
ing as far as the eve can reach, as large,
it is said, as are all those of Switzerland
combined. Continuing the descent from
the Glacier House, and following
around the mountain side, the Loop is
soon reached, where the line makes sew
eral startling turns and twists, then
doubling back mile or more upon it
self within a stones throw. The IL
licellient River is here of no great size
but very turbulent. The water is at
first pea green with glacial mud, but
rapidly clarifies. The gorge is some
times of considerable width, filled with
that remarkable forest of gigantic
trees, for which British Columbia is
famous. The most striking of all these
canyons is the Albert, where the river is
seen nearly 800 feet below the railway,
compressed into boiling f1ume, scarce
ly 90 feet wide. The train stops here
for few minutes, and solidly built bal
comics enable passengers to safely look
into the boiling caldron below. AS we
approach the western base of the Sell
kinks, the narrow valley again becomes
a gorge, and the railway and river dis
pute the passage through a chasm with
vertical rocky walls standing but ten
feet apart The Columbia is crossed at
Revalstokes upon bridge half mile
long land the Gold range is at once enter
ed by Eagle Pass, which is so deep cut
that it seems to have been purposely
provided for the railway-in compensa-
tion, perhaps, for the enormous difficult
les that had to be overcome in the
Rockies and Selkirks. Lofty mountains
rise abruptly on each side throughout,
and the Pass is seldom more than mile
wide. Four beautiful lakes occur in
close succession, each occupying the en-
tire width of the valley, and forcing the
railway into the mountain sides.
The Eagle River leads US down to the
great Shuswop Lake, so named from the
Indian tribe that lived on its bank, and
who still have a reserve there. This is
most remarkable body of water. The
line gradually runs down hill until it
reaches the level of the water-then the
valley broadens, and the eye that has
been accustomed to rocks and rough
ness and the uninhabitahle desolation of
the mountains, is gladdened by the
sight of grass, fenced fields and good
farm houses on the level surface, while
herds of cattle, sheep and horses, roam
over the valley and bordering hills in
large numbers. This is one of garden
spots of British Columbia.
just below Kamloops, the Thompson
river widens out into beautiful lake,
along the south shore of which the rail-
way runs some 20 miles; as the lake
ends, the mountains draw near, and the
series of Thompson River canyons is en-
tered, leading westward to the Fraser,
through marvellous scenery. In one of
these canyons the hills press close upon
the river, which cuts its way through
winding gorge of almost terrifying
gloom and desolation, fifty named the
Black Canyon. Below this point the
scenery becomes very striking and pecu-
liar for miles. The mountains draw to-
gether again, and the railway winds
along their face for hundl eds of feet
above the struggling river. This is the
Thompson Canyon. The gorge rapidly
narrows and deepens, and the scenery
becomes wild beyond description. At
Lytton, the canyon suddenly widens to
admit the Fraser, the chief river of the
Province, which comes down from the
north between two great lines of noun
tain peaks. The railway now enters the
CANYON of the united rivers, and the
scene becomes even wilder than before.
Six miles below Lytton the train crosses
the Fraser by a steel cantileyer bridge,
high above the water. The canyon al
ternately widens and narrows. Indians
are seen on projecting rocks down at the
waters edge, spearing salmon or scoop
ing them out with dip-nets. Cinnamon
are seen on occasional sand bars washing
for gold. AS the train enters the princi-
pal canyon of the Fraser, the scenery be-
comes not only intensely interesting, but
startling. The great river is forced be-
tween vertical walls of black rock where |
repeatedly thrown back upon itself by !
opposing cliffs or broken by masses of
fallen rocks, it madly foams and groans.
The railway is cut into the cliffs 200 feet
or more above. and the jutting spurs of |
rock are pierced by tunnels in close sue
cession. A few miles below Spurzzum
the enormous cliffs apparently shut to-
gether, and seem to bar the way. The
river makes an abrupt turn to the left,
and the railway turning to the right, en-
ters long tunnel emerging into day
light at Yale, town of 200, the head
of navigation, and outfitting point for
miners and ranchmen, northward. 1t
occupies bench above the river in a
deep cut in the mountains, which rise
abruptly and to a great height on all
sides. We bought some apples that
were grown here, and they were beauties,
being very large and perfect, and of ex
tremely fine flavor Below here the can
yon widens out, and is soon succeeded
by broad level valley and heavy tim
Der. The rude Indian farms give place
TO well-improved ones, which become
more frequent as the Pacific is ap-
preached.
Near Harrison Station the Harrison
liver is crossed, just above the confluence
with the Fraser. A few miles beyond
Mt. Baker comes into view, miles away,
/ beautiful isolated cone, rising $1,000
feet above the railway level. Several
niles beyond this at the crossing of
Stove river the finest view is had of it,
ooking up the Fraser which has now
,ecome smooth and mighty river.
immense trees are now frequent, and
heir size is indicated by the enormous
tumps near the the railway. A few
niles from New Westminster Junction
S the town of Westminster, on the
fraser river, population 5000, one of
he foremost towns in the Province.
t is the headquarters of the salmon
aiming industry, which is represented
N, n do1ap ~ mana aytanciUa aSta hlich