The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-03-11

up there, from which We IN the NOrlO re-
low g-t daily reports by wire. There are
two men shut in by the snow up there.
asked the Uri Jehu vino drove me up
here how they passed their time up here.
"Fressen ttnd satlfen," was his laconic re-
ply. There is a story people tell-though
for which | can't vOuch-that one winter
the two had falling out about some tri-
fling matter. and, though they ate. drank,
and slept in the same hut, didn't speak a
word to each other for fifteen DAYS.
Imagine, though, how joyful the reconcile
alton must have been 10 both OF them,
after fortnight OF fierce looks and blank
silence. At al events. il is apparently all
sunshine up there today, and one is
tempted TO regret that the historic peak,
smiling there in the sunlight, Is Tor the
nonce inaccessible.
There is one other fact in connection
with Andermatt which may serve TO give
the RAIDER some idea of its elevation.
Directly under il, and thousand feet
under it at that-passes the famous nine
mie tunnel of the Gotthard railway pierre
ing the Aims from Goeschenen 10 Airoio;
a tunnel by the wav. which cost about
twelve million dollars. aud required the
labor of twenty five hundred men daily
for eight wears in Its construction. Rail-
way building in these Swiss mountain
Businesses has been reduced 10 fine art.
Here at the hotel in Anlermatt have
had a most entertaining conversation-in
English at that with Swiss civil en-
gineer who. after having been en-
gagged in similar work in the Andes,
has returned home to survey a
proposed line-would you believe it
from the Gotihard railway at Goeschenen,
up through the q! zzy Schoellen gorge right
into this village of Andermatt. They may
carry It on cd to the Gotthard Hospice
later, who knows? For after tho success
of such lines as the Pilatus and others, il
is pretty well settled fact that railway
can be built rom anywhere 10 anywhere
in Switzerland. But this proposed rail-
way mp through the Schoellen will be
something marvellous for tourists when IL
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, OF sleigh in winter,
from GOeschenen station. Really, even
at this season, thanks 10 the Gott-
hard railway, the p ace is wonderfully
accessible, high as il is. You
can leave Zurich or Lucerne at 9 o'clock
any morning and reach Goeschenen at
without change of cars. The panorama
on the way up Is in itself picturesque
treat never TO be forgotten. You have the
Zug spread out before you in all their
beauty. Kuesnacht, Schi ier's Rock, Tells
chapel, Brunnen, Fluelen, Altorf, the
scene of tile spple-shooting tradition. aud
a score OF other places familiar to lovers of
Swiss history are in turn passed. such
giant peaks as the Rigi, the Ruetli, the
Frohnapstock and the Urirothstock rear
their grey and hoary submits heaven
ward, like majestic sentlnels along the
line. At ErstfeId the ascent of the noun
tain begins, and from there on the valley
grows narrower, shutting in the railway
and the Reuss between two precipiious
walls of rock. At Amsteg is wonderful bit
of mountain scenery, the entrance OF the
famous Maderau valley; at Wassen, a
village perched like an eagles nest among
the rocks, is one of the curious circular
tunnels, by which the railway, ascending
the cliffs, passes the self-same spot three
successive times on different levels The
gories of this scenery in winter must be
seen to be full rea lied. And yet the
ascent is so gradual as to be barely no
ticeable. and YOU suddenly find yourself
at the mouth of the great tunnel at
Goescheneu, with a large well-appointed
station TO aIight az, and a capital table,
d'ho,e dinner served smoking hot 20 your
order, for seventy cents. with bottle
OF wine GUIDED. There are any number
of drivers and hotel porters standing
about the stat on and you bargain with one
OF them for a drive 10 Andermatt and back;
YOU NAV, in fact, take the post sleigh IL
YOU WISH but il is better to have your
own equipage and return when you will.
You agree to pay s francs and trifling
pourboire and off you start. You 20 up
and up and up, fret 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, marking the
post road we are to follow. The driver
let's the horse 60 at its own will aud occs-
sionally jumps out and walks TO show
what a merciful man he is to his beast.
At one or two points we pass massive
stone snow sheds builtto protect the road
way from the avalanches which some
times come rushing down the mountain
sides. The angles of the zig-zsgs are so
sharp that one looks askance IN turning
them, but the driver says he
makes the trip three times
coach full OF passengers drawn by FIVE
horses, so that is quieting bit of intelli-
gence. Now. we are approaching the
great defensive works which the Swiss
federal government has recently con-
structed in this wondrous gorge, itself o
natural fortress. As a strategic 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 a hard fight on
the 18th of August 1859, but were them
selves in turn repulsed month later by
the Russians under SuwaTrow. Just be-
yond the bridge we pass through the
Hole of Uri," long gallery tunneled
through the cliff in 1907, and then, leay-
ing the dark shadow Of the gorge behind,
the AR and bright sunlight OF the open
valley burst upon US, the Andermstt
church spire with the village clustering
about it comes suddenly into view. and
we seem to be back in the midst Of civilis
ZaiiOn once more.
can only add that midwinter ride on
the Gotthard railway to and from Gee
schenen, with a mountain sleigh ride to
Andermatt and back as an appendix
thereto makes one of the most delightful
excursions have ever enjoyed. Nor does
il involve any discomfort, labor or late
hours either. 1 left Zurich, for instance,
at 9 this morning, have seen all have de-
scribed and yet can be back there again
before Z this evening. Try il some fine
day and see for Yourself And you needn't