The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-19
TlEENAyS WANDERINGS.
Same Of ne Curious Features Of
Norway.

D
lie. of Bergen, the Rock Road of
Bierkaker and the Famous Zigzag
;Descent of Stalheimsklev-No rwe-
gian Ponies and Carrioles-Posting
stations, stolid Landlords and En-
tertaining Daybooks.
Copyright 1881
london, Nov. 2.-Travel in Norway has
some unusual and many exceedingly in
Il teresting phases. 1t was a surprising
81 thing to learn that more than 10000
tourists now visit this northern land
every summer. The country possesses
comuaratively few miles of railway.
n Consequently all routes of travel are
practically by highways and waterways.
More than a quarter of a century since it
was seen that tourists, and particularly
n Furopean tourists, in search of scenic mar
vels. were tireing of Switzerland; were
turning their faces towards the midnight
sun: and were even penetrating to the
Il most remote fields and glacier-felds. Nor
way Immediately set about making travel
within her rugged boundaries not only
uossible to all by extensive road building,
but systematic and reliable as between
all carriers and landlords and the tourist
public
This road-building, involving enormous
expcnse and many splendid feats of en-
cheering, has had much the same effect
upon the people OF Norway as in Austrian
Galicia. Not so many years ago Austria
built nearly 1900 miles of stone highway,
up and down and from end to end, of Gal
icia. or Austrian Poland Previous to
that time, materially, a no more wretched,
God-forsaken land existed on the face of
the earth. In less than ten years time
these roads did more for the 5000 900 PEG
pie of Austrian Poland in material and
social advancement than all the churches,
all the books, all the newspapers, all the
battles. all the railways and all the gov
HrnmeutS had ever accomplished for them,
from the days of Mieczyslaw and Boleslas
to the day these roads were done.
The isolation of the Norwegian peasan-
try was never so universal as that of the
AustriO-Polish peasantry. They have
ever had their many and mighty fords;
while a semi-seafaring life always pro-
vided diversified resources and the bene-
fetal friction of change. And yet until
this road building on a mighty scale was
begun, it often happened that the peasant
folk OF one hamlet or of valley district,
We're as remote from those of another dial
not ten miles distant, where totally differ
ent resources were relied upon and
wholly different traditions and customs
were in vogue, as though the Tatras or
Atlas mountains stood between.
This later almost universal means of
Recommendation over these grand
stone roads, and the roads combined with
the fords, has made Norwegian folk
more homogeneous; developed the scanty
resources of their stern north land: and
more than all else intensified the tradi-
tiOnal lOngings of these fine and sturdy
folk, for complete national liberty and in
dependence. Combined with the surpas-
sing scenery and interesting peasant life,
1t also brings millions of dollars to Nor
way each year, distributed in city, ham
let, station and even in lonely noun
tain saeter by vast horde of tourists,
whose methods of travel over mountain,
through valley and over dOrd are alone a
most interesting subject of study
The grand Norwegian roads. while they
are more numerous and extensively built
IN proportion to population, than those of
any other European country, have not
that peculiar sentimental interest attach
ing to the highways of many other Euro
pean regions, and to be found in all the
Latin countries. They possess no road
side shrines; nor are lowly pilgrim bands
tNCL ottH upon butIIl. / he pig ElUld2eS
here are all to natures mighty Shrines
Three examples will Indicate their stu
pcnd0us character and added impressive
ness from winding along. or within some
Of the most beautiful and ma estic scenery
all Europe affords.
The Drammens Vel Tor DRAINS Way, be-
cause built from the revenues from
liquor Iicenses,) of Bergen, is one of the
finest roadways in the world. 1t is cut
out Of the sides of the mighty F'lmifield
rising above the city. Five tremendous
bends are required to reach the summit
For its entire distance, whore not blasted
from the solid rock, the bed consists first
OF heavy boulders, then huge slabs of
granite, and finally a thick covering of
cement and gravel. The escarped sides
are of solid masonry, often twenty. thirty
and fifty fecJ high along their fdcades, to
secure sufficient rOadbed above; and the
outer edges of nearly the entire Vel are
protected by huge pointed rocks set up
right at regular intervals. The outlook
from any of it's bends, comprising the
red-roofed city, the frozen nights to the
north, the bay, the seward countless
Islands and the thunderOuS ocean beyond,
Is not surpassed in Europe.
Near Bierkaker, in the Trondhjem dis
trlct, is another wonderful roadway. For
Its entire length of several miles it has
been blasted from solid rock The neceS-
sary diSlOdgementS were often so great as
to give the appearance of some mighty
CONFUSION of nature. The steep mountain
sloye rises thousands of feet above you to
the one side, while below you, at the
other, is a tremendous gorge, nearly
thousand feet in depth, with wild tor
rent raving and bowling on its way to the
distant ford. At the outer bends of the
road overlooking the gorge and torrent,
the scenery is lndescribably somber and
grand. Huge upright masses Of rock are
set in masonry along the outer edge And
IL IS along such gruesome ways as these
mat the little Norwegian ponies clatter
oreak-neck speed, as you breathlessly
CHING TO your ricketY carriole.
descending from the ride, from Vosse
ydngen, through the famous N9rodal to
Gudvangen, the last few miles of YOUR
journey will bring you to a still greater
combine marvel of road building and
magnificent scenery. The head of the
valley is walled by mountain masses
ABOUT two thousand feet high. From this
attitude mountain tops of five and six
thousand feet high are reached by gentle
slopes. The great cliff or klev, called
Mere the Stalheim, is the head of the
'hasm or valley gorge which finally
opens out upon Gudvangen and the
hereford, the famous sOmber branch of
the Sogue. The lower level of this chasm
Is reached by a splendid feat of engineer
ing. The road is carried en- echelle down
Lle face of the eli II from "A hiUbt Of 300