The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-06-29
BEAUTIFUL L'ANSE
LIES AT THE BASE OF A VERY
STEEP HILL.
Grades That Raise Ones Hair
When One Desoends--A Weary
Wlilie's Experience - Prosper.
Gus Outlook for the Summer.

The following is taken from the De-
trolt Evening News of Tuesday, and is
from the pen Of special correspond ent:
AT the head Of this beautiful bay, in
one Of the coolest neoks in all Michigan !,
Is the village Of LAnss, the name being
frona the French word for arch or
"arch'shaped." 1: has existed as viii
lage about 25 years.
''On the eastern side Of the bav the
land is cleared and titled nearly all the
Bros large numbering Industry. Two
miles north of the village on the bay
shore is the old Methodist Indian mis-
sion. Five miles around on the south
west side o, the hay is Baraga, and one
mile above, the long sandy point. which
forms L'Anse bay from the greater bay
of Keweenaw. On this point stands
Sand Point lighthouse, and not far north
of this the large stone buildings of tho
Catholic Indian mission. overlooking the
waters of Keweebaw bay.
These places of interest are visible
from almost any part OF LAnse. The
principal part OF the town is built on
wide fiat close to the shore. but back
from this fiat there is steady rise for
some 10 miles to the summit OF range
of hills, over which the railroad makes
its way.
The grade on tho d.. 5. S. Il A. rail-
road from L'Anse to the summit is one
of the longest and steepest in Michigan.
averaging $50 feet to the mile. At the
steepest part there Is a 17O.foot grade.
Their passenger trains creep very slow
ly over these grades. and the heavy
freight trains, although using u
''pusher." frequently have trouble.
During the winter of 1S92-1S93 several
Of the heavy freight trains became us-
manageable and ran away down the
grade. two of them causing bad wrecks.
One jumped the track just above the
LAnse depot. crashed through the
building, crushing and grinding 1t to
splinters and brought up total wreck
few hundred feet below.
The other train wrecked that winter
became unmanageable farther up the
hill, the trainmen all jumping as soon as
they found they could not control it. 1t
dashed on down the long steep grade
faster. still faster, until the momentum,
becoming too great, 1t left the rails.
completely wrecking the locomotive and
indiscriminate heap on top of the
ruins.
or course the train and section men
and the few others within hearing
gathered about the wreck as soon
as possible. As they were standing
in a little group just above the wreck,
the door OF an empty box car, which hal
been thrown from its trucks and ended
over In the wreck rage, was slowly pried
open, and out crept one of the we'll
known Wandering Willies, ragged, dirty,
Ofulseu dii ONcT. utceuIuk ii"m uoIch
scratches. He was Sd stunned and
stupeCed that he did not perceive the
wreck. There was one idea in his mind;
everything else appeared to have been
shaken and pounded out of him. With
the little strength left he crawled up to
the group of railroad men and expressed
that one idea with: BY the immortal
gods, but you fellows stop quick
L'Anse, with many Indian legends to
be heard there, with almost every sur
rounding point Of interest bearing an In
dian name, with plenty Of Lake Super
ior whitetish and trout to be- caught In
its bay and speckled trout in every
stream emptying into It, with numerous
deer 10 the forests close by, and most
beautiful landscape before one, no mat
ter which way one turns In the village
forms an ideal spot for summer out
ing.
This section of the state has the prom
! ise OF very prosperous summer. The
spring opened early aud warm with
| plenty Of rain. The crops are all LOOK
| ing well and the farmers ara happy. ihe
rains have enabled the lumbermsn tn
get their logs down with little labur, and
| the mills will run all SIMMER, making u
ready market for the farmers produce
| at good prices.