The record-union., 1895-06-05
CLIMBING SWISS MOUNTAINS
An Electric Road to the Top of the
Jungfrau.

An Electric Road to the Top of the
Jungfrau.
| Some day it will be possible to 90 any
where in the Alps without climbing.
! Switzerland was once country which
gave much trouble to railroad engineers,
but Its mountains are now getting COW
cred or hOneycombed with lines as thor
oughly as any smoother land. The latest
development is rapid transit in Switzer-
land is proposal to build an electric rail-
road up the Jungfrau, one OF the highest
| of the Swiss Alps.
Fifty years ago. when France. England
and America were already we'll supplied
with railroads, George Stephenson went
to Switzerland to study the difficult prob
lem OF building them In that country. 1t
was only possible then to construct rail-
roads over a small portion of the Re-
public.
Since then the advance of mechanical
science has made the mountains more
and more accessible. Funicular railways
and others, which ascend by means of
cogwheels gripping center rail, have
been built, but up 10 the present steam
or hydraulic power has always been
used.
The railway of the Right has been re-
garded as the most efficient and sue
cessful OF these The motive power is
steam and the cars ascend on a system
OF lnterlocking wheels, which is valua-
bic guarantee against accidents. Among
the drawbacks of the system are the
amount Of smoke and dirt produced by
the engines and the considerable weight
OF coal and water which must be carried
by them.
Under the new electrical system dirt
and smoke are baniShed and the weight
OF the engines greatly reduced. The
electricity may be generated by steam or
hydraulic powder, and the superiority
OF one to the other is a question not yet
settled.
The pioneer electrical mountain rail-
way was constructed on Mount Saeve,
| IN Geneva. This has served largely as
model for the very ambitious project
OF an electrical railway leading through
! a range OF mountains to the summit of
Jungfrau.
The railway will start at Scheidegg and
after short course above ground it will
pass through the interior of the Eiger,
Monlch and Jungfrau. The passengers
change cara in the last peak and reach the
summit by means OF an elevator.
Inc ROAD Is more than eight miles long
and rises to hight of $3.50 feet. The
gradient varies from l to 70 per cent.
The elevator in the cone is 2l6 feet in
hight.
The hight of the Jungfrau is IL, 40 feet.
The new railroad, of course, starts at
high level. The name OF the mountain,
the German word TOR maiden, was orig
lnally given either on account of the daZ-
zllng Wilderness and purity of the snow
or of the belief that no traveller had ever
assembled to its highest point. Its summit
was first reached in 1911, and since the
great development of Alpine climbing
many have been there.
The departure station is in the open air,
but the remaining six are cut in the solid
rock. The various peaks preceding the
Jungfrau can be reached by paths.
The stations will contain restaurants
and small bedrooms for the benefit of
those who wish to ascend the mountains
by sunrise or explore them for an in
definite time.
The stations and the tunnel will all be
lighted by electricity, and frequent COM
munication with the world below will be
possible by telegraph and telephone.
The elevator III the cone will rise
through straight tube, and is to be
worked by hydraulic motor deriving
its power from the waters of Lake Luchi-
nen.-New York World.