The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-26

sunset tlntlng tnelr DattieineHtS, hcA
the skadows falling into the green vai-
leys below be obliterated from the
memory Of the most Indifferent be-
holder.
At the very apex Of the summit We
tarry but a minute. and the rear OF the
train Is seemingly on the western slope
as the locomotive descends the eastern
side
AS we pass out from Rogers Pass we
enter Bear Creek gorge and descend
the eastern slope for twenty miles TO
Six Mile creek on grade Of one thou :
sand and sixteen feet to the mile. ThiS
to us Is the climax of mountain scenery
and engineering. Think OF II! The
road cllngs to the mountain side, De-
tween the two enormous precipices nt ar
their base-Mt. Hermit 9.065 feet high
and Macdonald 99i0 feet high, or a
mile and a quarter above the railway
almost vertical Its base is but stones
throw distant and 1t Is so sheer, 50
bare. and stupendous. and yet so near
that one Is overawed by a sense or
immensity and mighty grandeur. Thss.
two matchless mountains were once
apparently united, but they have been
split asunder by some great conVul-
sion of nature. leaving barely room for
the railway. Various grotesque figures
walls. On one the crags is the picture
Of the cowled figure Of man with his
dog, which gives the name OF Hermit
to the mountain.
GIANT SNOW SHEDS.
Before reaching the noisy Stony
creek, the gorge is compressed into a
vast ravine or V-shaped channel. 296
feet below the railway and we cross 1t
on one OF the loftiest railway bridges
in the world. Snowsheds of massive
timber work protect these bridges from
the avalanches In winter. We pass
seventeen snow sheds in quick success
sion on the eastern slope, while on the
western slope twenty-six large sheds.
besides smaller tunnels, are found. In
fact. all the difficulties encountered by
the Canadian Pacific in running trains
from snow in the winter are found be-
tween the summit and Bear Creek east
ward and a similar distance on the
western slope. These sheds-more pro-
perly called tunnels-are built of mas
sive cedar timber at vast expense.
heavily squared. dove-tailed and bolt
ed together, backed with rock and fitted
into the mountain sides in such man
ner as to bid defiance to the most terri
fic avalanche.
From Bear Creek station we descend
into Beaver Valley, 1000 feet below.
The air-brakes are now brought into re-
quisition ard we dart down this rock
ribbed defile the Beaver river running
a race with the railway for several
miles.
NEW VIEWS OF GRANDEUR.
At Surprise-properly named-we get
magnificent pictures of mountain seem
cry, eastward and backward, below,
across the valleys and overhead, which
grow more and more grand with every
mile Of travel. Marvellous advantages
come to the tourist In this region Of
wonders, where q hundred views are
seen. instead of one as In ordinary
travel. Here is a combination of foam
Ing Cascades. narrow gOrges, with pow
erful torrents, over and around which
the engineers found difficulty in con-
structing the road. At Cedar creek
and again at Mountain creek are bould-
er-strewn chasms. We cross them on
bridges at dizzy heights. over torrents
which flow direct from the glaciers
northward. Here the mountains seem
nearer and larger and eight high snow
capped peaks are counted in grand ar
ray, the highest pinnacle now being Sir
Donald. Nor Is this all; for in the
densely fofested valley below are huge
spruce, fir and cedar trees. which seem
to be engaged in a vain competition
with the noble mountains themselves;
but nature has worked on so gigantic
scale above the timber line that the
traveller almost fails to notice the ex-
traordinary height which many of these
giants attain-often 300 feet. The
Beaver river. q noble stream here, as
1t winds through the valley below to
the Columbia, appears as silver
thread.
In less than fifteen minutes we de-
scend 1000 feet to the Columbia, where
the Rockies and Sefkirks contend for
supremacy and force the river down
into a narrow canyon. We emerge
from the gorge. or gate of the Beaver
river just where 1t makes its final and
mad plunge down to the level of the
Columbia. The passage Is so narrow,
that felled tree serves as foot br1dge
over it. the railway clinging to the
slopes above. This Is our second cross
ing Of the Columbia and the eastern
base Of the Selkirk range.
In eleven miles We reach Donald, the
end Of the Pacific division of the road,
ass miles from Vancouver and 2,44S from
Montreal We are now at an altitude
of $3.50 feet, having descended in 80
miles Ito feet of grade. Donald is
charmingly located under the shadow
of the Selkirks and is an important
supply point for the mining country
about it. It's location is at the great
bend of the Columbia river. Here we
change the time forward one hour to
conform with mountain time-just
three hours later than Scranton time.
ASCENDING THE ROCKIES.
Having passed the picturesque Sell
kinks another mountain range bars the
way-the Rockies--which in the dis
tance, we see lifting their ice-crowned
heads far into the sky-as we leave be-
hind the supremely beautiful Selkirks.
Leaving Donald. for seventeen miles
the railway follows along the banks of
the broad Columbia on the face of the
lower. bench of the Rockies to Golden,
which is mining town at the juncture
of the Columbia and Wapta rivers. The
Columbia running northward here is
navigable for steamers hundred miles
to the lakes at the head of the river.
Golden Is also a point of departure for
the East Kootenay gold minings.lis-
trict. About Golden both gold and Sill
YER mines are being developed. Let the
reader imagine the scene at the foot of
the ftOchleS Oii tHe TiSHl manu-, WIFI tIie
Sell,irks on the left. their majestic
forms bathed in the light of the after
noon sun, and with the noble Columbia
flowing between. 1t beggars descrip-
tion.
On leaving Golden we turn into Wap-
ia Canon and ascend the Rockies be-
side the Wapta or Kicking Horse river.
a swiftly flowing stream to Field. The
passage of this terrible gorge on a
grade Of two hundred and thirty-four
feet to the mile for thirty-four miles
to Field will never be forgotten. The
railway. following the river. crosses
from side to side Of this vast chasm to
lodges cut out of solid rock. twisting
and turning in every directio; every
minute or two plunging through pro-
jecting angles Of rock which seem to
close the way, while the towering cliffs
which rise vertically. straight up thou
sands of feet. the walls being within a
stones throw of each other. almost shut
out the sunlight. The roar of the river