St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-11-21
Up 4 sreEp MOUNTAIN.
~ h . Trolley Car ana 0ee the AlDla
vIeW Go ~.


~ h . Trolley car ana - the AlDia
vlsw Go ~.
The famous views Of the Swiss noun
tains are rapidly being opened up to
all classes and conditions Of men. They
are NO longer only for the sturdy noun
tain-climbing youth, but any aged or
feeble person with only agility enough
to climb into trolley car can now have
the panoramic view Of the widest
mountain scenery pass in review before
his eyes a. he sits at the window of his
car. Where the grades are too steep for
the trolley car to mount the power II
turned from the wheels to a rack-work
construction between the tracks, and
thus equipped car can almost SUR
mount . perpendicular cliff.
The manner in which the loftiest
peaks have been attacked by electrical
engineers with the object of building
roads to their submits is one of the
most striking features in the present
electrical development of Switzerland.
In this connection the National exposi-
ton of Geneva. just held, has given spe-
cial prominence to the road that has
recently been carried up and around
Mount Saleve, a huge mass towering
above Geneva to height of 1000 feet.
and giving from its plateau Mt the top
4 magnificent view of the-whole pile Of
Valaisan Alps. beginning with Mount
Blanc and ending with the Dent du
Midi.
The electric road il about four miles
in length. built of single-track con-
struction and provided with turn-outs.
1t is particularly interesting from an
engineering standpoint in that the
third-rail system is employed. the con.
:act apparatus with the trolley shoe
being placed outside the track, the cur
rent-carrying rail being placed few
inches above the ground. supported on
short wooden posts. The third rail
takes the place Of the overhead trolley
wire and trolley pole construction. so
generally used by American cities, The
gauge of the road is one meter. Be-
tween the rails. which are solidly laid
on a well-ballasted track. runs rack
rail, and where the grade is extreme
the rack is double. the teeth being set
SO as to give the car two-fold grip.
Additional security is furnished by
the air brakes, but even then the ex-
perience is found quite exciting by the
passengers, especially where the grade
reaches IS per cent, and where curves
at not much less are taken on a 35-
meter radius. Current is supplied to
the line at a potential of GOO volts. and
is brought to the road across the noun
tain sides by aerial cables connected
about midway with Is horsepower
motors. The source of power is, q wa
terfall in the valley.
As may be imagined. the view is en-
tremely fine all the way up. and this is
rendered particularly 80 by the other
wise inaccessible points reached by some
striking engineering work for 50 small
a venture.
The visitor leaves Geneva by the or
binary trolley line to the outskirts OF
the city, then exchanges to q clumsy
steam tramway, and after which he
embarks on the mountain electric road
constant operation, but the travel over
the upper section to Trieze Arbres. or
Thirteen Trees. on top of Mount Saleve.
is limited between June and Septem-
Der Is. and even then some of the dis
patches are not made unless the weather
is fine. for there is nothing more dismal.
melancholy and dangerous than Swiss
mountain in bad weather..
On top of Mount Saleve is large res
taurnnt, from whose balcony and win
iows. on any clear day. Mount Blanc
is in full evidence, while. if the day is
not clear. one may be lucky enough &c
see tremendous effects of light and
shade and of storm and cloud rolling
over the eternal snowy peaks. 1t il
needless to say that the road is well
patronized. and as good rates of fare
are charged, there is no reason why. the
owners should not be well satisfied
with their Observation-Disclosures En-.
gineer.