Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-03-10
FROM ICICLES TO FLOWERS
A Pleasing JourneyFrom VIM
ter to Budding Summer.
BY WAY OF SOUTHERN RAILROAD
Delightful Means of Travelling
to the South.
Beautiful Scenery of the "Land OF tho sky
--AEhevllIe ana Its Attractions - Great
Railroad Engineering Eeats Luxurious
TrntnH.

While cruHts of ice cover streams,
while waterspouts are choked and over
couts are in demand in the goldfish
North. down South roses are climbing
yineclad balconies and the latest sum
mur fashions are being studied. When
thu fierce, chilling, penetrating cold
producing winds OF blowy March begin
to be rampant, NortheIners begin to
sigh for the summer skies, tho soft air
aud the dolce far nienten of tina land |
OF oranges and cotton. Although the |
Mardi Grus, which only the other day |
Illuminated and hedecksd New Orleans. |
was the Immediate cause Of the advance |
rush toward the region of the equator.
yet the actual army of departure does |
not fairly start until after the first Of |
March. Then all the railroad COM
NAMES whose locomotive headlights
arc turned Southwark have all they
can do TO move the immense traffic that
is thrust upon them; ami those folks
who 60 South at this time of the year
are not the ordinary travellers; they
have leisure. they have meana, and they
have travelled everywhere. They de-
mand. and are willing to pay for, tho
best service that can be given by the
modsrn perfection Of railroad trans
portatiun.
Among the many corporations whose
tremendous flyers rattle down toward
Florida aud 10 New Orleans none has
proved itself mora able to handle satis-
fRGtorily tho great CROWDS and please
everybody than that enterprising,
liberal, progressive ami up-to-date sys-
tenn OF railroads known as the Southern
railway. Practically embraced Ia this
4 system may be included the Pennsyl-
vauia railroad, whose tracks are used as
| far as Washington, where begins the
Southern railway itself, which then
| takeH in, before the Gulf is reached, the
i following other railroads: Western rail
way Of Alabama, louisville and Mach
vile railroad, New Orleans a. North
eaHtern railroad and Alabama Great
Southern railroad. 1t may be matter
of interest TO state that the Southern
railway operates, controls or has tho
privilege OF tracks amounting in all TO
over 5000 miles, As an instance of
what this company con do it may he
saidthat their through trims run from
Philadelphia to Florida in 80 hours
ana to New Orleans in &c. Their ser
vice To Florida has not only gained a
reputation among tourists to the orange
groves but the remarkable equipment
OF its various trains, their superb ap-
pointments, splendid conveniences and
unheard-nf comforts have been given
them fans that is now spreading to
the four corners Of this country. and
has also gained the attention of all
Europeans whiting bore.
On the trip southward the train flies
through Baltimore, Washington, Dan
!; Wills, Charlotte. Atlanta, Montgomery
/ | nd kiptila - :.
from the North is 80 fixed that the
most beautiful scenery along the route
, burst forth to view during daylight
hours. Coming back from New Orleans
a detopr was made, the train taking the
tracks OF the New Orleans a. North
enstern railroad as far as Meridian,
then going through Birming ham, Chat
tanonga, and making a stop at TINT
famed winter resort, Asheville, N. o.,
which hangs on the tops of the noun
tains like grand lamp in the skies.
r Here Nature has provided throne for
> herself aud shares her kingdom with
$ her eister, Health. Amid the environ.
ments of cloud kissed Asheville we find
! some of the most phenomenal railroad
y engineering in this country. The rails
that run up the mountains and run down
I the mountains were placed there in the
Q face of the most extraordinary kind oil
, difficulties. 1t may be mentioned that
: the avearge cost per mile of con
Q Htruction was $780, 600, requiring in time
0 an additional outlay Of $40, coo uer mile.
D One little stretch of rails, covering but
distance of 200 yards, and familiarlJ
! known as mud Gut" has cost the
I company in round figures $4OO 600.
r Here the mountain lowered $50 feet
I; nboys the track, and after the frs
: girdors had been laid it was found tina
D the bed showed quicksilver formation
G and everything began TO slide like 1
8 thermometer. A force of 100 men wal
3 employed night and day for years il
p order to keep the tracks in an ahso
lutely secure position. Everything il
It all right now. as the mountain WASHED
q buck for 200 yards, leaving the track
Is in positively safa and securo position
Q and free from any possible encroach
h ment upon them.
n In and about tho region OF Asheyil
70 We lind the grade 10 about l2J feet Il
:, tho mile for run OF - miles. Min
80 large tunnels are whirled through b,
10 the various trains, and the longest o
t these tunnels, ], 500 feet, WAS cut AM
10 constructed at tho Tremendous coat O
IS 1000, 600. One third OF this tunue
IL wgn pierced through solid rock and tn
10 rest was arehed with solid hricls, tn
u whole aFair being certainly a triumph
OF modern railroad engineering. TIL
tunnel ia known aa the Swannanon, Rnt
has become historic In the records @
8, railroad construction. The line hpr
twists and turns like long snake; a
lg ono point IL portions of the track ma
rs be seen at once, while there ia gran
o. curve which is known as the Beal
Horseshoe. -
al Asheville! II is simply mountai
On dream-it is different from sny othe
ns mountain resort in the world; it
az unique there 10 nothing to compar
~ with IT except perhaps, IL we allo
o. our minds to travel across ocean an
ne land to far,away Switzerland. and eva
y then the unprecedented tourist will civ
n his verdict in favor Of Ashevills. Their
is no better evidence of the henuty
w this region than the fact that this Gnt
p favored spot waa selected by Mr.. Georl
10 w. Vanderbilt as a residence for hln
8, self, after he had travelled all over ii
~ world and had visited every note
picturesque region. Here his million
have bean an Aladdin's lamp whil
has erected on the mountain side II
n. most superb mansion that can he foun
n on the American continent, and whe
n he has laid out magnificent estate
n lac, 1000 acres. His architect must ha,
Il. been a fairy who evolved beauty fro
in the clouds and sprinkled everythir
~ with diamond dew, The Vanderbi
estate, which is known as Biltmore,
ia assuredly tnB finest priyate eBta