The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-13
COL. SMITHS MEN.
Visit to Lookout MOuutain-Im-
prOvement in Hospital Facilities.

prOvement in Hospital Facilities.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
CAMP GEORGE H. THOMAS, June IL
The equipment of the One hundred
ty-eighth is gradually nearing completion.
Blouses, trousers, underwear, blue shirts,
hose and hats, leggings and shoes have
been coming in. While the men are not
entirely fitted out, they are near it, and it
is hoped it will be accomplished in few
days. The sentiment among the higher Off
GERS seems to be tending toward smaller
camps. This is especially the idea of Gen.
Poland, the division commander. He wishes
to get his division away by itself, where
the water supply will be more easily
remedied and where he will have room to
drill his division. Here one brigade over
laps another when they get out on the drill
ground, and it mixes drills up very much
1t would not be very much of a surprise
if General Poland should get his division
away as soon as it is equipped. He would
like to get down among the lakes in Florida.
Everybody is taking advantage of any OPP
portunity to visit Lookout mountain. The
trip is long one, taking about two hours
from this camp but one is well repaid when
he gets there. If for no other reason, it is
a relief to be clean and get away from the
dust and dirt of this place. One must leave
camp early enough to catch the dummy
train from Lyle at o'clock. This train
of two cars, with part of the seats arranged
like those of a passenger coach and the
others like a street car, is pulled by an
engine which puffs, and wheeZes, and snorts,
and finally lands one in Chattanooga at
TAO. After walking three squares to the
Reed House, where hot bath and clean
shave and a new shine and general clean
ing up are obtained, the party took the
street cars for incline No. 2, which is about
two hundred yards from incline No. l. In
cline No. is the steepest and shortest, and
lands one just in front of the inn, which is
a large summer hotel. Incline No. 1
is not so steep as No. and lands
one at Point Lookout, where a mar
row-gauge dummy line starts. TAX
ing No. 2 incline one gets into the car and
is struck with the peculiar build of the car.
The fronts of the seats are much higher
than the backs, and when one sits down his
knees are higher than his chin. The end
of the car slopes backward from below up,
and the floor extends out in front of the
roof. This incline is built at an average
angle of thirty-three and a third degrees
The first part is nearly level, but the angle
increases every few rods, and the last Sec
tion which is built at an angle Of
sixty-eight degrees from horizontal,
seems to be going right straight up
in the air. The seats of this car, which
at the foot of the mountain stood up in the
air, at the top are horizontal and sit like
ACrn.al seats. There are two cars on this
incline, which are hitched on to the ends
Of a long cable, which winds around
arge drum III the power house at the top
AS one car goes up the other one comes
down, there being a double track at the
place where the two cars meet and pass.
Going up the last section is inclined to make
one thinlS\of home and friends as he realizes
what might happen if anything should
break. Reaching the top, one passes out of
the station and is in front of large no.
tel Here are staying the wives of a num-
Der of officers. Among them is Mrs Roland
Sherman, who was Miss Alma Haerle, of
Indianapolis. Mr. Sherman is with the
Eighth Massachusetts,. After registering
the visitor gets a carriage and is driven TO
the points of interest. The rounds of the
more important places can be made in about
two hours by driving. A carriage for four
people costs 81 per hour. First they drive
to Point Lookout. Here the visitor has a
view of Lookout valley. Chattanooga lies
Here one can, on a clear day and with
field glasses, see into seven States. Down
below is seen the mountain side up which
Hookers came thirty-live years ago.
Near by is the Umbrella rock, on which ev-
cry one has picture taken. After climbing
back over the rocks into the carriage the
visitor is driven by devious paths around
to Sunset rock. Here can be seen Hookers
gap, through which he marched into Look
out valley. Snakes Head rock is also Wis
IDLE. 1t projects out high up in the air and
bears a striking resemblance to snakes
head. Off to the west are three ranges Of
mountains. rising one above the other.
After getting back to the carriage the driver
takes his customers around by the Garden
of the Gods, where rocks are piled up in
seemingly every conceivable shape, past old
Confederate breastworks, which still re-
main, and finally to Natural bridge. After
winding down through the woods one comes
twenty feet long by four or five wide. In a
deep recess baok under this bridge is a
fine spring of pureSt water.
To once more sit down to dine at table
with ladies present and with table CLOTH
etc, seems to one who has not done so for
self, even If one had not been climbing
around over the mountain for two hours
After dinner a. concert is gwen In the office
ard the guests sit on the broad piazza and
look out across the valley eastward TO Mis-
sion Ridge. About 2:30 p. m. they go
down the Incline, back TO Chattanooga, and
taking another car Line spend two hours