Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1898-09-23
GREAT ENGINEERING.
BUILDING A RAILROAD UP A
MOUNTAIN.
The Pursuit of Wealth Terminates IN
One OF the Most Marvellous Struc-
lures Erected Since the Dawn of
History.

The boldest enterprise yet actually
undertaken is the railway up the
Jungfrau in the Alps This peak, in
the range that lies between the can
tons OF Nalais and Berne, is surround
cd by precipitous cliffs and is covered
with eternal snow. L is particularly
difficult of ascent. But this will not
be true for more than four or five
years.
Herr Guyer Zeller, who is president
Of the Northeastern railway system OF
Switzerland, is behind the project.
Jungfrau is 1850 feet above the sea,
and lacks only 2,100 feet of Mont
Blanc's elevation. Pixies Peak in the
United States is, to be sure. a few hun
dred feet higher than the Jungfrau,
and railway has been in operation
to its top for several years. But the
Swiss road Will start from a much
lower level than the American, or
about 1000 feet above the sea. 1t will
have nearly or quite 1000 feet more
the same as those on the Pixies Peak
line-25 per cent.
There is already in operation a road
from Interlaken TO Grindelwald, and
thence along the Wengern Alp to the
Hamlet of Murren. The Jungfrau
road DIVORCES from the other at Little
Schneidigg. and runs for a short dis
lance in the open air But the only
way to avoid the 4valanches of that
locality is to go underground, and
hence the new line on reaching the
edge of the Eiger glacier enters tun-
mel Emerging at MonchjUch. at an
elevation of 10. 300 feet, the road will
run along the side of the Monch, as
cend GOO feet more and then enter the
Jungfrau itself at station called
Jungfrauioch. The terminus will be
situated about 240 feet below the sum
nit, and an elevator will carry pas
sengers the rest Of the way. Work
was begun Oh the read more than a
year ago, and operations We're actively
conducted in the tunnel beside the
Eiger glacier all through the winter
OF course if the route had been ex-
posed to the rigors Of the weather out
side il would have been impossible to
do any blasting or grading for more
than two or three months of the year.
Owing to the remarkable hardness OF
the rock progress has been slow, but
it is hoped that the whole line will be
completed within three or four years.
Even before it is all done it is prob
able that the owners will operate it
for a part Of its length The wonder
full glimpses to be had and the de-
lightful air to be breathed long be-
fore reaching the summit will be in
ducement enough to many tourists to
take advantage Of the opportunity
There will be galleries, reaching out
sideways or else upward from the
main tunnel into the open air, and
balconies here will enable the tourists
to get fine outlOOks and obtain mate
rial refreshment. The possible effect
of great change of altitude within
few hours upon the health and COM
fort of tourists has been carefully con-
sidered by the management OF this
line Not only has a good deal of in
formation been obtained from persons
who have gone up in balloons, but
set of special experiments was con-
Quoted with alright chambers, in
which people were confined while the
quantity of air inside was slowly but
considerably reduced by means OF a
pump. The results of these investiga-
lions satisfy the hackers of the rail-
road that nc unpleasant consequences
are to be anticipated from breathing
the rarefied air of Alpine SUBMITS, il
those heights are once reached without
effort.
Powers for operating the road will
be secured from the Lutschine, near
I,auterbrunnen, with the aid of tur
bines and dynamos. Some of the older
roads in the Alps are operated by
steam. but all the new ones use cleo
tricity. Like the road on Mount Wash
ington. this one will have toothed
rail. or rack. between the rails on
which the train rides. and stout gear
ing on the engine will engage the rack.
and thus pull the train. A quadruple
set of brakes, part OF them mechanical
and part Of them electrical, will be
provided.