Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-10-22
GREAT ENGINEERING.
BUILDING A RAILROAD UP A
MOUNTAIN.


The boldest enterprise vet actually
undertaken is the railway up the
Junxfrau in the Alps. This peak, in
the range that lies between the can
tons OF Salais and Berne, is surround
ed by preeipitous cliffs and is covered
With eternal snow. Ii is particularly
difficult of ascent Bur this will not
be true for more than four or i've
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 laess only alec feet o, Mont
Blanc's elevation Pixies Peak in the
United States is. 10 be sure, few hun
dred feet higher than the JunEfran.
and a railway has been in operation
to its top for several years But the
Swiss road viii start from much
lower level than the American, or
about 1000 feet above the sea IL viii
have nearly or quite 1000 feet mors
to rise. The steepest grades win Be
the same as those on the Pixies Peak
lines per cent
There is already in operation road
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 ayalsnehes OF that
locality is TO go underground. and
hence the new line on reaching the
edge Of the Eiger glacier enters tun-
mel Emerging al Monehjoch. at an
elevation of 10000 feet. the road will
run along the side OF the Monch. as
eend 600 feet more and then enter the
Jungfranjoch. 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 on the road more than a
year ago. and operations we're actively
conducted in the tunnel beside the
Eiger glacier all through the winter.
OF course IL the route had been ex-
posed to the rigors OF the weather out
side it 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
1t is hoped that the whole line will be
completed within three or four years.
/ Even before 1t is all done IL is prob
| able that the owners will operate IL
| 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 a
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 a
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.
tions satisfy the hackers of the rail.
road that no 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. neal
Lauterbrunnen, with the aid of tur.
bines and dynamos. Some OF the oldei
: roads in the Alps are operated b
steam. but all the new ones use cleo
tricity. Like the road on Mount Wash
: ington, this one will have a tootheC
rail, or rack, between the rails OF
which the train rides. and stout gear
ing on the engine will engage the sack
and thus pull the train. A quadrupl'
set OF brakes. part of them mechanical
and part of them electrical, will b.
provided.