Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-03-30
FROM OVER THE OCEAN.
Through the Mt. Gems Tunnel-First
GIimpses of Italy-Sights in Turin.

haven't been kept in once by rainy
weather from sightseeing. In these two
weeks we have seen SO much that il
hadn't kept diary am afraid l should
have forgotten by this time much about
our first stopping place, which was Turin.
We went to Turin by way of the Mount
Gems pass, which was grand with the
falling snow. The cars are heated by
long, zinc, hot-water heaters about a
meter (three feet in length and eight or
nine inches wide, and three inches in
height, laid Iengthwise on the floor
Two of them are allowed each coupe
They were very comfortable for us, but
such inconvenient things for those who
had to take them out of the cars and re-
fill them with boiling water, which they
did several times along the way.
Our baggage had to be examined twice.
once at Bellegarde, where we crossed the
French boundary, and again at the sta
ton before we entered the long Mount
Gents tunnel when we passed into Italy
Going into France made us lose an hour,
but as soon as we got in Italy we gained
it. Before we noticed "Paris time" writ
ten above the clocks in the station, we
wondered how all our watches happened
to lose time. | thought perhaps the aw-
full shaking OF the cars had upset them as
much as it had ourselves.
The popular watering place, Aix Giles
Bains, looked pretty dismal with the
snow. After a few more stations the
train went slower, as the ascent grew
greater. Soon we were in very noun
famous country where the snow was over
foot deep. 1t took just half an hour to
pass through this tunnel which is seven
and three quarters miles in length We
fully realized that it must have cost
100000 francs (S15, O)O,OOO) to build it.
In one OF the stations we saw bust of
Sommeiler, who superiptended it's build
ing.
1t was hard to imagine that 1000 feet
above our heads was the top OF the
mountain This is the depth from the
surface of the mountain in the middle of
the tunnel. The first Italian station we
stopped at was Bardonecchia, and we
hoped all Italian names weren't going to
be as long as that one.
BY this time we had reached the highest
elevation, and the train quickened as we
began to descend. The ascent and
descent are net SO very noticeable, only
that the train went so much faster going
down. AX-tes-B ains lies $50 feet above
the sea level, While Bardoneeehia lies
fps feet. The atmosphere changed rs
much as the latitude; our cold hands
made Us aware that those miserable hot
water heaters only kept our feet warm.
Soon afterwards We were in he beauti-
ful valley of Dora Riparia, The frequent
when We came to lie Gorgie GEORGE
Roche Melon and Roche Michel which
with Mount Gents were completely COW
cred with tine latef4llen SNOW.
The clouds had cleared away some,
and the sun came out, rejecting daz-
ztingy on the mountains. We went past
the abbey of La Sagradi 5. Michele where
into mMmmies.
Turin was reached at last after eight
hours ride. 1t did not seem SO very long,
as we had so much to entertain us. Some
of our friends seemed surprised that we
had seen it showing, and said that he
wealth there had been unusually cold,
While we we're so glad we We're where it
was a little warm until we got in our
hotel rooms.
The floors are made of stone, and the
ceilings 50 high that We imagined our
selves in palace. There was a carpet ON
the floor, but hat didn't do much good
rs 10 Keeping us warm.
The streets are broad and airy wit i'm
mense squares. On the principal streets
there are arcades, but where there are
none, one is not at all protected from the
carriages The sidewalks are on the same
level with the streets, and they haven't
any cutters. We haven't seen it rain yet
in Italy, but should like to see Turin on
rainy day. There seems to be ever SO
many more men on the street than
women, and they dress better, too.
The workmen, rs we'll as officers and
soldiers, wear capes which come nearly to
the knees, one end of which they throw
over the left shoulder to keep warmer
The other men wear long oyercoats which
nearly reach their ankles.
We heard that the Palazzo Reale and
the Amory were the most important
things to see, we visited those first.
There are about thirty rooms in the whoe
palace, but only seventeen are shown to
the public. The Ting and queen reside in
this palace during the summer months.
Most Of the decorations are ancient, but
in the throne room there is some fine
modern wood carving done in Turin. The
doors and chairs are very beautiful with
this carving.
We were shown even the bedroom
OF the king and queen. They were
medium size with fine canopy and large
crown on the top. The walls of the
kings private room are covered with silk.
Most of them looked rather bare with