The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-09-30
IN THE QUEENS DoM1NIoN.

~ y
IN THE QUEENS DOMINION.
Homeward hound ON the Can
ad1an Pacihc.-NarrOw Es-
cape From Burned
Bridge.
NUMBER il.
We started on our trip home from the
Pacific coast over the Canadian Pacific
at Vancouver one Saturday afternoon
at two p. m. following the Imperial
Limited"--and we were perfecly willing
that the regular should act as pilot-if
there were any bridges TO collapse or
washouts t, run into, Wa naturally pre-
ferred to be spectators Of the wreck
rather than active participants Soon
after leaving Vancouver the tram strikes
the Frazer river, never to leave it or
some similar stream for hundreds of
miles. This is the only way the passage
OF mountainsis made by rail. The scen-
cry grows grander with every mile; a
hundred miles away from the coast, near
Spuzzum, 1t has been described as
matchless. The great river is forced be-
tween vertical walls of black rock. where
repeatedly thrown back upon itself by
broken cliffs or broken by pondercus
masses of fallen rock, it ma1ly foams
and roars. The railway is cut into the
cliffs two hundred feet above, and the
iutting rocks are pierced by tunnels In
close succession. Another hour and we
reach North Bend, after five hours Of de-
lightful travel. 1t is Up. m. and we are
told that we are to have two hours for
supper. There was one "diner" on the
train, but as its capacity was twenty
four people every forty-6ve minutes, it
coald do but little toward taking care Of
the three hundred and fifty or four hun
dred people on the special. But North
Bend is one of the G. P. RS eating sta
tions, with a first class chalet hotel,
charmiDgly located in the mountains,
and these in charge had ample warning
OF tho approach OF the big crowd OF
American newspaper people and were
we'll prepared. Beautiful place--this
North Bend--and after partaking of the
excellent service OF the hotel and look
ing over the surroundings from COM
Portable lounging seats on the spacious
porches, there was general regret that
We could not remain while longer
and rest up bit. There is no town,
simply the hotel, built on a terraced
lawn, fountains and flowers, u small gen
eral store across the track, Catholic
mission, the section mems homes, a few
scattering Chinese, Indians and half
breeds. But the scenery is grand. A
tumbling mountain torrent comes down
the mountains few rods back OF the
hotel and furnishes plenty Of water for
irrigating fruit, flower and vegetable
gardens for the hosttlry and also sup
plies the RAILROAD tanks We had lots Of
fun watching bull dog try to shut OFT
the flow OF water from hose attached to
a bydrant under the water tank. A
strong stream Of water came out Of the
ragged end OF the hose aud with bull
dogs usual tenacity and grit he struggl-
ed for many minutes trying to choke
it off.
Everybody we'll fed and happy, we re-
sumed our journey. loath to leave beautl-
full North Bend, and due, were told, at
Revelstoke, 379 miles from Vancouver
for breakfast. There was nothing on
tap, fguratiyely speaking, Sunday morn
ing, and the travellers. weary and Worn
after several days of constant knocking
around and sightseeing, slept late
When yours truly" raised the shade il
his terth for a peek at the surrounding
lie was not little mystilied TO find th'
train running in the wrong direction
or else someone had doped the porter
mineral water and he had made tn
; birth up with the foot to the engine.
This reminds mo that years ago-no
so very mauy either-every berth in
sleeper was made up with the foot to tn
engine, the passenger riding feet fire
!. instead of head first. In those days til
writer invariably had his made up tn
other way and the potter usually took
to be the freak of a kid unused to trave
, No one was ever able to account for til
/, then style of making up sleeper bert
except upon the theory that in case {
i a head collision the danger would
u less. Nowadays the berths are alwa!
made up the reverse, and for the vel
good reason that the motion Of the ca
70 takes the blood away frcm the head
that position, inducing sounder slee
,r and an oyen window at the foot vent
r lates the berth with but little risk
le taking cold.
70 But to resume. The train was actus
~ n. ly running backward toward North Bel
IS as rapidly as two big engines could pu
cd it. A bridge had been burned duril
- the eight and our train had been stan
- ing at a way station several midnig
hours a hundred miles out Of N01
Bend waiting for orders. As 1t ment
er delay Of a day or two at least, retu
an to North Bend was necessity, as bel
rs the only place on the road within s
)e- eral hundred miles in shape to feed 81
ID u large party. The place where
ur bridge Was burned was about TIVE
&C. miles from little station called Che
IRA Creek, on an arEl Of Kamloops LAKE
er- body of water some thirty.fve miles lo
er. and averaging tvs miles in width, ba
or ed on either ssde with high bluffs s
mountains. The projecting rocks
tunneled and between the tunnels
ley the bridges and treslles. In most pla
lie the engineer never sees the bridge
out trestle until his engine is onto it,
to without being warned nothing co
eD, have prevented our train from plung
on into the break man? feet below.
t is The following is an account OF
phn EAR 10 puhliohnd n onn nf thu I,