The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-22


a quarter above the railroad track in al
most vertical height. Its base is but a
stones throw distant, and it is so sheer,
so bare. so stupendous. and yet so near.
that one is overawed by a sense OF immen-
sity and mighty grandeur. This was for Us
the climax Of the mountain scenery. Mounts
Hermit and Macdonald are the chief peaks;
matchless mountains they are. Apparently,
once they were united, but ages ago some
terrific CONFUSION of nature split them
asunder, leaving barely room for the rail-
way.
"Rogers's pass is 427 miles from vancou-
yer, at an elevation Of 1875 feet, and is the
highest point reached by the railroad in the
Selkirk mountains. Our descent was rapid,
down Beaver river to the Columbia again.
The railroad. as it were, was notched into
the side Of the mountains hundreds OF feet
above the foaming river. Many splendid
cascades come down the mountain and
passed under our track. These were in mar
row gorges, set deep into the steep slopes,
and what could be more beautiful than
those raging torrents as their waters tum-
bled over and around the huge powders
that impeded their way. \ single one of the
hundreds we saw within ten miles of In
dianapolis would, in itself, be a fortune TO
the owner.
CROSSING STONY CREEK.
we crossed Stony creek on a bridge
three hundred feet high, and a little further
on is a station called The SURPRISE This
station was named thus by the builders Of
the bridge, as their estimate OF the mag
nifcent picture and charm of the noun
tains round about the place. Twenty-Five
miles from Glacier House we reached
RnnparunnFrfh 4ha vooCF nnrfhar1y gfnffnn
of the main line of the Canadian Pacific,
and at least so degrees and 30 minutes north
latitude, considerably further north than
Quebec. Soon again we renewed our ac-
quaintance with the Columbia. to finally
lose it less than a score of miles further
on when, beyond Golden, we entered the
kicking Horse river canyon. At Golden the
Columbia is navigable for small steamers,
which, in the summer, run semi-weekly to
gold-mining towns and camps further up
the river.
1.-THE Waptea, or Kicking Horse river,
runs through a canyon in the mountains of
surprising depth. The sides Of the mountain
are vertical, rising straight up thousands
of feet, and within an easy stones throw
from wall to wall. Into this vast chasm
runs the railroad, crossing the river from
side to side to lodges cut out of the solid
rock, which seems to close the way. With
the towering cliffs almost shutting out the
sunlight and the roar of the river and the
train increased an hundredfold by the echo
ing walls, the passing of the gorge is one
we shall not likely soon forget. We followed
the Waptea to the summit of the Rockies
cat Field. 500 miles from our starting
point, twenty-four hours after we had
started on our journey, we had lunch in a
charming chalet hotel managed by the
railway company, not far from the base of
Mount Stephens, which reared his head
more than 5000 feet above us, attaining a
heighth of 1000 feet. This mountain is bare
of vegetation, and is one vast pile Of rock.
OF course its top is covered with snow, but
that does not obscure it so that the forma-
ton is not visible. 1t is most impressive,
and most beautiful of any single peak we
saw.
After leaving Field, we passed around
the base OF the mountains and up the valley
of the Waptea. This incline was steep, so
much so that two locomotives could not
push up some places faster than a man
could walk, as was shown by actual ex-
pertinent. At several places were sidings,
which ran up the mountain sides at high
angles for a railway track, in a direction
opposite from our line of ascent. The
switches at these sidings are kept open all
the time. so as to catch runaway cars on
trains coming down the main track, and
thus stop them. Men are kept stationed at
the switches to turn them for trains pass
ing along the main track.
ASCENT UP THE WAFTEA.
Nothing could be more charming than
the ascent UP the Waptea. 1t seemed as if
the stream was having the greatest diff
Guilty in the world to get down the noun
tain side. 1t was one continuous de-
scent, and if a trout could climb it we lose
our guess. AS we neared the divide the
beautiful Waptea, with a suddenness that
was startling, left US; for it seemed to
rush off up the mountain sides under the
towering pine trees like a race horse dis
appearing in a forest.
Fifteen miles beyond Field, at an alti-
tude of 1926 feet, we reached the summit
of the Rockies. At the Great Divide"
where a sparkling stream separates into
two waters, one flowing to the Pacific and
the other to Hudson bay. We reached the
backbone of the continent.
although we had reached the summit
Of the Rockies, we were not through with
them. We entered the valley of the Bow
river, and the descent was rapid. The
mountains were stupendous. We seemed to
get further away from them, and could see
them to a better advantage. Castle noun
tain stretched it's long length for several
miles, with t%urrets, bastions and battle
ments, and at one spot was a remarkable
reproduction of a drawbridge with port
cullis.
I'VE reached Banf twenty-seven hours
after starting, $50 miles from Vancouver. 1t
is situated i'm the midst of the Canadian
National or Rocky Mountain Park, an in
comparable beauty spot in the heart of the
Rocky mountain range, much frequented
by tourists from all parts of the world. The
park is ten miles wide and twenty-six
long. Here is a great variety of sublime and
| pleasing scenery. 1t has several hot springs,
whose waters possess medicinal values. Ma
ture here has certainly nodded on a large
scale. Huge mountains are round about in
every direction, of a most impressive shape.
LESS than fifty miles further on we left
the mountains and entered upon the great
plains Of western Canada. We had had six
hundred miles Of riding amidst the most
sublime and magnificent scenery, and the
grassy plains were welcome to US. On all
| sides we heard exclamations of relief from
the strain of looking and the anxiety lest
something would be missed.