The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-04-19

We have forgotten the one Indispensable
item in the programme, the man VIII p
to steer US through the Scyllae and
Charvbdes of his line.
A SpaniaTd comes forward sesticulatinS-
We know the type well, vOlubie, nysJerl-
cal. unintelligible, and again We grow
.orth resonant Spanish oathS-harmless
but eminently satisfying.
However, all these things are trifos
and quickly forgotten. The great thlns
that before us lies 100 miles Of a 30
per cent grade, and that We mean 70
coast down It and enjoy ourselves we
take our seats and wave parting 10 tne
station master and "a stoids select sdl-
cry of llamas and Indians. The driver
.easeIessly Vociferating. loOsens the brake
and on the instant we glide noiselessly
Onward in pursuit Of the far-off train
Gradually, but very appreCiablys the
pace increases. We sweep round the first
curve well in hand, but at pace that
one might reasonably describe as
swinging gallop.
We roll on at the brakeman's own pace
past CasaDalca and Chicia. Slowly as
we go, it must be owned that no fewer
than three times do we bump that
miserable passenger train
On each occasion q long wait Is con-
sidered necessary before progression Is
reckOned safe. And so on, and so on, ull
the hand of providence interveues. Just
below TambOraque. while in the act or
travelling at the top speed our structures
can extract we whisk around sudden
curve and on the instant both brakeman
proper and left hand man are juggling
at their levers as though for very ne
And there is cause. Eighty yards De
fore us stands that tortoise OF lfllI'
blocking the way as uncOncernedly a.
though such precious things as nEes u
cars are barely worth the counting.
Luckily the English muscles on the leIl
are big. and the car is brought TO rest
with but the mildest Of bumps
Moreover, the train has an excuse Nhlcu
we accept It has been bOmbarded in fun
career bv an avalanche of rocks from
above. and, as a not unnatural coHSe-
quence. has left the rails. As wrecks go
the matter is not serious.
Finally our car Is carried around tiis
train and we are soon of again
When an ordinary mortal Is skiddlng
round blind corners at an INDEFINITE num-
Der of miles an hour, and cllnglng on lot
dear life TO a handrdn MS impressions
are apt to lose disrnctness- bGL l t-lIs
much 7 may safely say. that as regards
pace. we were not disappointed. j think
I NAV also say the same with regard 10
sensations, for though, in detail, these
may have been partially fogged, the gem
eral IMPRESSION remaining IS tnaL tutE
were-tO say the least of it-satisfying.
of facts, one may safely speak-9ldln,
naked solid facts, and the Iacts are
briefly these. Under the inspiring touch
of the Spaniard our sober little car be-
en- spirits of the tempest II takes unto
itself the wings of Eurus, and literally
annihilates the distance that lies before
It. It crashes into tunnels. It tnunders
over bridges. it races headlong down the
slope as though the very demon OF the
swine were in its wheels
The outraged air shrieks and whistles
in our ears Through wells and blue
spectacles il finds our watering eyes and
blinds them We cling to the hanorah
like monkeys on a shaken branch The
passing 'scape IS no more than a sheet OF
blurred lines that walls US in.
On. on we rushed. flying with the
speed of the lightnings flash, past rocks.
mast bushes that look like blUrs on the
landscape, dashing around curves that
brought our breath up short with chok-
ing gasps: on. on, until IL seemed we
would never stop, would be dashed 10
bits thousands Of feet below.
Then gradually the speed slackened;
slowly. but surely the speed lesseued and
at last, with a sigh Of relief we came 10
2 StOp.