The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-01-12

Passing on nm the canon the walls of
granite come gradually closer together,
and to the traveller 1t scenes as II only
short distance ahead all progress Will
be stopped Soon the great walls APP
proach still nearer and a point is reached
which taxes the mind of the tourist. On
either side the walls of the canon rise
perpendicularly over two thousand feet,
while at their base Is only room for the
surging waters of the river. At this
point the ingenuity of the surveyors was
taxed to it's utmost, the problem being
how TO get over this narrow pass OF over
one hundred feet without foundation
on which to lay the tracks The hanging
bridge, which is here illustrated, was the
result. which consisted In two sets OF
heavy steel beams being placed against
the walls on either side, from which the
middle of the bridge was suspended,
while the ends rested on either side Of the
pass.
Continuing on the road reaches Lead
Vile at an elevation of near ten thousand
feet above sea level. and finally tops the
mountains, passing on across the deserts
of Eastern Utah.
Doubtless the most astonishing exhi-
bition Of generosity ever known in rail-
road circles can be said to belong to Gen.
William ]. Palmer, former president Of
the Denver and Rio Grande and Rio
Grande Western. This system was re-
Gently sold to the Gould system, and Mr..
Palmers share from the proceeds of the
sale of the road are said to have been
SO. O0o, 900, of which sum he gratuitously
distributed $1.1040OO among his fellow
workers. The beneficiaries of General
! Palmer's bencvolence include all the old
time officials and employees of the Dem
yer and Rio Grande and Rio Grande
Western from yice-President Dodge to
section hands. The sums distributed
vary from $4,000 to s1400. The list of BEN
ificiaries Is long. General Palmer dis
tributed the gifts with his own hands
to section hands. switchmen, operators
and all, asking them to remember the
gift and not mention the gift and the
giver
Leaving the city of Denver to the
south. the narrow gauge lines of the
Colorado and Southern lead up Clear
Creek canon to the mining town of Sill
yer Plume. 1t Is along this route that
| the traveller has a veritabe demonstra-
ton of the wonderful feats of railroad
engineering presented to his mind. After
passing over fields OF alfalfa for dis
lance of about fifteen miles, the city of
Golden is reached, and, leaving this to the
left, the road plunges into the heart Of
the canon. Along this route the thoughts
est point, for here one wonders how the
ascent of the mountains will ever be
made. Only few hundred feet ahead
gigantic rocks lift their massive forms
many thousand feet in the air, seeming to
defy the approach of the tourist or turn
back the stoutest invaders of the noun
tain Businesses. Above on either side
the walls of the canon tower thousands
of feet, while below rush the waters of
L
| Steaming, putting, pulling away ahead
the little engine bearing Its heavy laden
train of excursionists. winds its way
around narrow passes, under ponderous
| hanging rocks, across deep gorges, pass
| ing in and out until at length break in
! the hills Is reached and a mining town Is
| found
| Passing Idaho Springs, Georgetown Is
reached, above which Is located the far
famed loop which attracts notice from
tourists from all over the world. Leaving
Georgetown the road leads up the canon
| and shortly passes under the high
BRIDGE which when seen in the distance
| appears as If Ii were suspended in mid
air, the supports on which it rests being
so small that they are invisible for a
| distance. Beyond the bridge and up the
canon the train goes, until at once 1t
seems impossible to go further. Here the
4
know how the train will make further
progress. Just ahead, the rugged noun
tains loom APP in defiance of mans APP
proach, presenting a most formidable i'm
pedment to his advance. These impreg-
nable walls of granite, towering aloft to
| the azure skies, seem to defy the ap-
proach of the tourist and the mind be-
comes puzzled in trying to ascertain how
The heavy train will find its way out of
| the valley. But mans cleVprnesS has
solved this vexatious problem and here
| Is the acme of railway construction
which has caused the wonder of the
world Passing under the high bridge
the train continues up the canon for
some distance. then suddenly turns across
the stream below and begins the ascent
of the other side of the mountain. The
| traveller is completely turned around and
Is carried down the canon toward George
town, though the train Is still climb
ing the mountain. , Finally the high
bridge Is reached and crossed while the
| passengers are So feet higher than they
were a short time before when they
passed under the bridge. Here the eli
max OF this scenic route is reached. From
the bridge a magnificent panorama may
be seen along the valley in either drec-
ton, and the impressions which are
made on the traveller will linger with him
| long. 4--,4, s.ts
1.-THE Loop" with its high bridge, con-
stitutes one of the most wonderful pieces
of railroad engineering in the world, and
1t attracts the attention of tourists from
all sections.
A trip to the summit of Pixies Peak
is by far the most thrilling experience the
tourist has In the Rockies. The trip is
made over the Cog wheel Route This is,
perhaps, the most costly railroad in the
world, about million and a half dol
lars having been expended in about nine
miles. and going over this the passengers
are lifted to an altitude of 14,147 feet
| above the level of the sea. The cog-rail is
laid in the middle of the track and is
fastened to the ties securely. Beneath
the engines the cog-wheel is situated,
which runs In the cog-rail. and this en-
ables the train to make the ascent of
the mountain side. The engines are the
finest that can be built and are made
with the rear wheels elevated, so that,
when going up or down the mountain,
they are nearly level. The engine pushes
the car up and comes down in front of
1t, SO that in case the engine gets from
under control, the car can be stopped
with the three sets of automatic brakes.
Every portion of the road Is carefully
kept, there being forces all along who
maintain the track In perfect condition.
All the machinery Is a veritable DEM
onstration of the most wonderful rail-
way engineering in the world
In going over this nine miles the pas
sengersz are elevated at the rate of s4s
feet for every mile. the maximum grade
hall foA w.