Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-09-24
CROSSING THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS.
Bert Swiizer Writes of the Scenery ard the Awful
Western Fires.

SEATTLE WASHINGTON, Sept IA
EDITOR CENSOR: Our mountain
scenery becomes familiar to more people
| each year, but even now we do not
cross the ranges with the same expert
ence. AT little mast noon the over
land on the Great Northern leaves the
Columbia River and follows the rocky
river bed of the Weratcbee to the Cas-
cade mountains Like most of the
mountain streams, this js a beautiful
river There are long series of rapids
| hlled with white foam, then OCCASION
| ally deep green pools, so clear that we
could see fish in them from the car win
| dow. Ten miles mp the valley Ia a little
village called the Mission Tt is more
than hundred years since the mission
| was established, and became an outpost
for the few struggling whites who cross
ed the arid plateau of central Washing
ton. They believed thew werf living in
desert and more than rs wears passed
before they found that the valley could
be made one of the best fruit gardens
in the world and 25 years more passed
| before people began to make Il such.
Had we been Mt Mission instead of Wen
atchee the night before and seen the sky
lighted for miles along the summit of
the Cascades, we might have read the
warning as dill the old inhabitants of
the place and not attempted to cross
the mountains But the heat of the
lower valley was soon moderated by
hresze from the mountains. The High
Line ditch which runs along the base
Of the mountains for twenty miles and
is the hope Of the valley was left behind;
schruhs and trets appear on the noun
tain side and we were soon at Cascade
Tunnel hlgn above the valley. While
formerly the track Law over the noun
tain, 1t now goes through IT in tunnel
2 7-10 miles long. II is without curve
and from either entrance the opposite
one, looking like a light speck, can be
seen. After riding Ga minutes in the
dark we came ont at Wellington on the
western side of the divide. We were in
terested in tracing the old grades as
they cross one above another forming
the legs of the old switch backs As
we left the tunnel we were told of the
wreck which yesr before ON the same
cay had occurred at this place; how
freight train, falling TO break and run
ming five miles at a speed sufficient TO
set the cars on fire had gone over the
mountain sida. We thought of this
whenever we came out of the snow
sheds (which we were told were buried
In over 100 feet of snow in winter) and
saw tho valley mile below us. On the
mountain above us we saw what havoc
forest fire had made and there re-
mained only the charred trunks of
trees, once good for ten or twenty thou
sand feet of lumber. The opposite
mountain was mass of evergreen, nm
broken save where streams came dewn
cnttjng 1t with white lines. While in
terested in the geeneey s. sad flag was
ased in frolb ef the fuain Tire flag
man was taken ahoari and elntgtS we
approached bhe place of dsagey We
passed mere snow sheds case in full
view Of the Madison House, big white
hotel down in the valley, but which
looked like a cabin with a miniature
railroad track beside IL and arou I'D an
other curve we came IN view OF scene
which II is rare privilege 10 gee.-s
fire III the Cascade forests. We do not
describe 1t but add to this natrral seen
cry s sweeping fire, mounting high
trees a mile below you, cloud of fire
ana smoke climbing the mountain in
front OF you and ii Ia merely O sugRes-
tion. At times 1T was wall of black
81 oke trlnged with every color imaain-
able, then the flames wouId break
through and throw q crimson light on
the green wall behind us.
While the wires were being cut and
telegraph instruments attached the
eleven coaches were empty and the pas
seeg gers stood on the railroad grade rap
idly exposing camera plates and view
ing the possibility Of being transferred
down the mountain side 10 wb4re the
track after extending ten miles in a loop
comes back again. But the wires were
down and no train could be brought
there. When the wind blew from the
snow on the opposite peaks, we slivered
with the cold. In an instant tie wind
would change and we would be s.orched
by the heat of the fire. The srap and
crash OF fal ing h ees, distinctly heard
above the roar of tho fire. grew more
distinct but only for moment. A
helper had come down, the two freight
trains that had come in behind as were
side tracked and we were taken back 260
miles across the state to Spokane and
there transferred to tle Northern Pa
c'fie.
The fire is the worst known here.
The people OF Seattle are gronpine.
about in the dense smoke with lights
burning all day. The whole heavens
are lighted by the fires and ssen through
the dense smoke. everything is a red
glare ]. 3. SwITzER.