The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1903-07-03

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of the hotel we retired to our hunks
in the Pullmans and walked up Sun
day morning we'll on our way to
Colorado Springs.
After late breakfast at the AL
amo hotel to which we all did am
pie justice, forty of the crowd took
the trolley cars over through Colo
RADIO City and Manitou to the foot
of Pixies Peak. After being seated
in the single coach on the cog road
in front of the engine, there came a
putting and snorting and a swaying
of the coach and we were off on our
journey above the clouds. Any at
tempt at description of the grand
eur and sublimity of the scenery up
the side of this mountain simply be
Titles it. 1t is grand beyond the
power of words to :ell. Lofty cliffs
of solid granite on either side of the
canon, tower up among the clouds
while the graceful pine finds foot.
ing in every nook and fringes the
sides of the rugged rock with IT.
fringe of green. In many places
the rugged rocks are broken into ir-
regular masses piled one above the
other and reaching, over the canon
as though they were ready to let go
at any time and crush all beneath.
/ The canon through which VIC
pass in the first half of the ascent is
filled with fine growth of pine,
spruce and mountain shrubs and
many flowers bloom on the banks of
the clear mountain stream tha'
bounds along over the rocks seeking
its way to the valley below. But
mp, up we constantly go, portions
of the time at an angle of As degrees
until we emerge from the canon
away up on the side of the peak
above the timber line and gaze with
awe down the frightful chasms onto
the timber covered peaks away be-
low. across an immense depression
in the mountains, into which all the
cities of Kansas and Colorado could
be tumbled and scarcely noticed, to
the lofty mountains beyond. Cling
ing to the side of the peak, support
ed by slender rails of steel, with the
snow capped peak above and this
awful abyss below and the absolute
absence of any sound whatever, ex-
cept the chugging of the engine and
the grinding of the wheels Oh the
rails, the sublimity and grandeur of
the scene is supreme and the tourist
wonders if any place on earth its
equal can be found.
The chug of the engine keeps up
and soon we reach the snow line.
Then it is just climb, climb, climb,
up, up among the eternal banks of
snow. We gaze over mountain
tops to Cripple Greek and Bull Hill
As miles away. We see a lofty
mountain range with its snow cap
ped peaks glitteriDg in the sun,
seventy miles In the distance.
Finally we reach the summit and
tie chugging of the engine ceases,
when the unearthly stiffness becomes
oppressive. AS we alight we find
we are all dizzy and 60 reeling along
like drunk people. We enjoy the
stiff breeze and chilling effect of
snow storm on the peak and after
a thunder storm below US
and gazing down into the bottom
less pit, we resume our seats and
the return trip is begun. Soon
after the return was begun several
of the party tainted away. Moth
ing could be done for them. The
attendants on the train said they I
would be all right when we. reached
a lower altitude. They did revive
but felt the effects during the rest of
the trip. Our opinion is that no
one with weak heart or lungs should
attempt the ascent, especially on
car. 1t is too sudden plunge into
a very rare atmosphere.
Monday morning we started on a
trip over the short line
to Cripple Creek. For grandeur of
scenery and display of engineering
skill there is nothing in the country
that can excel this IS miles of rail
road. Ascending the mountains in
a tortuous route through a most
canon, it winds its way
up in OK yoke bows, loops and
turns through tunnels and over
dizzy bridges it winds and twists all
the time amidst most awe inspiring
scenery. AT times skirting some
fearful abyss that chilled our blood
as we gazed into the fearful depths
At other times we seemed to be
gliding around the base of a loft,
peak that lowered above US hun
treds of feet. Still going up an6
up, we circled mountain after noun