The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-08-13

at least half way up, stop over night,
then toll up along the railroad track
out of breath and 30 tired we could not
enjoy the trip, and the third trip OF
an hour and half to make the trip of
S.9 miles, and VIC chose the shorter
| route.
While as stated it is very difficult
feat to climb to the summit of Pixies
Peak on foot it is now comparatively
easy trip on the cog road. But it is a
funny looking train in which we en-
bark, each train consisting of single
coach which seats fifty passengers,
each one of whom pays five dollars for
the privilege of riding up and back
again, and the car is pushed not pulled
up the steep grade by powerful little
engine which instead of having drive
wheels as on the ordinary road, has only
two little wheels on each side to keep
the engine balanced on the track while
the power is applied to the track rail
in the center of the track where a sys-
TEN OF cogs work in order to overcome
the very steep grade. The first pro-
lect for building railroad up Pixies
Peak was launched in 1884 when work
was commenced and nearly eight miles
graded for line which it was intended
d
route thirty miles in length with five
per cent grade, but on account of finan-
clal difficulties the work was Abandoned.
The cog road was conceived in 1883, ana
some preliminary surveys were made
that year. The next year grading was
commenced and the road was completed
October 20, 1890. The road differs in
two respects from the ordinary rail-
roads, first in the steep grade which in
a distance of less than nine miles over
comes an elevation of 1913 feet, reach
ing an elevation of IA, ,147 feet above the
sea level, and second the system of Abt
rack rail which forms continuous
double ladder into which the toothed
wheels Of the locomotive work. The
road bed is superb, being almost en-
tirely cut from or builded upon the
solid rock. The exact length of the
road is 1882 feet, and the average
grade is 16 per cent or 844.S feet to the
mile. The maximum grade is 25 per
cent, and the sharpest curves are 16
degrees, or curve within a radius of
359 feet. The coaches are provided
with powerful hand brakes so that in
case of an accident they can be stopped
on the steepest grade within the length
Of car.
The car on which we travelled was
filled to the utmost capacity as were
several others which went up ahead
and behind us. 1t was the first clear
day for week and we were promised
a fine view from the summit of the grand
old peak. The lower terminus of the
road starts at the mouth of Engelman's
canon whose sides are formed by the
slopes of Manitou and Hiawatba noun
tains. The scenes and points of inter-
est are many as we crawl up and up
with that jerky little motion of the
engine as it works in the cog rail. We
enter the Grand Pass and to our right
is the Lone Fisherman, who sits patient.
ly fishing from the side Of the wall at
the top of the wall of the canon. We
pass the stupendous hanging rock, and
are soon at Artists Glenn where mag
nificent view OF Cameron's Cone and the
Garden Of the Gods may be had. Then
comes Minnehaha falls, but they are
not near SO beautiful as the Minnehaha
falls at st. Paul, Mimi, which we visited
a few years ago. The conductor points
out big rocks and tells us they are Liz
zard rock, Pinnacle rock, the DEVILS
slide and the same old fellow only knows
what all he did call them, and then we
come to the Halfway house where
those who take the trip on burros gen.
orally stop over night, but it is not
half way up by long ways, being only
a little over two and half miles from
the bottom and many poor pilgrim
who has toiled up thus far thinking he
was half way up to the top has given
up in despair at this famous stopping
place.
Up through the narrow walls of HelHs
Gate we 60, our train stopping pretty
often to take water for the little engine,
as we guess the high altitude affected
them just as it did some of the pas
sengers, but the passengers did not al
ways take water, seeming to think they
needed something little stronger for
a bracer. From here up the timber
grew smaller and smaller and when we
reached Windy Point we were at an
elevation of 1925 feet and above the
timber line which is about 1850 feet.
On clear day the passengers have a
mighty panorama spread before them
covering 10000 square miles. To the
east can be seen the streams and grow
ing fields, with here and there small
towns and cities. To the south can be
seen Seven lakes, the Rattan mountains
VI A>O" hSAlCOS OA0 ClUlcS III fu0UlOs
Florence, Canyon City, Cripple Creek
which looks to be but mile or SO away
while it is fully fifty miles. To the west
can be seen the glistening crests of the.
Sangre de Cristo range, and numerous
peaks which are all the way from go to
$50 miles away. The top has been
reached and we are at an elevation of
14,147 feet above the sea level. The air
has become pretty chilly and overcoats
are peddled to those who did not come,
prepared at from. 30 cents to $1.5O each
according to how much the butcher
thinks his victims will stand. There is
no vegetation of any kind, during the
final mile or so and we alight on the top
of the summit and look around. 1t is a
beautiful picture, away up in the clouds,
the sun shining brightly at your feet,
but this did not last long and within
few minutes we were enpeloped with
the thick Rolling clouds so that you
could only see few feet away. We
want to say it is cold up there too al
though there was practically no snow
on the peak only a little aheItared haro