Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-24
THRILLERS AT EVERY TURN
Railroad Stunts in the Mountains that
Curl the Hair.
AMUSEMENT PARKS OUTcLAssED
Pubiie Demnnd for somethinE start
ling Well suppIIed-Wbere the
Tourist Can Get the
Beat.

Those enterprising individuals VINO have
devised 50 many mechanical devices
whereby the public is given thrills at sum
ner amusement parks seem to have been
Outdone by western railroad men.
Recognizing the appeal Of daring en-
gineering feats to the average mind, these
railroad men are taking advantage OK the
natural opportunities afforded by the Rocky
mountains and are endeavoring to Guido
each other I'm the construction OF railroads
and trans that will give the tourist o
mingled sensation Of wonder and fear
The modern engineer who is constructing
a thriller" in the mountains lays rails
where only the lonely prospector has been
with his burro or where the mountain sheep
has leaped from crag TO crsg. or perhaps
no swings a cable across a mighty abyss
and the thrill seeker is swung back and
forth across a yawning gulch and has the
delightful sensation that comes from spec
ulating on the possibilities II the steel wire
that holds him in his bucket should part
Amusement purveyors OF this sort even
have their eyes fixed gloatingly on the far
famed Royal Gorge in the canyon of the
Arkansas. trolley line from Canyon
city, Colo, to the top OF this gorge Is
planned. bridge will span this cleft in
the rocks, which is almost as narrow at the
top as at the bottom, where the Denver q
Rio Grande railroad could not find room to
build its track on solid footing and had TO
suspend bridge between the granite walls
When the trolley cars spin across the
ehasm and the tourist looks down on the
transcontinental trains crawling hundreds
Of feet below, a new sensation will be pro-
vided for the tireless American thrill
hunter.
The man who started the work OF turn
ING the Rocky mountains into q sort Of
Coney Island Is Rev. h. J. Wilcox. who
stepped from the ministry to mine promot-
ing and from mining to a new form Of
railroading. Mr.. Wilcox was interested in
mine not far from Silver Plume. Colo. A
tiny narrow gauge railroad had been built
from Silver Plume to the mine. Mr.. Wilcox
was enchanted with the view unfolded on
his first trip over the line which was USED
solely for the transportation Of ore.
The railroad to the mine ended before
timber line was reached, however. and
Mr.. Wilcox realized at once the advan-
tage Of extending the rails on to the very
crest of Mount Mcclellan. which is a
shoulder OF Grays peak. and which is only
200 or 800 feet lower than that mighty
mountain. Railroad experts shook their
heads, but the enthusiastic promoter raised
the money for extending the line, in a
series Of switchbacks, to the altitude OF
1900 feet. Today the line ends on the very
summit OF Mount Mcclellan.
II Is the highest regularly equipped and
operated railroad in the world. There Is
higher line In South America, which Is
not used for passenger service. and which
is not operated regularly, but this Colorado
line to the top Of a mountain peak is used
for mail as well as passenger service, and
| Is in every respect a genuine railroad.
! The engines used In negotiating the
tremendous grades to the top Of Mount
Mcclellan are OF the Shay mountain
climbing type, but are not equipped with
cogs. The sleeper portions Of the climb
are negotiated by switchbacks. which rise
not unlike a series of steps in a gigantic
ladder. BY alternately backing and going
ahead on these switchhacks the final alti-
tude of 1900 feet Is reached.
It is intended 10 pile one thrill on another
however by extending this line stlll
farther. From Mount Mcclellan It is in
tended TO extend the line along the rocky
ridge extending to Grays peak itself
Grays peak is one Of the highest noun
tain In the Rocky mountain range. and
years, ago, was used as weather station
by the United States government. The
peak Is considerably higher than Pixies
peak.
1t is believed that trains can be run to