The daily sentinel., 1913-08-01
SENTINEL GIRLS CLIMB ALPS.
SWITZERLAND, A LOVELY LAND
CapVdted luGene, the Most Beautiful Of lakes-1hey Scale
the Rigi-See the Mighty Glaciers - InerIaken One
Of the FairpSt Of Cities.
Interlaken. Switzerland
Walter Walker.

Interlaken. Switzerland
July IS, 1913.
Walter Walker.
Dear Sir:-To be in Germany in
the morning and Sightseeing in Swift
zerland in the Afternoon makes one
think OF fast travelling, and we are
surprised at the rapid transportation
in these foreign countries.
We pass through numerous short
tunnels, leaving Germany with her
farms and vineyards. and reach the
country of mountains and glaciers,
the playground OF Europe" swift
zerland. We see the great Alps grad
ually coming into view They seem
to rise higher and higher. snow
capped and beautiful. They are Won
derful and grand. Beautiful green
pasture land and little farms; for,
with the many lakes and mountains,
Switzerland has no room for large
farms; forests OF spruce trees, nu-
merous streams of water rushing
through the land or dashing over the
rocky precipices; beautiful lakes;
picturesque little cottages or chalets
that look like toy houses; beautiful
scenery on every side, and We come
into Lucerne. that quaint and his
tcric little city situated on the lake
of the same name.
West of I-ucerne is Mount Pilatus,
and on the east the Rigi. OF Lake
Lucerne someone has said that the
Lord might have made loyelier lake.
but He never did" Beautiful and
blue, this great lake lies close to the
grand old mountains, snow-capped
and ice-coyered, while on it's shores.
to the timber line, stretch great for
ests of beautiful spruce and pine. We
have never seen such blue waters,
such wonderful mountains.
Mount Pilatus, rugged and high.
| is the weather prophet of Lucerne.
II Is believed by some OF the natives
that the shape OF the clouds on it's
summit foretells the weather A
round cloud like cap. indicates
soed weathsr.ss n kong sword -shepeds
one pointing towards Lucerne means
rain. We did not notice the shape
of the cloud nor whether it pointed
toward Lucerne, but the rain certain
ly came that way.
Besides having the power to pro-
phesy, Mount Pilatus Is said at one
time to have been inhabited by
ghosts. A legend is also connected
with the mountain. II is this that
Pontius PLATE, after he left Galiiee.
was imprisoned in Rome lie COM
mitted suicide, and his body was
thrown into the Tiber. That river re-
fused to keep it and angrily cast it
upon the shore. Then the body was
thrown into the Rhine, and that river
also refused to keep 1t. At last 1t was
taken to a little lake on the top of
Pilatus. There it remained and
stirred up storms on Fridays. How
ever the ghost has disappeared and
the lake is now as other lakes are,
and many tourists climb to its sum-
nit.
The Rigi, up which we climbed on
the cog-wheeled road, is little over
5 1000 feet high. The view from its
summit is not surpassed in Switzer-
land in fine weather, SO we are told
but the day we ascended was dun and
cloudy. and, while we enjoyed its
great beauty on the way, when we
reached the top it was cloudy and
cold. and but little could be seen for
any great distance. We were FORUM
ate to get the view we did. On our
return a heavy storm came on, and
we were glad when our train came
that we might reach our boat and in
a short time return to Lucerne.
One of the most noted attractions
is Thorwaldsen's Lion of Lucerne."
In garden just outside OF the city
is the famous work of the great Dan
ish sculptor. huge lion. larger,
more magnificent and finer than we
had thought it would be, is cut from
tho face OF huge rock, followed in
the form of a cave. This stone lion
is 80 feet long A dagger is plunged
Into its side, while its head sinks in
pain and its great paw lies protect
ingly over the shield of France. At
its head rests the shield of Swltzer-
land. A most impressive monument
to the Swiss soldiers who died to a
man defending the French king, for
whom they had been hired to fight.
Above the cave, in Latin, are the
words. ITO the valor and fidelity of
the Swiss" Beneath are written the
names of the 26 officers who per-
ished on that terrible day. 1t is
magnificent work OF art silently
commemorating the valor and bravery
of the Swiss soldiers during the great
French revolution.
Beyond is the Glacier garden. Here
great basins were followed out of
the rock and mountain in the early
period of the earth's formation by
the continued whirling of the mill
stones" as they are called. They are
curious and very interesting. The
scenery is beautiful.
We cross the old wooden bridge
over the River Reuss. 1t is quaint
and interesting, with the old paint
ings covering parts of the interior.
1t is a covered bridge and built up
on the sides. 1t seems like walking
through tunnel.
Leaving this spot of beauty, with
its beautiful blue lake surrounded by
forests and great mountains, filled
with its legends and history (for
here also originated the story of
u-;Il;op, Tall pho dienlayed his skill