Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-04

efficient on Mount Pasubia, just to the
west of Arsiero, where, at q height Of
more than 1000 feet, Italian Alpini
ana other troops have held the Aus
TRANS in check since May. 1915. In
this defense the wonderful aerial
tram has played its silent but import
ant part.
The Italian military authorities.
VINO a week earlier had permitted the
correspondents accredited to the
French armies to visit all the naval
defenses which protect Venice and to
see in detail the unique type of war
fare that goes on among the lagoons
marshes between the city and the
lower Pave river. granted similar
permission to the Associated Press
correspondent to see and study this
other and unique style of fighting.
Soon after leaving the pretty village
city of Schio, just south of the foot
hills that lead up to imposing Mount
begins to rise perilously, curving each
thirty or forty feet with sickening
"hairpin' curves. Soon the cars of
the correspondents refused to travel
upward further over the icy roads,
and were abandoned when they
showed an inclination to slide back
wards owe tho precinice.
1t was then that the "Teleferico'
was resorted to, just as it has on
countless occasions been used to bring
wounded mon down quickly when de-
lay inc laborious mulc-back rams
portation would cost them their lives,
IA out over the valley to the right
OF the steep road, seemingly beginning
nowhere and ending nowhere. and
supported at long intervals by massive
steel uprights resembling the towers
that carry high power electric wires
werv four strands of cable, and, as the
correspondents contemplated their
useless automobiles, a tiny carriage OF
car loaded with sacks of potatoes
came swinging dizzily along w OF
the strands, mysteriously working its
way upward until it vanished out OF
sight behind a shoulder Of the noun
tain.
I'm a few moment we'll be com.
fortably ensconced in n of those ant
went need the automobiles" said the
dashing young Italian officer heading
A Short walk up the road led to e
low wooden shed-the starting poin'
Of one of the Teleferico lines that en'
circles Mount Pasubia from its base
to it's crest. And into the cars the
party .crept, w to a a n in s
reclining position-then to be SWUNG
off into space on the first stage Of tht
journey to the top.
There are several stages to thu
journey, each requiring about half al
hour, and each becoming i%ncreasing,,
! nerve-racking since the cars, which
start off at a rather smart pace, SLOW
down in the middle OF. the stretch
come almost to a stop, and leave lhs
amateur traveller suspended dizzil,
anywhere from n to five Thousand
feet above the nearest jagged rock
Generally also, on the higher lines, thu
pause comes during a snow storm a
this S
! However, the danger. according t,
the "old timers who travel daily, il
small. The I'eleferico will carry /:
maximum weight of over 900 pound
to. each little Garland but two human
beings are permitted to ride except IL
the case of urgent wounded, who ar
slowed away three to, a car. TIL
greatest danger of accident lies ii
rocking the boat" az it were, agitat
ing the car SO that it might tip .
rock sideways and spill. one out.
The trans are supported in thet
h~air-raising journeys by a half-incl
steel cable, and are pulled upwards
and allowed to descend-by a smalle
cable that runs around a huge wheo
at each end of the line and that j
driven by a hydraulic motor. Acct
dents are extremely rare.