Image from page 147 of “The Pacific tourist” (1876)
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Identifier: pacifictourist1876will
Title: The Pacific tourist
Year: 1876 (1870s)
Authors: Williams, Henry T Shearer, Frederick E
Subjects: Union Pacific Railroad Company Central Pacific Railroad Company Railroad travel Railroad travel Railroad travel
Publisher: New York : H.T. Williams
Contributing Library: San Francisco Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: San Francisco Public Library
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comotive.If the party is large enough for a picnic, so muchthe better, as often flat cars are added, neatlytrimmed with evergreen l)Oughs. The railroad,after leaving the station tin-ns directly towardthe mountain range, and giadually ascends forthe first six miles, a steady grade of 2(10 feet tothe mile, until just before the mouth of the can-on it reaches 296 feet. Xothing can describe theapparent desolation of sage brush and dry sterileappearance of the soil, but here and there where-ever the little mountain brook can be divertedfrom its course, and its water used to irrigate theland, the richest of fruit trees, grass and grainspring up and give abundant crops. The littlestream, with its rajnd fall, follows us up theentire length of the canon. The upward ascentof the grade seems hardly noticeable, of so uni-form a slope is tlie surface of the country, and itis not till the base of the mountains is reached,and the tourist looks back, he realizes his height, 144 Wmm ^si€IFW WQWMiBW.
Text Appearing After Image:
A o < i O 05 3 S w and sees in the distance the clear surface of UtahLake consideiably below him. Gathering nowon the flat cars—where the scenery can be bestobserved—the little train slowly enters the canon.Scarcely oUU feet are passed over before therebursts upon the eye views of rock scenes of themost rugged character. The little valley isscarcely 100 feet broad, and in its widest partnot over 200 feet, but from the very track and littlesti-eam, the rocks loom up into heights of start-ling distinctness and almost perpendicular ele-vation. The color of the rocks is uniformly of verydark red and brown granite, apparently havingonce been heated in a terrible furnace, and thenin melting had arranged themselves into ruggedand fantastic shape more than mortal coidd con-ceive. At the beginning of the canon, the rocks aver-age about 800 feet in height, then, as the routeascends, the sides become more and more boldand erect,—the height greater, and the summitssticking up in jagged p
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