| Show 17 71 0 8 T deway n LANDS newest scenic railway opens tor for traffic thia this summer it runs from brig along the line of the furka cost road and an traverses a little known region of the alps when the line was opened in 1906 there was probably no other city in the rhone valley which gained more through this achievement ochle rement than prig brig a it delightfully quaint community at the junction of the simplon and furta furka post routes A few years lats later in n the summer of 1913 the completion of the celebrated Lote chberg railway added further to the importance of toe we town the simplon railway forms the international ter highway between the lake of geneva and the rhone valley and ity and tho the Loetsch berg line connecting with the simplon at brig has brought the rhone valley and the bernese bernet Oler Oter laud in direct communication there remained one other alpine pass the furka which had no train service the furka poet post road forty two and one half hair miles long rune runs from brig to andermatt at the foot of the Ober alap pass from andermatt Anden Auder matt the pass practical ly a continuation of ot the furka road to Dis disentis entla an ancient monastic village with recently discovered discover pd radioactive mineral springs a distance of eighteen miles to cover this entire distance of sixty and one half miles requires A diligence journey of one day between brig and An andermatt dematt end four and one half halt hours between andermatt and Di a fascinating drive for tho the tourist who Is fortunate enough to be able to travel with leisure but often out of the question for those who are somewhat pressed for time the con truc tion of a railway to form the weather beatea chalets whose nut brown color la Is relieved by the brilliant red qc of fuchsius fuchsias fuch sias geraniums and earner tlona which bloom on every window ledge the river rhone has already assumed all the characteristics of a rushing glacier lacier torrent A little higher up it receives thy tho tempestuous bluna which rushes down through a solitary vale of the same name and from now v on up to bletsch the district la to kro known wn as tho gome ionia valley the inhabitants ot of thia this section are of the sturdy peasant type conserva tive and obstinate in the highest degree in the history of their canton they played an important role during the timo time of the reformation and again in when their natural enabled them to ward off the F french rench invasion cardinal matthew Se blaner the famous count bishop of 0 sion was born in this district picturesque gome goms valley visitors to the rhone valley are generally interested in the remark able water conduits or hisses biases as they are called by the natives which are found in nearly every side valley and by which water mater Is conveyed from a considerable distance to the villages and pastures by means of these irrigation channels the fields are kept green even in the hottest summer weather delightful woods fringe the exten elve sive pastures which are covered with soft velvety grasa grass on which nature has lavishly strewn the prettiest et c alpine blossoms but the natives of goras gems have no time for sentimental flower study and men women and children toll bard hard in summer sura to gather their cot not overabundant crop of hay bay the dairy and cheese industries are cultivated with great care and certain varieties of oame cheese are consid ali s qa it J VIADUCT W C rot ROUTE arr connecting link between brig and disentis came up for discussion a number 0 of year years aso ago and the construction of the line was started in 1911 on june 30 1914 the inauguration of the first section between brie brig and gleisch took place plate but four weeks later when the railroad was actually ready for regular traffic the european war broke out and in view of the new now condition conditions it was decided that the line raould only be opened for the summer season of 1915 many interesting feature features the railway has steam traction it Is a a narrow gauge line with rack and pinion section and possesses an extraordinary number of interesting features from o 0 engineering point of view there are oyer fifty viaducts bridges and galleries seven tunnels and five loop tunnels the total length of 0 the rack and pinion sections in s nineteen and miles milel it Is estimated that the cost of construe uan hs was over those who tae a delight in ir exploring district districts situated off the beaten path will be particularly pleased with the trip along 1 tho rhone from brig to Gle letsch tach aa as it traverses tra a part of the country which rray may be tinned d unknown switzerland on lota living ying brig uric situated it at an altitude of 2216 2215 feet the furka railway first crosses a bridge over the rhone and almost immediately reaches the picturesque valley of naters a considerable part of which Is at present occupied by italian tunnel workers on one bank of the river runs the furka line and on the other the sim illon line lint which presently enneis into the worlds longest tunnel 02 12 talles the first et upping place for 1 trains li Is morel a typical mountain milage with ad as chuo church ch and red ered a special delicacy 17 fc con connole nois deurs in the binnen bannen and Fi flescher encher valleys two niall mall eldo side valleys in a this district it used to be ho the custom to keep cheeses of this kind for maiv years as a sort of family heirloom specimens of them some dating back to the seventeenth century are still shown in the city hall ball of resol of Ob arwald at an altitude of feet the resort of Is 1 reached it la Is the furthest furt bett point to which the furka railway trill run in inter winter it Is e expected that oberwald aberwald Ob erwald will later join the circio circle of swiss inter winter resorts as its opportunities for skiing are particularly ticul arly favorable bletsch Gle tech Is 1 the present terminus of the furka railway and the junction of the furka and grimed poet post roads the grims GrImm sl leading to will la in years to come also have its railway but at present the dili diligence gonce still travels twice tico a day in each direction through that magnificent alpino alpine pass Gl bletsch etsch an ar its name implies la is near the glacier of the rhone in fact the terminal faco face of this ice cas cade te to but half halt an n tours 1 oure walk alk from the railway ste tion the path follow ing the milky stream all along up to ita its source hewn in the purest of crystal the continuation of tho the journey to andermatt and disentis which han has of course to be mad made by dill diligence gence un til the rall rood ie completed touches many which aich have classic repute for their beauty ae as well as for their historic realp reala that Aneer andermatt matt and further on the quaint hamlets right to dl DI bentle all have some charm of belt thell own which will help to make the furka railway known as one of the th finest scenic railway railways la hi switzerland |
