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THE C. P. R. SLIDE$ b,= -zmc. r 5: .»,V . ;s -v V ... ;:.i* /. •' V.; a ' ... :-;VThe Transcontinental: traveller, when he leaves anv % . . . • , ' ' . '% - •' •••;’ • -• ' V. \ •'eastern point of departure, especially so if it be his first; ' :l . ' ' *;.* *’ • ' .• V, . ■ . • 11,' I'vV .V ,* / •. -• \ .* VAjourney in Canada, is invariably informed that if he« .* ' *. | ■ I.V *| _* I . . . f •' .wishes to see real scenic beauty, to be on - the lookout when«he is-passing The Divide” which separates the Province of Alberta from that of British . Columbia; Asa14v» I • . «,, n */ , • • »* Ione enters the threshold of this Province from its north, ,rj\ w f* • r v;.;-’’ c-j- ■ v-eastern comer, there is a magnitude of romantic grand* 1 I*. . .* .* • * ~ i 44 . ■ ‘. . ceur lying on all sides that can be, surpassed in no other\ ii ’ *• J . •part of the civilized globe. Fields of serrated mount-airis lift up their lowering peaks, which oft’times merge- . . . . . • 7'. .. C. ' ■ .in the tenuous clouds above. ’ Descending what is knownas the Hill, and travelling round from Hector until with-,■ • f' . 5 4 it lt;'■■■ • ri $ ;; 1 • *in a short distance of Field, one of . the greatest, achieve-, 1 li. 4 % * * .S '‘ % 'ments of modern railroad engineering'is traversed. Passing Field, and swiftly dropping down the valley of the Kicking Horse, sitting back ensconced comfortably in the plush seat, one begins to marvel at the remarkable ingen-•- v- •. . '* o. v , v:v.' ir ’ y'* V'*’uity displayed by the building of a railroad under -such gigantic difficulties as must have been encountered whent - * % \ •., • ^• ■ - i * * »• • / / ’ ■ * *. 11 . t * • j'the preliminary survey was made. Crossing the Colum*bia River, it is only shortly thereafter upon reaching Bea• - - -• ' ■ t: . si •I ’ 4 - 'I -» V • , * . f . S « l ,ver, Mouth, an extra engine is needed to aid in the ascent‘ ‘ ' ' i . ' - * ■' * ‘ 1 .' 1 ■ . 1 ’• v ^ i • ’ * 'lt;* . •' • '• J! ’' * •* . .C * -• r • o i v*;of the Beaver -Valley. Slowly snorting with , every,, -:r- . v,-.1' ..r-N ‘ g ' '.pound of steam brought into requisition, the cargo off?'human freight is transported up, up,,up, and but little does the passenger engaged perhaps in feeding the inner■lt;p.man or whiling away a few minutes gazing out of the• , *■; i v ■ • -i •• l*-. i • 4v•' - *•*,', ' ; •' , .‘l, *•'• • . ,» »'•'window, realize the care that is.being taken „to carry, himIn safety to his destifiationi v.'-' • ' ’v,y v • . ' -i i . ;■ *On the left or south side of the track, after passing Cedar Creek, stands a little wooden house that, during the summer is surrounded by a well-laid-out arid carefully•• ... .. •• -• . . jj • •tended garden plot, but in winter is almost buried neath1*crIs •f1IViir4cIi€\1iM.iitj■ * • .Wi * • -r..Q .• «the snow, the home of a one armed man- who? when the 1 as t=ear- of#the-i r a i n-lias=g6 ne=Jy_=p hon_es=toyiiCiie2st=pay•atrol, informing him of the fact; this system is carried on,• - ,, y-flt;. • .V -vf/-/ , ■. ^/ - - * V* .w. ■ ,v ?through the whole distance included between- ;CedarCreek on the east slope of the Selkirks to Ross^ Peak ong . , . y'y r N* pi 0-: • • :• i) ■ 0 ..if?- ' : i $ - the West.7 Those who are on the sections where the*•'«* • v1.---!-'* •*’ 5 'i ■ i •• • '-V ‘m'n* '*■“ : ■ ! -■snowshecls are located have their beats in like man* ner with a city police, ’and between times can recounti ‘ '• I • : _ , : ’, , V* 1, lt;«1 • - i t1incidents of their careers that often approach the marvellous. These men may be dubbed pensioners, although they certainly perform a useful function, arid their work,‘‘ : • ,i’ :: '• , i'k.. 'v'v|-.;v ' !-.iv. !v 1 ',Cr;. ••■‘‘V •• yhough easy from a manual standpoint, is by no means acl , ■. :» ' *1 . * • ,1. f «. tfy , I 0iiiiecure, and in the Spring time run the risk of being; P . r K . . ' . ? . *• \i • • ' ,luried by snow or rock slides. Although practically every, precaution humanly possible is taken to protect life and'I •»« , • • i i i , ..r^_ y• . I-*.. ■ ;- -- • vy ./ viroperty—strongly built; snowsheds, glaricri shields;••’•t-' i; .. * U\ ' * ‘V.- • ••**' ‘ ^ ’!- ■“{. ^r--V ‘4- n * *' r y' * rredgo shaped cribbing built, up the,mountain slopes;.lb ' /•' ;«'t .- .. '» '■ f | ■' « '' - 1 ■’ *• . ■ »' j. ... , ' -, , • • •*'teel bridges, concrete culverts, well organized patrols,* ’ . • • * -- .. .**./ X* - - ■ * , - . '■ -, .. -si ... **• ’« '*.upplemented by a complete system of telephonic com-,' - v. .- ’’ ‘ -*i a v't 1 : , '• .■'/.* v‘‘, 'V1 '-v1 yaunicatlon, when tho avalanche starts all these eff-.» ** . • , . . ’-l * .-?• S; lt;* ’ .*;• ijr '** ; •*. “V .' '*• • ’• 'i►rts aro , rudely annihilated- and man’s puny attempts; at ir-rcat become as ludicrous as that of King Canute’s fol-Jl • •» , v ■- - .• ♦ .. -i y • ; r,b -:lowers assuring tho monarch tho tide would oboy his* . - . • . . *‘h ■ .\*V'”, - !• I : , »|| u ' •tommandsy ®iIc!***•iIt(t1IThe recent, catastrophe at Bear Creek, which; , ,.....' ’ ' ’y-iaa cast a gloom over tho” whole city of Hovel*• i ' . i... .. •itoke, B. CM of which many of tho victims wore•V - ; , (. r : ..’esidents, shows that In, the maintenance of tho- . : : ... :i .*vay there is still mpro danger than, in construction,, ~ i x • -'.y„ S*\-:c r • ' r. i., ‘ ,t*-is is evidenced by the heavy death roll demanded. Thoy • v, !' ..... • : ' i'J ^ sympathy of tho entire community in which Tlie Lodger■*' •• • / **.•’- i ’ *!• j . ;!* , • t- ••loins goes,'out to those whoso dour ono by ,tho!r deaths— .* , .■*.Iiavo shown conclusively ’the terrlblo hazard of the rail*- . * ^*.,.1 - V 4 • i I . *1 l* ' ' , ' i ~ T Iroad employees' occupation, and particularly is this no*Liceable when the snow begins to molt In the Mountain]lvl»lon.i* iV'Tho papers usually place nnich HtresH upon the facthut no passenger has lost his Ufa whilst travelling on ho train-through the Field-Hovolstoko division, but to. Mf 1, • ■- •• r ' •*.! ' ■hose who know this nvaluncho zone there Is not a singletprlng gooH by without a number of railroad workers jolng mUHtored out to join the army of the Great Be*
Newspaper Details
Fernie District Ledger
Fernie, British Columbia, CA
Sat, Mar 12, 1910
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA 12 Jan 2021
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