PROF. EDGAR L. LARKIN, Director of the Lowe Observatory.PROF. EDGAR L. LARKIN, Director of the Lowe Observatory.
"My father died when I was eleven years of age, so mother and I went to live in the new white house, with the grandparents. But there was no schoolhouse; the settlers were poor, but finally one was erected. It was not red, in factnever had a coat of paint; and was about the size of a large room in a modern dwelling. Teachers were scarce and books likewise. Another event happened; a retired German physician came to 'farm it.' He had a library. I borrowed all the books he had in English, but the great volumes in German were as hieroglyphics. School opened in September, 1858, and the onerous, difficult and discouraging job of 'educating' the writer began."Then the greatest event of all occurred, on an auspicious day, October 5th, 1858, and I was asleep. Grandmother came in haste at about 10 P. M., aroused me and said, 'Oh! Edgar, come and see the comet.' When behold! the mighty comet of Donati seemed to span the heavens, and looked as though it came out of the black forests and extended to the zenith. Mortal eye has not seen a more wonderful display."Its blazing nucleus was then passing the star Arcturus, and the scene is now in the writer's mind as though it were but yesterday. Cuts of the comet at the time of passing Arcturus may be seen in works on astronomy. Next day the writer decided to begin the study of astronomy. But how without books? The teacher had a copy of Burritt's Geography of the Heavens and Atlas. The writer asked her to sell it; she would for $1.00, although it cost her more. But the dollar! Grandfather was perpetually paying for land. Dollars were exceedingly scarce. Grandmother had one gold dollar; this she gave me and the book was purchased. A surveyor living near had a four-inch lens. He placed it in a square tube of wood, and with one eyepiece madeup a telescope, which he loaned to me. So the study of astronomy was commenced with this outfit in my eleventh year. The first work was to trace the path of the comet among the stars on the atlas. The pencil mark is on the atlas yet, with 1858 scrawled in boyish figures. Five terms of school of three months each were attended, when arrangements were made for me to go to a high school and later, an academy in Ottawa. Then came disaster, weakness of the eyes. School, reading, the telescope, all had to go; and with heavy heart the little telescope was returned to the good old surveyor. Grandfather died, the dear old home was broken up; we moved to a nearby village, Earlville, Ill. In my fourteenth year my eyesight became strong enough to permit two terms in a graded school of six months each."This 'finished' the work of education, for events were such that I never entered school again. In 1879 the writer built a private observatory in New Windsor, Ill., and on January 1st, 1880, a fine six-inch Clark equatorial, with circles, was set upon its pier. In the spring of 1888, Knox College, in Galesburg, Ill., erected a good observatory on the campus. All the instruments were removed from New Windsor and placed in the new dome. The writer was director of the Knox Observatory from Aug. 1st, 1888, to Aug. 1st, 1895."Upon coming to this fairy land of the earth, Southern California, I was appointed director of this mountain observatory, the Lowe, taking charge on Aug. 11th, 1900. Everything happened in August. Here is an elegant Clark sixteen-inchtelescope, with spectroscope and tele-camera, with accessories. The writer has not startled the world by capital discoveries in astronomy, but has confined his work to writing for journals and magazines. Enough has been published to make several volumes. Only one series has been printed in book form—'Radiant Energy.' Study of science has been continuous, save for one deflection of six years, which were devoted with intense interest to Hindoo, Iranian, Persian, Egyptian and Greek philosophy and Esoteric mysteries, the occult."The writer is a life Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of the Southern California Academy of Science, and of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, but has not surprised any of these societies by the discovery of a law greater than gravity, nor what matter is, nor electricity, nor how grass grows, or why we are here on earth. None of the mean things that the writer has performed are inserted on account of the inordinate length of this note."
"My father died when I was eleven years of age, so mother and I went to live in the new white house, with the grandparents. But there was no schoolhouse; the settlers were poor, but finally one was erected. It was not red, in factnever had a coat of paint; and was about the size of a large room in a modern dwelling. Teachers were scarce and books likewise. Another event happened; a retired German physician came to 'farm it.' He had a library. I borrowed all the books he had in English, but the great volumes in German were as hieroglyphics. School opened in September, 1858, and the onerous, difficult and discouraging job of 'educating' the writer began.
"Then the greatest event of all occurred, on an auspicious day, October 5th, 1858, and I was asleep. Grandmother came in haste at about 10 P. M., aroused me and said, 'Oh! Edgar, come and see the comet.' When behold! the mighty comet of Donati seemed to span the heavens, and looked as though it came out of the black forests and extended to the zenith. Mortal eye has not seen a more wonderful display.
"Its blazing nucleus was then passing the star Arcturus, and the scene is now in the writer's mind as though it were but yesterday. Cuts of the comet at the time of passing Arcturus may be seen in works on astronomy. Next day the writer decided to begin the study of astronomy. But how without books? The teacher had a copy of Burritt's Geography of the Heavens and Atlas. The writer asked her to sell it; she would for $1.00, although it cost her more. But the dollar! Grandfather was perpetually paying for land. Dollars were exceedingly scarce. Grandmother had one gold dollar; this she gave me and the book was purchased. A surveyor living near had a four-inch lens. He placed it in a square tube of wood, and with one eyepiece madeup a telescope, which he loaned to me. So the study of astronomy was commenced with this outfit in my eleventh year. The first work was to trace the path of the comet among the stars on the atlas. The pencil mark is on the atlas yet, with 1858 scrawled in boyish figures. Five terms of school of three months each were attended, when arrangements were made for me to go to a high school and later, an academy in Ottawa. Then came disaster, weakness of the eyes. School, reading, the telescope, all had to go; and with heavy heart the little telescope was returned to the good old surveyor. Grandfather died, the dear old home was broken up; we moved to a nearby village, Earlville, Ill. In my fourteenth year my eyesight became strong enough to permit two terms in a graded school of six months each.
"This 'finished' the work of education, for events were such that I never entered school again. In 1879 the writer built a private observatory in New Windsor, Ill., and on January 1st, 1880, a fine six-inch Clark equatorial, with circles, was set upon its pier. In the spring of 1888, Knox College, in Galesburg, Ill., erected a good observatory on the campus. All the instruments were removed from New Windsor and placed in the new dome. The writer was director of the Knox Observatory from Aug. 1st, 1888, to Aug. 1st, 1895.
"Upon coming to this fairy land of the earth, Southern California, I was appointed director of this mountain observatory, the Lowe, taking charge on Aug. 11th, 1900. Everything happened in August. Here is an elegant Clark sixteen-inchtelescope, with spectroscope and tele-camera, with accessories. The writer has not startled the world by capital discoveries in astronomy, but has confined his work to writing for journals and magazines. Enough has been published to make several volumes. Only one series has been printed in book form—'Radiant Energy.' Study of science has been continuous, save for one deflection of six years, which were devoted with intense interest to Hindoo, Iranian, Persian, Egyptian and Greek philosophy and Esoteric mysteries, the occult.
"The writer is a life Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of the Southern California Academy of Science, and of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, but has not surprised any of these societies by the discovery of a law greater than gravity, nor what matter is, nor electricity, nor how grass grows, or why we are here on earth. None of the mean things that the writer has performed are inserted on account of the inordinate length of this note."
About 1600 A. D., Kepler placed a prism in a beam of sunlight and saw what had not before been seen—so far as known—the first solar spectrum. A century later Newton darkened a room, admitted solar rays through a round aperture in a shutter, passed them through a prism and obtained a clearer spectrum than Kepler's. Little was thought of these things, however, until, when in 1802, Wollaston made a slit in a shutter,projected a spectrum, in which he was surprised to see a few dark lines. In 1814 Fraunhofer made a spectrum in the same way, but happened to look at it with a telescope. This act changed the course of the science of optics for all time; it was the origin of Spectrum Analysis, one of the chief products of the human mind, one of the corner-stones upon which rests the structure of modern science. Men's minds immediately began to expand, and a period of mental activity set in, the like of which was never known before. Fraunhofer saw hundreds of lines, but the great spectroscope in the Mount Lowe Observatory shows thousands, in width from that of a spider-web to one-tenth of a millimeter. They are the most valuable set of lines known. They enable finite man to tell what the earth, sun and stars, meteors, comets and nebulæ are composed of. The prism of Newton and Fraunhofer is now displaced by the diffraction grating—ruled by Rowland 14,438 lines to the inch. These striæ break up light into its elements, reflect them to the eye, and in solar and stellar light reveal the absorption lines. The spectroscope of the Lowe Observatory made by that accomplished optician Brashear is one of the finest.
White Chariot nearing the Chalet on Echo MountainWhite Chariot nearing the Chalet on Echo Mountain.
Night Scene, with Searchlight, Echo Mountain House, Mount Lowe.Night Scene, with Searchlight, Echo Mountain House, Mount Lowe.
The Great World's Fair Searchlight, which is now so well known from its operation on Echo Mountain, first became famous at the World's Fair, Chicago, where it excited great interest, and surpassed all other exhibits in its line. After the Fair, it was taken to San Francisco and exhibited at the Mid-Winter Fair, where it delighted thousands from the Bonet electric tower, 264 feet high. When the Mid-Winter Fair was over, Professor Lowe purchased it and removed it to Echo Mountain, where it rests at an altitude of 3,500 feet above sea level. Until this great searchlight was established in its present location its powers could not be brought out on account of its location so near the general level of the surrounding country. Here, however, it is so located that its rays can be seen for 150 miles on the ocean, and the most distant mountain peaks can be made visible by its penetrating rays. The beam of light is so powerful that a newspaper can be read for a distance of thirty-five miles, and its full sweep illuminates the peaks of mountains which are hundreds of miles apart.
It is of 3,000,000 candle power, and stands on a wooden base, built in octagon form, which has a diameter of about eight feet. The searchlight itself stands about eleven feet high, and its total weight is 6,000 lbs., yet it is so perfectly mounted and balanced that a child can move it in any direction.
Machinery for Operating the Great Cable Incline, Mount Lowe Railway.Machinery for Operating the Great Cable Incline, Mount Lowe Railway.
The reflecting lens is three and a quarter inches thick at the edges and only one-sixteenth of an inch at the center, and weighs about 800 lbs. Themetal ring in which the lens is mounted weighs 750 lbs., the total weight of lens, ring and cover being about 1,600 lbs. This great mirror is mounted at one end of the big drum, the outer end of which is furnished with a door, consisting of a narrow metal rim, in which are fixed a number of plate glass strips five-sixteenths of an inch thick and six inches wide. The value of this great searchlight in meteorological work has already been demonstrated on a small scale. When there is moisture in the atmosphere, and varying wind-currents, the light turned upwards discovers the directions in which the wind is conveying the clouds, and aids in revealing the conditions that cause these variations.
Like many other things in connection with the Mount Lowe Railway, the machinery is unique and unlike anything ever before constructed.
The power was originally furnished by water. For the first nine months the Great Cable Incline was operated by water power and electric power generated by two monster gas engines. Now the power is supplied from the Pasadena plant of the Pacific Electric Railway. It is transmitted by large copper conductors to the Echo Mountain power house, supplying current to the 100 horsepower electric motor, which makes 800 revolutions per minute. Then by a series of gears the revolutions are reduced from 800 to 17 per minute, which is the speed at which the massive grip-sheave turns. The grip-sheave consists of atremendously heavy wheel, on which about 70 automatic steel jaws are affixed. As the wheel revolves, these jaws close and grip the endless cable, to which the cars are permanently attached, and thus are they raised or lowered as occasion requires. By this method there is practically no wear whatever to the cable. It is not strained and chafed by the constant operation of gripping as on the street railway cars, where the inertia of trains of cars of many tons weight has to be overcome by the gripping of the ever-moving cable.
Leontine Falls, near Echo Mountain, Mount Lowe Railway.Leontine Falls, near Echo Mountain, Mount Lowe Railway.
Every safety device and appliance of known utility that could be used has been placed upon the machinery and thoroughly tested, so that the unanimous verdict of the many eminent engineers who have scientifically examined in detail the machinery and its working is a deserved tribute to the foresight of Professor Lowe. That verdict is, that it is the safest railroad ever constructed; and the possibility of accident is reduced to a lower minimum than on any cable, electric or steam system in the world.
This is one of the many quiet and secret ferny nooks reached in a few minutes from Echo Mountain House. Bridle roads and foot-paths reach these secluded spots, and there in ferny dells, surrounded by towering trees and majestic rocks, charmed by the babbling brooks, the rustling of the leaves and the sweet singing of thousands of birds, one may while away the hours in delicious restfulness.
AMONG THE GIANT FERNS. Glen Canyon, near Echo Mountain, Mount Lowe Railway.AMONG THE GIANT FERNS. Glen Canyon, near Echo Mountain, Mount Lowe Railway.
To ride on well constructed bridle roads up mountain slopes, winding in and out on diversified paths, through and by bowers of fragrant trees, shrubs and flowers, lookingupthrough towering pines to majestic cliffs and ponderous rocks, lookingdowninto the depths of vast canyons, where deer find shady coverts, and lookingoutupon scenes of perfect beauty and sublimity—these things fill the body with vigor and buoyant enthusiasm, and the mind with lasting pictures of increasing interest.
On the Bridle Roads of the Mount Lowe 8.On the Bridle Roads of the Mount Lowe "8."
The Phantom Sea in the Sierra Madre.The Phantom Sea in the Sierra Madre.
Realizing this Professor Lowe early had constructed more than thirty miles of wide and easy-graded bridle roads radiating from Alpine Tavern to all the higher peaks and summits of the range. The most important sections of these roads are known as the "Mount Lowe Eight," for, in making the complete ride to the summit of Mount Lowe from Echo Mountain and return, the figure "8" is described, the rider crossing his own path in one place only, and nowhere else riding twice on the same road.
One of the most exquisitely beautiful sights ever witnessed is when a low fog covers the San Gabriel Valley. This fog never rises above a level of about 2,700 to 3,000 feet, and when one is on Echo Mountain, 3,500 feet in elevation, the upper surface of this fog is spread out "like a phantom sea" below. The "cities of the plain" are covered with this snow-white or creamy pall. Underneath is partial gloom and dampness. Above, the sun shines upon a silent sea, whose waves are tossing and lifting, swaying and waving, until finally—generally between 8.30 and 9.30 in the morning—the heat, in dissipating the glowing white ocean, builds fantastic and mysterious forms on its surface, and draws them upwards to rapidly swallow them up and make them disappear in its warm embrace. Such a sight stirs the soul to its greatest depths, and suggests thoughts sublime and soul-uplifting.
Point Diablo, Mount Lowe Railway.Point Diablo, Mount Lowe Railway.
The sea is made of the exhalations from the Pacific ocean and covers the whole valley with its white, misty veil on certain mornings. It is 1,500 to 2,000 feet deep, and never reaches the summit of Echo Mountain. As seen from the great hotel it looks like a vast expanse of hummocky ice, as is often noticed in winter off the Atlantic Coast.
The guest who has reached Echo Mountain should not conclude that he has seen the chief beauties which align the route of the Mount Lowe Railway. Not so! What he has seen are but the adornments which are festooned around the vestibule of the greater glories of the Alpine division which carries him into the very heart of the Sierra Madre range, and amid the solitude which reigns among the higher peaks and spurs. This division extends from Echo Mountain to Ye Alpine tavern, a distance of five miles. The road is a substantially built electric road, with grades but slightly exceeding seven per cent., on which the cars are easily propelled by electricity. Indorsing all that has been said of the beauties of Rubio, of the Great Cable Incline, and of Echo Mountain, yet these afford but comparatively limited ranges of vision, sometimes obscured by the fogs and smoke of the valley. On the Alpine division, however, one is above these impediments to sight, and the range of vision extends until lost on the distant horizon. The air is clear and transparent, so that mountain peaks, distant islands and far-away valleys seem to draw near and pass in review like a silent procession of giants.
The Mount Lowe Railway and Valley from Mount Lowe.The Mount Lowe Railway and Valley from Mount Lowe.
In the construction of the railroad Professor Lowe exhibited the same skill and energy that were so manifest in the lower portions of the route. The grade of the road has been made so low that one imagines he is riding on a level surface rather than climbing the steep and rugged sides of the Sierras. This grade enables the cars to be propelled with a great saving of power, and at whatever speed necessary to give passengers the finest views of the incomparable scenery which aligns the route. With that fine artistic taste which the originator of the enterprise has shown in every detail of the construction, he has built the track just where the best views of mountain, valley and sea are to be found, so that the road, instead of disfiguring the landscape, as do so many of the old-fashioned cog-wheel roads, adds to the beauty and charm of the scenery and gives to the particular section of the Sierra Madre where the "City on the Mountain" sits, an added charm.
The road climbs up the sides of the mountain in graceful curves, and as one is being carried along he often wonders where an opening to the apparently impassable walls of granite which hem in the way can be found. At one point of view, by looking up and down the steep sides of the mountain, nine different tracks can be seen rising one above the other. One of the unique features of construction is a bridge, which spans a canyon, and rounds a mountain peak, thus forming a complete circle. This division of the road is the only railroad in the world in which, throughout its entire length, the ties are laid upon a shelf of solid granite. And so carefully has the workof construction been done that since its completion no accident has occurred to any of the thousands of people who have ridden over it. Its solidity ensures safety and exempts it from the dangers which environ railroads in the valley.
Jason Brown on Mount Lowe Bridle Road, Castle Canyon.Jason Brown on Mount Lowe Bridle Road, Castle Canyon.
View from Artists' Point, Head of Grand Canyon.View from Artists' Point, Head of Grand Canyon.
But the grand views which are revealed along the route are the principal charms of the Alpine division. Until Echo Mountain House is reached the view is somewhat hemmed in by the nearness of the mountain sides, in Rubio Canyon and even when going up the Great Cable Incline. From Echo Mountain, however, a wider expanse of view is obtained, and as the higher altitudes are reached the scenery becomes bolder and the range of vision enlarged until it seems as thoughthe whole of Southern California was spread out beneath. Distant Catalina Island and the more remote Channel Islands, off Santa Barbara, have drawn near in the clear atmosphere, and the numerous cities which bestud the plain appear close by, while the higher peaks of the Sierras stand out against the sky with startling vividness. The vast depths of Millard and Grand Canyons serrate the mountains as if the "plowshares of God" had upturned a path for winter torrents through the solid granite. Nature blends her softest and most bewitching vistas with the stern grandeur which pervades the mountain heights and the broad expanse of ocean which ultimately unites with the distant horizon.
In Glen Canyon, Five Minutes from Echo Mountain House.In Glen Canyon, Five Minutes from Echo Mountain House.
As the road finally swings around into Grand Canyon, the character of the scenery changes and the vistas of valley, plain and ocean are shut out. All hint of the habitation of man is gone, and one realizes a sense of the solitude of Nature. The vastness of surrounding mountains and the great canyons impresses itself on the mind and one feels that the only thing which connects him with the abode of man is the frail wire which pulsates with that mysterious power which is doing so much of man's drudgery.
The terminus of the track, at "Ye Alpine Tavern," is 5,000 feet above sea level, at the head of Grand Canyon, and from that point the summit of Mount Lowe can be seen, towering eleven hundred feet above. A short and enjoyable walk brings one to Inspiration Point, from which the Observatory and buildings on Echo Mountain are seen as the play houses of children, so far are they away; and the orange orchards and vineyardsand green grain fields in the valley resemble the variegated patchwork upon the old-time bed-quilts. To those who from here desire to ascend to the summit of Mount Lowe, a wide and safe bridle road offers the opportunity of an exhilarating ride up the mountain side, from whence a greater variety of views are obtained of distant mountain ranges, extensive plains and broad expanses of sea.
Approaching Grand Circular Bridge, From Head of Millard Canyon, Mount Lowe Railway.Approaching Grand Circular Bridge, From Head of Millard Canyon, Mount Lowe Railway.
People go many miles, pay large railroad fares and spend much time to visit Watkins Glen and Ausable Chasm, New York. At Mount Lowe the scenery is an hundred-fold more grand, the canyons deeper than the highest peaks of hills which are dignified with the name of mountains in New York, and yet the expense of reaching Mount Lowe is but a fraction of what is charged there; no charge is made for guides; the time necessary to make the trip is much less, and the hotel accommodations very much superior.
Bridge builders, as a rule, build upon a tangent, and are very particular to have the floor upon a dead level. The reason that these two conditions are thought necessary is to avoid too much strain upon the structure, and in building railroads they are generally looked upon as absolutely necessary. Where the conditions are such as to admit of such construction it is undoubtedly the part of wisdom to follow the beaten path, but occasionally such a course would either largely increase the expense, or, as in the construction of the Mount Lowe Railway, stop further progress. Such a dilemma was thrice presented in the constructionof the Mount Lowe Railway. First in the numerous bridges along the lower portion of the route, in Rubio Canyon; again in building the Great Cable Incline, and lastly on the Alpine division, where it became necessary to build a circular bridge in order to get a proper grade.
GENERAL VIEW OF THE MOUNT LOWE RAILWAY. From a painting by Gardner Symons.GENERAL VIEW OF THE MOUNT LOWE RAILWAY.From a painting by Gardner Symons.
In the second instance the bridges were built on the same incline as the balance of the grade, in one instance the upper end being one hundred feet higher than the lower in a length of 200 feet. It was, however, in the construction of the circular bridge that the most radical departure from the usual rules of bridge construction was taken. At that point it was necessary for the track to swing around a spur of the mountain, making a circle about 400 feet, with a diameter of 150 feet across and on one side a deep canyon had to be bridged. This was accomplished by the construction of a circular bridge built on a grade of 4-1/2 per cent. Many engineers would have declared that a car could not be run over such a structure, but it was so carefully and scientifically built that cars are run over it with as much ease and safety as over any other portion of the road. Stoppages are often made upon it and the start is again made without any strain upon either the bridge or car.
On other portions of the Alpine divisions loops are made around the heads of great canyons, and the track turns upon itself in such a maze that in one place nine different tracks can be counted on the mountain side, each successively reaching a higher altitude, all the bridges along the line conforming to the curvings and twistings of the track.
Near Mount Lowe Springs and Alpine Tavern. March, 1896. Three Quarters of an Hour from Orange Blossoms and Roses.Near Mount Lowe Springs and Alpine Tavern. March, 1896. Three Quarters of an Hour from Orange Blossoms and Roses.
Harrison Gray Otis, the able veteran editor of the Los Angeles DailyTimes, describes the opening of the mountain club house, called "Ye Alpine Tavern," on December 14, 1895, in the following manner:
"As was reported in yesterday'sTimes, the recently completed extension of the Mount Lowe Railway to the new 'Alpine Tavern'—five miles beyond the Echo Mountain House, and 5,000 feet above sea level—was made the occasion of an interesting celebration last Saturday. A hundred visitors or more from Los Angeles, Pasadena and abroad accepted the hospitality of the indomitable builder, and made the trip over the new line. It was a happy journey, a fortuitous occasion. The day was all that is implied in the term, 'a December day in Southern California.' A glorious southern sun shone straight down, flooding the scene with warmth and light. The air was limpid, thin, bright and bracing, and the spirits of the party rose as the electric chariot bore them on toward the summit, under the inspiration of a ride, the unique character of which can be found nowhere else on the foot-stool."The car goes swinging along the precipitous flank of the rugged mountain and the line is marked by astonishing sinuosities, startling curves, bold headlines and sharp angled rock piles. The road appeared dangerous to the more nervous and timid, but, in fact, it is as safe as any railway line running on the level, for the road bed, track and bridges are built in a most thorough and substantial manner, and were not made to 'fall down.'
"As was reported in yesterday'sTimes, the recently completed extension of the Mount Lowe Railway to the new 'Alpine Tavern'—five miles beyond the Echo Mountain House, and 5,000 feet above sea level—was made the occasion of an interesting celebration last Saturday. A hundred visitors or more from Los Angeles, Pasadena and abroad accepted the hospitality of the indomitable builder, and made the trip over the new line. It was a happy journey, a fortuitous occasion. The day was all that is implied in the term, 'a December day in Southern California.' A glorious southern sun shone straight down, flooding the scene with warmth and light. The air was limpid, thin, bright and bracing, and the spirits of the party rose as the electric chariot bore them on toward the summit, under the inspiration of a ride, the unique character of which can be found nowhere else on the foot-stool.
"The car goes swinging along the precipitous flank of the rugged mountain and the line is marked by astonishing sinuosities, startling curves, bold headlines and sharp angled rock piles. The road appeared dangerous to the more nervous and timid, but, in fact, it is as safe as any railway line running on the level, for the road bed, track and bridges are built in a most thorough and substantial manner, and were not made to 'fall down.'
GLIMPSES OF MOUNT LOWE RAILWAY. Grand Circular Bridge at Upper Right Hand Corner.GLIMPSES OF MOUNT LOWE RAILWAY.Grand Circular Bridge at Upper Right Hand Corner.
"The picturesque route is through majestic forests, growing heavier and more luxuriant with the ascent, and the line penetrates deeper into the Sierra, where the snowfall of winter furnishes increased moisture, and the shade of the close set trees shields the ground and gives the fertile soil a chance to feed the abundant tree and plant life of this high altitude."The whole journey is alluring and picturesque, not to say thrilling. On one side of the road rises the towering uplift of the bulky mountain, its slopes bright in verdure and covered with heavy timber, masses of displaced rock and fallen trees. On the other sink immeasurable canyons, filled with a dense forest growth, thickets of chapparal and beds of luxuriant ferns."Far away, seaward, spreads the eye-filling panorama of the lower levels. Foothill slopes, big and little valleys, spreading plains, deep-cut arroyos, clearly defined watercourses, cultivated fields and gardens, sweet cottages and opulent homes—all are clear to the vision of the beholder from this summit height. Pasadena, Los Angeles and their environs are seen; the blue and restless ocean lies beyond, its ceaseless breakers ever lashing its unyielding shore into whitest foam."The delighted travelers brought up at the Alpine Tavern, not merely because it is a hostelry affording 'entertainment for man and beast,' but because the railway line runs, as yet, no further than that point. The hotel, built at the point known as Mount Lowe Springs, is constructed something after the style of a Swiss chalet, and is as attractive as it is unique. It isset into the very ribs of the mountain, being built to suit the location rather than after any stereotyped plan of the average modern architect, who would ruthlessly fell the finest forests—God's first temples—for the sake of building a wall 'just so.'
"The picturesque route is through majestic forests, growing heavier and more luxuriant with the ascent, and the line penetrates deeper into the Sierra, where the snowfall of winter furnishes increased moisture, and the shade of the close set trees shields the ground and gives the fertile soil a chance to feed the abundant tree and plant life of this high altitude.
"The whole journey is alluring and picturesque, not to say thrilling. On one side of the road rises the towering uplift of the bulky mountain, its slopes bright in verdure and covered with heavy timber, masses of displaced rock and fallen trees. On the other sink immeasurable canyons, filled with a dense forest growth, thickets of chapparal and beds of luxuriant ferns.
"Far away, seaward, spreads the eye-filling panorama of the lower levels. Foothill slopes, big and little valleys, spreading plains, deep-cut arroyos, clearly defined watercourses, cultivated fields and gardens, sweet cottages and opulent homes—all are clear to the vision of the beholder from this summit height. Pasadena, Los Angeles and their environs are seen; the blue and restless ocean lies beyond, its ceaseless breakers ever lashing its unyielding shore into whitest foam.
"The delighted travelers brought up at the Alpine Tavern, not merely because it is a hostelry affording 'entertainment for man and beast,' but because the railway line runs, as yet, no further than that point. The hotel, built at the point known as Mount Lowe Springs, is constructed something after the style of a Swiss chalet, and is as attractive as it is unique. It isset into the very ribs of the mountain, being built to suit the location rather than after any stereotyped plan of the average modern architect, who would ruthlessly fell the finest forests—God's first temples—for the sake of building a wall 'just so.'
Carriage Road from Alpine Tavern to Inspiration Point.Carriage Road from Alpine Tavern to Inspiration Point.
"In the forest all about the 'tavern' are giant pines and immense oak trees, their branches touching the very roof of the building. These trees are interspersed with maple, sycamore, manzanita, bay, etc., and almost every variety of fern is to be found in the adjacent canyons."In addition to the main dining hall there is a billiard hall and some twenty sleeping rooms, neatly finished in natural woods, and each heated by means of hot water circulation. These rooms are designed especially for visitors during the winter season, when it is desirable to be housed in a single building, but for summer months surroundingthe Tavern are numerous tent cottages which allow all who desire to sleep practically out of doors. These tents are large and commodious, and are equipped with comfortable beds and all the essentials of home. Many prefer them to the rooms of the Tavern.
"In the forest all about the 'tavern' are giant pines and immense oak trees, their branches touching the very roof of the building. These trees are interspersed with maple, sycamore, manzanita, bay, etc., and almost every variety of fern is to be found in the adjacent canyons.
"In addition to the main dining hall there is a billiard hall and some twenty sleeping rooms, neatly finished in natural woods, and each heated by means of hot water circulation. These rooms are designed especially for visitors during the winter season, when it is desirable to be housed in a single building, but for summer months surroundingthe Tavern are numerous tent cottages which allow all who desire to sleep practically out of doors. These tents are large and commodious, and are equipped with comfortable beds and all the essentials of home. Many prefer them to the rooms of the Tavern.
A Woodland Dell, Mount Lowe Springs.A Woodland Dell, Mount Lowe Springs.
"The 'tavern' is of an entirely original design, the construction being a combination of blocks of granite and Oregon pine, finished in the natural color of the wood. The building is forty by eighty feet, and the main floor is used for office and dining room purposes, in which one hundred people can easily be seated. In this dining room there are five cheerful open fireplaces of unique construction; the main one, in which swings the great crane, measures twelve feet from side to side, and seven feet high, with stone blocks forseats in each corner. Over the mantle is the hospitable inscription 'YE ORNAMENT OF A HOUSE IS YE GUEST WHO DOTH FREQUENT IT.' On One side is a large old-fashioned brick oven, and on the other side an opening forming a buffet of most unique construction, where 'mystery' and other fluids are kept for the people of Pasadena.
"The 'tavern' is of an entirely original design, the construction being a combination of blocks of granite and Oregon pine, finished in the natural color of the wood. The building is forty by eighty feet, and the main floor is used for office and dining room purposes, in which one hundred people can easily be seated. In this dining room there are five cheerful open fireplaces of unique construction; the main one, in which swings the great crane, measures twelve feet from side to side, and seven feet high, with stone blocks forseats in each corner. Over the mantle is the hospitable inscription 'YE ORNAMENT OF A HOUSE IS YE GUEST WHO DOTH FREQUENT IT.' On One side is a large old-fashioned brick oven, and on the other side an opening forming a buffet of most unique construction, where 'mystery' and other fluids are kept for the people of Pasadena.
Observation Car near Granite Gate, Grand Canyon, Mount Lowe Railway.Observation Car near Granite Gate, Grand Canyon, Mount Lowe Railway.
"It is estimated that more granite has been displaced and rolled down the canyon in building this last five miles of road than would be sufficient to construct a city the size of Pasadena. The road-bed is literally 'rock-ribbed,' if not 'eternal as the sun.'"The completion of the next section of the road is expected to be accomplished at some time in the future. Already two sections—that is, the one to Echo Mountain and the one beyond—equal, it is claimed, two and a half times the length of the famous Mount Washington road."While the improvements were going on at Echo Mountain the road beyond was being steadily built, and, as before stated, is now completed to these springs, 5,000 feet above the sea, and five miles beyond Echo Mountain. The redwood ties, which are of the standard size, lie on solid rock the whole distance, making this the only road in the world, the builder proudly claims, which for so long a distance is built on a shelf of granite."Beyond this point nearly a mile of road has been graded, which will be used as a carriage road for the present, and for sleighing when snow comes. Gentle saddle animals are provided here, at nominal expense, for those desiring to ride, and many do so in order to look off from InspirationPoint, at the summit of the first range, from whence can be seen Echo Mountain, and the whole magnificent panorama below and beyond.
"It is estimated that more granite has been displaced and rolled down the canyon in building this last five miles of road than would be sufficient to construct a city the size of Pasadena. The road-bed is literally 'rock-ribbed,' if not 'eternal as the sun.'
"The completion of the next section of the road is expected to be accomplished at some time in the future. Already two sections—that is, the one to Echo Mountain and the one beyond—equal, it is claimed, two and a half times the length of the famous Mount Washington road.
"While the improvements were going on at Echo Mountain the road beyond was being steadily built, and, as before stated, is now completed to these springs, 5,000 feet above the sea, and five miles beyond Echo Mountain. The redwood ties, which are of the standard size, lie on solid rock the whole distance, making this the only road in the world, the builder proudly claims, which for so long a distance is built on a shelf of granite.
"Beyond this point nearly a mile of road has been graded, which will be used as a carriage road for the present, and for sleighing when snow comes. Gentle saddle animals are provided here, at nominal expense, for those desiring to ride, and many do so in order to look off from InspirationPoint, at the summit of the first range, from whence can be seen Echo Mountain, and the whole magnificent panorama below and beyond.
Saddle Horses at Alpine Tavern, Ready for the Trip to the Summit of Mount Lowe.Saddle Horses at Alpine Tavern, Ready for the Trip to the Summit of Mount Lowe.
"Returning to the 'tavern' the interested company further inspected the quarters, and presently the ceremony of 'hanging the crane' was simply carried out by the chef and assistants, uniformed in white aprons, and 'bossed' by the whole party. The ceremony was quickly over, and was greeted with applause and expressions of delight all along the line.
"Returning to the 'tavern' the interested company further inspected the quarters, and presently the ceremony of 'hanging the crane' was simply carried out by the chef and assistants, uniformed in white aprons, and 'bossed' by the whole party. The ceremony was quickly over, and was greeted with applause and expressions of delight all along the line.
Mount Lowe, Looking North from Summit of First Range.Mount Lowe, Looking North from Summit of First Range.
"Then followed the dinner, which was a toothsome repast, elegantly served. Prof. and Mrs. Lowe occupied the head of the table, and the guests were seated at will about the board. The repast was discussed with joy and satisfaction, and thereafter Col. G. Wiley Wells, Col. H. G.Otis, Judge McKinley and Dr. Conger of Pasadena, each responded to calls, and made little talks for the entertainment of the company."Each of the speakers paid a handsome tribute to Prof. Lowe and his successful work, giving him full and high credit for his genius, perseverance, indomitable will, large faith and astonishing mastery of details. They dwelt upon the importance of the enterprise to Southern California, and predicted great results to flow from it in the years to come. The boldness and energy of the builder in undertaking, single-handed and alone, an enterprise vast enough to engage the efforts of a large corporation were dwelt upon by more than one of the speakers, and these references elicited the plaudits of the appreciative company."Prof. Lowe responded, modestly telling of his work as a practical modern man of business, who had simply undertaken the very feasible task of building a mountain railway to fit a mountain as he had found it—a work which required a very different sort of talent from that employed by the great artist to whom reference had been made in one of the toasts. The possibilities for sleighing, and the unequaled views from Inspiration Point were touched upon—a striking view that may be had from a small level spot near the tavern, not much bigger than an army tent would cover. It is certainly a view such as can be had from no other spot on the wide globe."The host's modest and candid speech was listened to with keen interest, and at its close the speaker was warmly applauded."This ended the high revelry, and then therevelers took the train for the lower regions, but later got to their respective homes all right, after a most enjoyable day, long to be remembered."
"Then followed the dinner, which was a toothsome repast, elegantly served. Prof. and Mrs. Lowe occupied the head of the table, and the guests were seated at will about the board. The repast was discussed with joy and satisfaction, and thereafter Col. G. Wiley Wells, Col. H. G.Otis, Judge McKinley and Dr. Conger of Pasadena, each responded to calls, and made little talks for the entertainment of the company.
"Each of the speakers paid a handsome tribute to Prof. Lowe and his successful work, giving him full and high credit for his genius, perseverance, indomitable will, large faith and astonishing mastery of details. They dwelt upon the importance of the enterprise to Southern California, and predicted great results to flow from it in the years to come. The boldness and energy of the builder in undertaking, single-handed and alone, an enterprise vast enough to engage the efforts of a large corporation were dwelt upon by more than one of the speakers, and these references elicited the plaudits of the appreciative company.
"Prof. Lowe responded, modestly telling of his work as a practical modern man of business, who had simply undertaken the very feasible task of building a mountain railway to fit a mountain as he had found it—a work which required a very different sort of talent from that employed by the great artist to whom reference had been made in one of the toasts. The possibilities for sleighing, and the unequaled views from Inspiration Point were touched upon—a striking view that may be had from a small level spot near the tavern, not much bigger than an army tent would cover. It is certainly a view such as can be had from no other spot on the wide globe.
"The host's modest and candid speech was listened to with keen interest, and at its close the speaker was warmly applauded.
"This ended the high revelry, and then therevelers took the train for the lower regions, but later got to their respective homes all right, after a most enjoyable day, long to be remembered."
The higher one climbs in the mountains the less becomes the atmospheric pressure upon him, and lungs, heart and nerves all feel the reduction of the pressure. All experience new sensations of freedom and vigor, activity and exuberance, felt only on the levels in times of excitement or stimulation. The lungs expand and the breathing is more profound; the heart thereupon beats fuller and more vigorously, while the subtle oxygen, no longer stealing into the body in a half-afraid, surreptitious way, but taking fuller possession at each more vigorous heart-beat, healthfully stimulates the nerves and the brain. Renewed activity is the result, with the vim,verve, joy and happiness that are natural concomitants of healthful physical conditions.
So mentally and spiritually. The higher we go, the less atmospheric pressure is there upon us.
We think easier and to better advantage, and our hearts respond more readily to the grand, the good, the beautiful and the sublime. The subtlety of the mental and spiritual stimulus that comes into the life when we are above the fogs and the clouds, breathing deeply a pure atmosphere, is one of its chief charms. We feel the stimulus or respond to it and wonder how and whence it came. A quickened mental and spiritual life is the result. Thoughts whose existence were never before dreamed of come and gowith rapidity, and we experience all the thrilling joy of mental and spiritual discovery.
On Grade of Mount Lowe Railway, near Alpine Tavern, Thirty Minutes from Flowers at Echo Mountain House.On Grade of Mount Lowe Railway, near Alpine Tavern, Thirty Minutes from Flowers at Echo Mountain House.
Not only are spiritual, mental and physical power gained on the mountains, but in them is contained a marvelously extended store of material for the building up of the artistic and æsthetic sides of men. Here artist, poet, orator may gain a stock of unforgettable memories and provide themselves with gallery after gallery of perfect pictures; pictures of beauty, sublimity, majesty and grandeur.
Just think for a moment of the canvases depicting mountains. Some of the greatest artists of the world have built up their reputations through their mountain pictures. Three of our greatest artists owe their success to mountain pictures. Bierstadt, Moran and Hill are alike mountain lovers and worshippers.
Then who can overlook the place mountains have in the poetry of all peoples, of all times? And to merely recount the exquisite and strong, the beautiful and the sublime passages in literature, of which mountains are the theme, would fill many hundreds of volumes. Their heights and their unattainableness, and yet the luring of us onward and upward. The snow-capped peaks, the emblems of eternal purity. The dangerous precipices. The shady recesses. The thrilling canyons. The cooling fountains. The secret stores of waters they contain. The minerals they hide. The towering rocks looking down upon all below. The trees they nourish. The flowers they cherish. The valleys they make and sustain. The clouds they arrest and make contributors to the common good. The shields they are to the winds.
OUR ARTIST AMONG THE BOUNDERS. Bridle Road through Castle Canyon, near Echo Mountain House, Mount Lowe.OUR ARTIST AMONG THE BOUNDERS.Bridle Road through Castle Canyon, near Echo Mountain House, Mount Lowe.
Physicians are now recognizing more than ever before the great value of conditions that exist in the mountains for the restoration of invalids to health. Hence year by year thousands of people leave the stern winters of the East, with their fierce snow-storms, blizzards, winds and tornadoes, to enjoy the equable, delicious climate of our sun-kissed land of the South, and nowhere can these benign influences be enjoyed as well as on the various elevations of the Mount Lowe Railway. Those who desire a moderate altitude find it at Echo Mountain, 3,500 feet above the sea, while to those who need the rarer atmosphere of the more elevated points, Alpine Tavern, among the pines, is an ideal spot. It is no mere formal statement that the hotels at these two points are first-class in every respect. In all essentials no modern hotel in the greatest cities of the continent surpasses them. The health conditions, too, are simply perfect. Pure water from uncontaminated sources,—springs that bubble up through the disintegrated granite and give a naturally-filtered water free from all mineral and organic matter; pure air, changing twice a day in gently flowing currents, which alternate from ocean and desert, both ideal purifiers of the atmosphere; balsamic and health-giving odors from pines, firs, spruces and other mountainous trees and plants; absolute freedom from all malarial or other injurious and noxious influences; the quietude of gentle nature; these are some of the conditions of distinct therapeutic value which minister to the physical and mental well-being of those who dwell in these favored spots.
Winter Scene, Thirty Minutes from Perpetual Roses at Echo Mountain House. Now Reached by Alpine Division, Mount Lowe Railway.Winter Scene, Thirty Minutes from Perpetual Roses at Echo Mountain House.Now Reached by Alpine Division, Mount Lowe Railway.
Mountain canyons are always beautiful. No matter how rugged the scenery is, Dame Nature is such a finished artist that she paints the most huge rocks, or the most gnarled and twisted trees, so that all the human painter can do in order to become famous is to properly interpret and place on canvas the touches which nature has imprinted on the landscape. At best man is only a copyist; all his "creations" and "interpretations" are suggested to him by some manifestation of the Great Creator painted or impressed on some canvas hung on the mountain sides, or in the valley, or on the ever restless waves of the sea. It is in the solitude of the mountains where the finest inspirations for the artists are to be found. Here he is alone with nature. Here the grandest exhibitions of the titanic power of the Creator are manifest, toned and modified by the beautiful tints of flowers and ferns.
In this climate the summer is a season of rest for all natural vegetation, except in the mountains. Only where man has reversed the course of the seasons do we find growth and development. But even then the canyons possess wonderful beauty, although the songs of their brooks are sung in minor tones. As compared with the brown and parched valleys their cool retreats are refreshing. In winter, however, they possess their greatest charm. Then nature is busily at work. The rock gives out bounteous streams of water, which leap down their mossy sides, singing as they go joyful anthems and imparting to every kind of vegetation the moisture whichgives them renewed life. Where the landscape has been brown and bare comes the rich green of a new life, the very rocks putting on a richer coloring by absorbing their quota of the vivifying fluid.