The road is eight miles in length, and by skillful engineering has been
so built as to rise, on an average, only about one foot in eight, the
steepest place being one foot in six, and that for a short distance
only, rendering the ascent easy and comfortable. Passengers by way of
Gorham, on the Grand Trunk, reach the summit by this method, and then
have the privilege of descending by rail on the other side.
[Illustration: MOUNT WASHINGTON CARRIAGE ROAD.]
TUCKERMAN’S RAVINE, an immense seam in the side of Mount Washington, may
be explored from the summit, or by following up the stream which takes
its rise in this gorge. The chasm is filled to a great depth by the
snows of winter, which, in the process of melting, form beautiful
arches, sometimes visible till late in the summer.
Returning to the base, we are again at the Fabyan House, from which
point we may make excursions in various directions, the excellent livery
in connection furnishing carriages and trusty drivers, who will act as
guides, and give interesting information to those in their charge.
Before proceeding in our onward journey toward the sea, let us retrace
our steps for a visit to the famous FRANCONIA VALLEY.
[Illustration: PROFILE HOUSE AND ECHO LAKE. FRANCONIA NOTCH, WHITE
MOUNTAINS, N.H.]
_Franconia Notch._
From Bethlehem station, as previously mentioned, the Profile & Franconia
Notch Railroad extends to this resort, which is one of the most popular
in the White Mountain region. Its crowning attraction is the celebrated
Profile, so widely known as “THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN.” This colossal
copy of the human face is to be seen on the southern side of Profile
Mountain, with bold and high forehead, straight nose, slightly parted
mouth, and prominent chin. From forehead to chin, the face measures some
eighty feet, and the elevation is some fifteen hundred feet above
Profile Lake, which, from its location, is sometimes called “The Old
Man’s Mirror,” and “The Old Man’s Washbowl.”
[Illustration: OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN.--DISTANT VIEW.]
PROFILE HOUSE, an elegant and roomy hotel, with accommodations for five
hundred guests, is not the least attractive feature of the neighborhood,
its great popularity often filling it to overflowing, even before the
railroad made it so easy of access. Messrs. Taft & Greenleaf, the
proprietors, are among the most successful hotel managers in all the
region.
MOUNT LAFAYETTE, the highest peak of the Franconian range, has an
altitude of 5,259 feet, and the view from the summit is regarded as
second only to that from Mount Washington. The ascent is made by bridle
path from the Profile House, where horses, guides, etc., are to be found
at the service of the tourist. A building at the summit affords shelter
from inclement weather, or the severe winds which sometimes prevail at
such an elevation.
[Illustration: EAGLE CLIFF.]
EAGLE CLIFF, a huge crag, with precipitous front, towers up to the
height of fifteen hundred feet, directly in front of the hotel. A pair
of eagles made it their home for some years, until driven away by the
curiosity of explorers. A fine view of the Cliff is to be had from ECHO
LAKE, which nestles at its base, and is one of the most charming little
bodies of water to be found. The blast of a horn, or the report of a
small cannon, fired at intervals to “wake the echoes,” reverberates
against the sides of the Cliff and the rocky walls which environ the
lake, with a succession of sharp and distinct repetitions, growing
fainter and fainter, and finally dying away among the far-off cliffs,
with an effect as beautiful as it is surprising.
The Profile House stands at the gateway of the Notch, the approach being
from the north. On either side of the gorge, the Franconia range extends
in a southerly direction. Lafayette, Lincoln and Liberty on the east,
Profile. Kinsman and Pemigewasset on the west, with several lesser peaks
and spurs, the valley gradually descending to the south, and widening in
the descent, until it expands into the Valley of the Pemigewasset.
Three miles from the Profile House, a path diverges from the road near a
small brook, and a walk of half a mile brings to view a succession of
picturesque waterfalls, which have received the name of WALKER’S FALLS.
A half mile further south is the BASIN, a curious granite reservoir,
about forty feet across, and twenty-eight feet deep, in which the waters
make a gyratory turn, after the whirlpool order.
[Illustration: NEAR VIEW OF THE PROFILE.]
[Illustration: FRANCONIA MOUNTAINS, FROM PEMIGEWASSET VALLEY.]
[Illustration: MOUNT LAFAYETTE.]
Five miles from the Profile House, near the lower gateway of the
Notch, is the FLUME HOUSE, so named from its proximity to the rocky
ravine, between whose walls the Great Boulder is suspended, as though
ready to fall at the slightest provocation. As these pages are being
printed, the telegraph brings the news that the ravine has been choked
by an avalanche, and the fall of the boulder is reported. When the book
is in the hands of its readers, the correctness of the report will have
been determined, but at this writing it cannot be verified.
[Illustration: FLUME AND BOULDER.]
The Pool, the Cascades, Georgianna Falls, Mount Pemigewasset, and other
objects of interest, are to be visited from the Flume House. A stage
route extends from the Profile House to Plymouth, _via_ the
Pemigewasset, and before the completion of the railroad from Bethlehem,
was the principal method of conveyance to this locality.
It is still a favorite with many travelers, being, as above indicated, a
direct route to PLYMOUTH, a favorite resort on the Boston, Concord, &
Montreal Railroad. Those wishing to reach Boston by this route may
connect by stage with the trains at Plymouth, or, returning to
Bethlehem, may take the trains of this road, which run _via_ Wing Road,
Littleton, Warren, Wells River, Plymouth and Lake Winnipesaukee, to
Concord, thence by Concord, Lowell & Boston Railroad, to the metropolis
of New England. This is a popular route between Boston and the
mountains, and is very largely patronized in the summer.
[Illustration: WEIRS STATION AND STEAMBOAT LANDING, LAKE
WINNIPESAUKEE.]
Near Warren, on this line, is MOOSILAUKE, a mountain peak of some
celebrity, which from its comparatively isolated position, affords a
very fine view from its summit. The town boasts of _fifty miles_ of
trout streams, and several excellent hotels provide good accommodations
for such as desire to “drop the line,” or spend a season in recreation.
[Illustration: OWL’S HEAD AND MOOSILAUKE MOUNTAIN.]
THE PEMIGEWASSET HOUSE, at Plymouth, is the dining station of the B. C.
& M. R. R., and has an almost national reputation for the excellence of
its cuisine. It is also a favorite summer resort hotel.
The beautiful LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE is reached at Weirs Station and
Steamboat Landing. This sheet of water, irregular in its boundaries,
studded with hundreds of islands, and bordered by some of the finest
scenery in the world, has obtained almost a world-wide fame, being
visited by thousands of tourists every season. Weirs Station is on the
western shore; and within a few years has become celebrated as the
location of a permanent camp-ground, occupied in turns by the
Methodists, the Unitarians, and the Grand Army of the Republic. Several
hotels and summer boarding houses have been built to accommodate the
increasing demands of tourists who wish to tarry by the margin of the
lake, and enjoy its lovely scenery, and bathe and fish in its waters, or
ride over its surface among its myriad islands. Center Harbor, on its
north shore, Wolfboro on the east, and Alton Bay on the south, are all
well-known summer resorts, and the ride between these points by steamer
constitutes a delightful trip. Two boats of considerable size, the “Lady
of the Lake,” owned by the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad, and the
“Mount Washington,” the property of the Boston & Maine Railroad,
together with several smaller craft, constitute the flotilla; and their
frequent trips among the islands and between the principal ports just
mentioned afford opportunity to enjoy the attractions of Winnipesaukee,
and to realize the significance of its Indian title, which is translated
“Smile of the Great Spirit.”
[Illustration: PEMIGEWASSET HOUSE, PLYMOUTH, N. H.]
The “Weirs” takes its name from having formerly been the location of the
fish-weirs of the aborigines, whence an unlimited supply of food was
drawn, in the days before the shriek of the locomotive, or even the
crack of the stage-driver’s whip, broke the stillness of the adjacent
forests.
From Weirs Station the route to Boston is _via_ Concord, Manchester,
Nashua, and Lowell.
[Illustration: LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE.--STEAMER “LADY OF THE LAKE.”]
_White Mountain Notch._
The route from Fabyan House to Portland extends through this famous
pass, over the PORTLAND & OGDENSBURG RAILROAD; and the ride is one of
the most delightful trips by rail to be afforded east of the Rocky
Mountains, and with the exception of the ascent to the summit of Mount
Washington, is the grandest and most impressive. The railway itself is a
wonder, overcoming, in its construction, obstacles that might appall the
stoutest-hearted engineer. Running here upon a lofty trestle, clinging
now to the side of a mountain, winding around the base of some
overhanging cliff, again bridging some mountain stream far above its
bed, it threads its devious way through the pass, abolishing the fatigue
and hardship incident to mountain visiting, and affording a panoramic
view of scenery unsurpassed for variety, novelty and grandeur.
The trip through the Notch is made in OBSERVATION CARS, which are
attached to all trains. These are open at the sides, and provided with
revolving arm chairs, thus affording an outlook in all directions,
adding materially to the pleasure of the journey. The first five miles
accomplished, and we are at