This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881 Excerpt: ...wanted a touch to bring them down with an appalling crash. Lateral openings give one a view of still higher peaks all splintered into the most fantastic outlines. About two miles from Thusis is a long tunnel, which penetrates a mighty spur of projecting rock. From the entrance the roaring river, at the bottom of a ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1881 Excerpt: ...wanted a touch to bring them down with an appalling crash. Lateral openings give one a view of still higher peaks all splintered into the most fantastic outlines. About two miles from Thusis is a long tunnel, which penetrates a mighty spur of projecting rock. From the entrance the roaring river, at the bottom of a gorge, is visible, and the retrospect is one of the sternest and most savage grandeur imaginable. But at the second bridge, which spans the ravine, the view is even more imposing, if that be possible. The cliffs almost meet overhead, and 300 feet below the young Rhine thunders, and lashes itself into fury against its confining walls of limestone rock. Soon after leaving this point the Via Mala ends, and one is inclined to draw a sigh of relief as he emerges from the sombre gloomy passage into the open valley of Schams. Nothing could be more impressive than the Via Mala under its winter aspect. From its riven walls stupendous masses of ice hang. This ice is formed by water trickling over the rocks, and gradually freezing, until it assumes colossal proportions. I saw one sheet of ice nearly twenty feet in thickness, over a hundred feet high, and eighty feet broad. It hung over the road in a very threatening manner. The imagination may picture what the effect would be if such a mass of ice came down on to the road, and yet this is by no means an infrequent occurrence. "Soon after entering the valley of Schams we arrive at Zillis, the first village. It is 3061 feet above the sea, and is overshadowed by the immense Piz Beverin, 9843 feet high. From here we pass on through a series of beautiful scenes to Andeer, seven and a half miles from Thusis, where horses are changed. Soon after the road enters the Eofna Ravine, three miles long, which bears s...
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