374 ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 



and to prevent serious accidents the engine of the train 

 is fitted in front with large fans to remove obstacles on 

 the line ; besides, during the whole time the train is in 

 motion, an unearthly sound, something like very loud 

 lowing, proceeds from the whistle to frighten away 

 cattle. 



After leaving Ogden, the Union Pacific train recom 

 menced its ascent to cross the Rocky Mountains, — a 

 range of peculiar formation, often stretching for miles 

 in horizontal layers of bare rock, one above the other, 

 — and towards the evening we passed over an enor- 

 mous viaduct spanning the Green river, which, running 

 at right angles with the railway, the two form the 

 boundaries of four States, — Utah and Colorado to the 

 south, and Idaho and Wyoming to the north. The 

 scenery from the bridge was exceedingly pretty, — the 

 distant heights clothed in perpetual snow, a haze of 

 pink and purple reflecting the sunset, and deep blue at 

 the base, with many clear streams intersecting the 

 intervening plains. These latter are the home of the 

 antelope and the cinnamon bear, whose skin the 

 Indians offer for sale at the different halting places. 



The summit, 8,242 feet above sea-level, we reached at 

 Sherman station. Within an hour more we had de- 

 scended 2,200 feet, when we arrived at Cheyenne, an 

 important emigrant station. Thence we continued our 



