150 THROUGH CANADA 



the Kicking Horse River is crossed where Hector's 

 steed is said to have proved recalcitrant at the shock 

 of the ice water in fording the stream. The finest 

 piece of railway engineering of modern times has 

 been accomplished at this juncture. The Canadian 

 Pacific train enters a tunnel 3200 feet long and 

 begins a gradual climb to a high level hundreds of 

 feet above. It passes through a second tunnel, 2910 

 feet, which pierces Wapiti Mountains, taking curves 

 so sharp that it is said an engine driver once pulled 

 up before a red lamp, which he afterv/ards discovered 

 to be on the tail wagon of his own train. Twice 

 the Kicking Horse River is crossed, and when the 

 highest ledge of the spiral cutting is reached, four 

 rows of railway track can be seen rising in tiers 

 above each other. The enterprise cost £300,000, 

 the price, by the way, of the whole pile of Govern- 

 ment buildings at Calgary. ;^5o,ooo were spent on 

 explosives alone. The work was only completed 

 in 1909. 



When the line was first constructed, there was 

 a very steep declivity at this point, by no means 

 unattended with danger. Four engines were then 

 needed to draw the train ; only two are required now. 

 When descending, under the old arrangment there 

 was a series of side trackings, with switches for the 

 purpose of diverting the train when the driver lost 

 control. These tracks branched off the main line 

 and slightly up-hill. On hearing the distress whistle 



