Zurich.
Quay bridge and the Alps

We have decided on our route through Switzerland, and so we had our photos taken to be used on what they call an abonnement [subscription] railroad ticket which is good for thirty days travel on all the government railroads and many lake steamers. We took a 3d class ticket, which cost us $12.00 each. Just think of it, you can ride all day long if you wish to do so, for thirty days in all directions for that amount. All you need to do is show the book which they give you and which has your photo on one side and your signature on the other side.

From Schaffhausen in the north to Chiasso (Italy) in the south, from Chur or St. Moritz in the east to La Chauxde Fonds or Geneva in the west, the roads and the steamers on the lake are yours to use as you please and when you please.

We started at 3:15 in the afternoon for our first point, Goeschenen, on the St. Gotthard R. R. Skirting along on the hillside, we had a beautiful view of the Zurich Lake, and the views were only interrupted when we entered a tunnel, of which there is a super abundance on this road.

At Zug, we had fine views of the Lake of Zug, the Rigi, Pilatus and the Bernese Alps. We passed under the town by a tunnel and reached Art Goldan where we had to change cars. The station is situated on the scene of the Goldan land slip, which occurred in 1806, and which buried 4 villages with 457 of their inhabitants. We would see the fragments of rock which time has covered with moss and other vegetation.

It began to rain when we came to the Lake of Lowerz, and things looked sort of damp. At Brunnen, we had a good view of the Lake of Lucerne and, after passing through another tunnel, we reached the Lake of Uri and part of the Lake of Lucerne.

After this, we had a fine view of the beautiful Reurss Valley and, as the train ascended and the valley narrowed, we could see the picturesque hill sides with the houses and cattle.

Above Curtnellen, we came to a very interesting part off the line, which in order to make the ascent more gradual, passes through three spiral tunnels and describes a wide double bend.

We also passed over many imposing bridges, one of which is 260 feet high, another one 148 feet. At 6 o’clock we reached Goeschenen picturesquely situated at the mouth of the Goeschenen Valley and our starting point of the road over the Furka Pas.

Göeschenen

We stopped at the Grand Hotel, and I made arrangements for a wagon to take us to Brig in case the weather would permit; otherwise we intended to go on through the St. Gotthard Tunnel to Lugano.

Zurich.
The Dolder Grand Hotel on a Zurich mountain.