The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1859-10-01
Engineers Report on the Preliminary
Surveys for the Sacramento, Placer and
Nevada Railroad Company.
AuBuRN, September Goth, l8e

Nevada Railroad Company.
AupuRN, September 26th, 1859.
To the President and Directors Of the Sacra-
,nento, Placer and .Neuadd Railroad Com
pdny:
have carefully examined and made preliminary
surveys of three different routes for a railroad
connecting this town with Sacramento Valley,
and beg to lay before you the following results:
first tried to find practicable route down the
north side of Auburn ravine, to connect With
the California Central Railroad at some point
near Wyman's Ranch. l ascertained the differ
ence in level between Auburn and the highest
ground l could find opposite Gold Hill to be
about $50 feet and the distance between those two
points not TO exceed seven miles. The entire dis
lance from Auburn 10 Wyman's would not exceed
twelve miles, and as seven hundred and hfty feet
of the entire fall would have to be overcome in
the first seven miles, even if continuous grade
could be sustained it would necessarily exceed
one hundred feet per mile. After due consldera-
ton of that route. ] abandoned it rs impractica-
BILE, and proceeded with the other surveys.
My next endeavor was to find practicable
route from Auburn to connect with the California
Central Railroad at or near "Grieders.' at the
crossing of Antelope Ravine, and in this was
more successful My survey, commencing in this
town Mt the corner of the Placer Herald ONCE,
runs down tie south side of Auburn ravlne, eros
slug Baltimore and two other ravines. on graIe
ridge between Auburn and Dutch ravines near
the Mount Pleasant House; crosses Dutch Ravine
and runs down on the south side of it to gap
through which the road from Gold Hill to Sacra
mento passes under the Caperton fume; passing
through this gap to the south side Of the ridge
it runs above Jenny Lind Flat and round the
heads of the several branches Of Antelope Ra-
vines it passes over three successive gaps between
Ohio Ranch Valley on the south and Glover Val
ley on the north. and crosses Glover Valley Ra-
vine close to its junction with Antelope Ravine
At fifteen and onehalf miles the line leaves the
side hill and merges into q bare and rocky plain
and runs from this point in straight course to
the point of connection with the California Cen
trail Railroad at about One-fou tn of mile north
west of "Grieders."
The total length of the line is $4,000 feet, or
200 feet more than ia miles. The entire fall
from one end of the line to the other is 1929 feet
AS you will see by the profile the heaviest
grade on the line is seventy eet per mile for the
first three miles, after which it is alternately
sixty six feet per mile and level.
The heaviest works on the line are in the first
two miles, the line crossing Baltimore Ravine
and two other ravines near it at the respective
hci ghts of l0S, 70, and &c feet. At the Baltimore
Ravine about five hundred feet of trestle work
will be necessary to connect with the embank-
ment on either side. BY careful location the
dimensions Of this crossing might be somewhat
lessened. AS far as the end of the twelfth mile
the works will be tolerably heavy, consisting Of
alternate cuts aid fills, or treste work varying
from twenty to fifty feet in length.
The lower six miles are more favorable, as
the ridge gradually merges into the plains,
the ravines become less deep a.d more easy to
cross and consequently the line is much more
sraig ht than that above and the works less heavy.
With the exception of crossing Clover Valley
Ravne at a height of forty-four feet there are
no works of much Importance on the lower six
miles of line. The deep excavation on the whole
line, excepting about three miles (from the 18th
to the l6th) will be in rock; the upper three or
four miles being in Slate rock, and the remainder
alternately between cement and formation OF
granite bouders, imbedded in soft and some
what decomposcd granite On the three miles
above excepted the stratum Immediately below
the surface is species of pipe clay, which will
offers very little resistance to the excavation. Al
though the deep cuts through points, and The
crossings of ravnes could not be avoided, they
could probably be somewhat modified by q careful
location.
Inext turned my attention to a route from Au-
burn to Folsom. | commenced my survey at the
same point and followed the same ! ne as that
of the Antelope route for the first three miles and
a half running down Auburn and Dutch ravines
to the gap above New Castle, through which the
toll road from Auburn to the MOuntaineer House
passes. This line leaving the last survey curves
through the gap on the south side OF the ridge.
runs eastward around the heads of the several
branches of Secret ravine and runs down III !"
general southerIy direction on the highest con-
tmous ridge between Secret and Miners ravnes
A grade of seventy feet per mile carries the line
at six miles on he top Cf the ridge, near which
it remains for four miles pass about fourth OF q
mile east of Perry's ranch at Rock Springs, above
the Mammoth reservoir. and about OF mile
west of the Franklin House. At 10 miles it cross
es Miners ravine and runs in the general direc
ton OF the stage road for the next six miles. pass
ing Rock Springs at IA miles, and two reservoirs
of the north Fork Ditch Co. short distance
below the last OF these it commences crossing the
ridge on the west side Of the Anne lean River,
crossing the lowest point in the ridge by means
of sharp curves, and taking advantage of sec
ondary ravines running longitudinnlly with the
ridge it energies on the American River without
any cutting exceeding thirty feet in depth. 1t
crosses the American River at very narrow place
situated about half mile above Stockton S MILL
where the banks of the river are SO steep and
contracted that by careful location four-hundred
feet of bridge and trestle work could be made to
meet the embankment on either side. The height
above low water is hundred and twenty-four
feet but ms the width of no span need exceed one
hundred feet The masonry in the piers and abut-
ments will form the most considerable expense.
The material for this being on the spot will lessen
the expense considerably. The height of the
crossing could be lessened of the expense Of in
creased depth of cutting but the cost of the latter
would far exceed that of the former. After
crossing the river. the line curves around in an
open space a the mouth of large rnvine, and
returning to the river bank runs along it, cross
ing three or four minor ravines and finally con-
meets with the Sacramento Valley Railroad at the
end of their line, about four-hunred and fifty feet
this side of their freight building.
The entire length of the line is 1922 200 feet. or
600 feet more than l94 miles. The total fall is
966 feet
Tn first 81 miles are identical with those on
the Antelope route. On the remainder of the
route most of the deep cutting will b. in granite
though not always within eight or ten feet from
the surface. By careful location most cuttings
can be avoided or brought down to a depth of
ten to fifteen feet. The ga on t ridge at six
miles and the crossing OF Miners ravine are the
only two places of at all heavy work from the