The Placer herald., 1860-03-31
REPORT
oN THE LOCATION OF THE
SACRAMENTO, PLACER,
NEVADA RAILROAD,
r.o,n Folsom to Auburn,
nv SHERMAN DAY, ENGINEER.
REPORT
py SHERMAN DAY, ENGINEER.

BY zoo requested to locate route for Rail
oe fvom FOLSOM to Auburn and on the lth Of that
roau o., ~ commenced an examination of the country
moan on" the line Learning that the region had been
along oi Wv bv the IT, s. Deputy Surveyor, procured
Secsntic sketch Of the section lines from the u S.
"avor sn Generals Office, which afforded important
out;on concerning the courses of streams and the
,l.ans between leading points. copy of this map
u'nnsnes this report, showing approximately the
orDsrtous of the Railroad, with the section lines.
Preliminary Surveys
c.vor,, preliminary surveys had been made by
ue,rs Judah Elliott, and Stangroom, both along the
.hnrn and Antelope ravines, and along or near the
te 6nally adopted with view to reach the Sacra-
anto nl.n by Railroad from Auburn. By these sur
ys manv facts had been determined Of essential value
in making choice of route. WAS particularly IN
ahtsd to the reconnaissance made by Mr. Stahgroon,
trse for about half the distance the final location
.s made with some notifications along or near his
lnhangh was not specially charged with locating
one further than Auburn, yet, from the title Of your
comnany as well from other sources 1t became APP
nsant that to complete the entire design, the road
must be extended, il practicable, to Grass Valley and
Nevada a portion Of which extension would pass p
tho main vide between the North Fork OF the Ameri
can and Bear river As this extension might govern
the location near and through the town OF Auburn,
took an Aneroid barometer, and made some obseIYa
s elevations and the general features OF the c0un
frs between Auburn and Nevada.
These observations were only such as trip on the
,.oe coach would enable me to make, but suii-
rpnt to convince me of the entire practcahlity of
Railroad to Nevada with reasonable grades and not
eytrayaraut cost. Bear River. the only important
stream was not difficult to cross as compared with
othpr larre mountain streams. The table LANDS pre-
septed long gradual slopes and were covered with an
abundant growth Of timber have since passed over
sroute along the llinostown divide, crossing Bear
River at Pfebles bridge and passing by the BUena
yistaraIch This route presents magnificent growth
Of timber
By the Aneroid barometer the difference Of elevation
between the Placer Heraa office, in Auburn, and
Wells Fargo 4 Cor Express Office in Grass Valley
/. lgg feet and the Exchange Hotel 1T Nevada, is SO
tcst higher making the elevation from Auburn TO
Nevada, 1874 feet and showing on IA distance of 2s
miles an average grade of 43 feet to the milo Tho
maximum will, probably, be about so feet to the mile.
Mr Elliott the County Surveyor of Placer county
has since made reconnaissance. with level and Chain
along line from Nevada, passing through Grass
Valley thence over toa ridge near Greenhorn creek
thence crossing Bear River few miles below Prebe'S
hdge and passing along the southeastern side OF the
divide, between the North Fork OF the American river
and Bear river to the brow of the ridge north of Au
@rr. lie has politely furnished me with table Of
teyaons and distances which i, appended to this re-
port. 1t 10 his opinion that the distance of Railroad
from Auburn to Nevada located near the line OF his
reconnaissance, would be about SO miles. His object
Was not to make out grade line, but determine eleva
tons and approximate distances OF leading points
All these preliminary surveys combine to establish
one leading fact, which must govern in the location OF
any Railroad intended to reach the trade OF the mining
regions above and around Auburn. Grass Valley, and
Nevada. That fact is that les drawn from either Of
these towns to the Sacramento Valley ut right angles
nearly to line along the base Of the foot hills
present too short distance to overcome the elevation
ntapactcable grade In other words, the high table
iahds upon which these mining towns are situated,
break OF too suddenly on approaching the sacramento
pan. 10 attain this elevation by an easy grade it
peolnes necessary to approach them by long line
gradually ascending the western slope in direction
slightly inclined to the line of their base.
for instance the difference of elevation between
Auburn and Lincoln is about 900 feet. The distance
.aoout II miles, showing an average grade OF 81 feet
10 'he mile but considerable portion OF this dis
"neels nearly level, it is found that the maximum
grade must necessarily be over $50 feet and probably
!OO feet TO the mile.
BY Mr.. Stangroom's profile of the route down Ante
ope rayne it was ascertained that connection could
" " made between Auburn and the Central railroad at
uflder s. but the line encountered many rocky cuts
ouBh the projecting spurs of the ridge parallel Win
antelope ravine, that the cost would greatly exceed
uS OF The Miners ravine route finally adopted About
'uee miles nearest Auburn common to throutes
, An examination was made by Mr.. Judah OF route
MfouEh New Castle, down Buckeye and Secret
snes connecting with the Central Railroad at roint
q miles from Folsom. The profile Of this route shows
M grade OF about 200 feet to the mile would be re-
qulfed near New Castle.
partial examination by Mr.. Stangroom OF a
iole e down Auburn ravine gave a very similar result.
eeame apparent therefore that, the choice OF routes
nI "a' narrowed down to that along Antelope ravine,
.uo 1he one adopted which Miners rAvne near
M W franklin House, and joins the Central Railroad at
's north end Of the Folsom bridge.
h Az AVOID the heavy work encountered on the first
moe mics below Auburn, in crossing Banvard, Batl-
W.: ana Dutch ravnes, | endeavoYed to find u line
p .en should leave Auburn at the t1ume OF the Bear
uitch southeast OF the town, and pass along the
.;''e1h ; brow of the main ridge above the American
until the ridge could be crossed at depression
O. O..ow ounces ranch. Thence the line proposed to
st,ain mormon Gulch Long Valley and Spring Valley,
vivid Lot. lnfff How
nnt ners ravine and following this divide to some
Un EUl' lew miles below the Franklin House, where the
III" u' would lntersect the other route On applying
h Vci 10 THIS route for about two miles below Au-
con we found that the spurs and ravnes TO be en-
u.esed were in way preferable to those the
Oned. " ~ NATURALIZATION " ~
r.a An examination also made of line leaving Mi
o,a a! Rose Springs, and thence crossing summit
nil W 'ne sources of Big Gulch The cut at the sum
"T y, was found to be too heavy.
.d Inese numerous preliminary reconnossances have
th s 10 The conclusion that no better route exists
"" 'ne one adopted.
Topography.
Is situated in circular BASIN opening to-
sn me west formed by the small ravines and low
aTon ~ tne sources of Auburn ravine. Immediately
Ia 'ns basin, and at elevation of about 1870 to
No,t ABOVE IT, Uses the dividing ridge between the
wp i.h Fork OF the American river and the streams
oiH now directly to the Sacramento plain The top
w,tos noge Is fiat table land, covered with ancient
.yiSansf worn boulders. Although now narrow, it has
plain at some ancient period formed part of vast
Of sen!ly sloplng towards the great interior bay
10 th tornu, and reaching upward by an easy grade
shale A.. pale OF the Sierra Nevada.
but bo, Auburn this ridge is less continuous
hrn and within about two or three miles of Au
ber -, e nsttop Of the ridge branches out into mum
h,nd iong narrow spurs, like the fingers Of man
inc "a ehclng towards the south and west, and break
r,s W suddenly into series of isolated knobs that
Of ho'e the next lower bench of table land Ranges
the I Alobs may be traced for distance along
To el a oiVlaes between the small streams.
b.nch eehd from this lower table land to the upper
lone aohS the slopes, and around the ends Of those
them puls and to the deep ravines that divide
cation F,eesehted e the most difficult problem in the 10
main o " 'ne route When this problem is solved, the
tol, .Acle Is overcome in locating Railroad from