The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-11-01

4
valley, at = distance Of eighteen miles frOm
walton 4 Summit. and at an altitude of four
thousand five hundred and ten feet. The Rra
dIeniS for the last division will be the heaviest
nn The whole line, being about ninety seven |
feet TO the mile. The examinations were car. |
rled no further than this point, it being a com
nanding position. The descent into the plains
u Carson River being but few bundled feet
distance, can be obtained TO make the gradients
easlerly very light. ar the liue can be carried |
To Virginia City with nearly equal facility.
FrOm Placerville 10 the trusting Of IN South |
Fork "t the American River, the pruposed line
will run tor considerable distance along the |
northern slope 0fa smooth ,idve dividing the
waters Ot Weber Greek and the SOUTH FnTk,
After leaving the town the Rad will not
cross any very deep ravInes until it reaches the
river.
The everything formation for the first sixteen
miles Is slate, under which lies granite, the
slate disappearing AZ the line approaches the
river. From The crossing of the river to the
/ Great Basin, the .rnIuiun dncent To the line
| Is granite OF NarinuS degrees If hardness. BE.
tween the cruising nf the South Furk and the
west end Of the main tunnel several large
ravines are encountered, the principal Of which
will be crossed at their mouths but little beInw
grade. The country from twelve miles above
PlacervIlle to Bigler Lake Valley is heavily
covered with Ptob-Pine, Spruce, Sugar. Pine
and Cedar. 1T the best quality; aud ~ crossing
The deei tar,nes, tlmbvr structures can be
! trmpu aiiit substituted Outside Of The sSripi,
e. Es.tF r. 49,. .--..--,. 10 me
/ nmSef mrniT'nr0 vii furnish large amount
II lImLrr TOR The ) ,crainenI" VIJJr,, Dnd The
| revenue derived from us transportation will
f,"m very important item III The receipts Of
| he uad.
The construction of the Western Tun mel
which will be the principal difficulty un this
great work, can be prosecuted with facility 0a3
economy. The granite is solid, of medium
NSHrdness, and al each head is an unfailing
stream If water which can be applied to furnish
power for ventlatiUg purposes, drilling rock
and removing material. no shafting being re-
qulred. Appliances Of this general description
are now successfully employ ed IC accomplish
these objects in the Mount Gems Tunnel, seven
and six.tenthS miles in lengthy on the line Of
the Lyons and Turin railway, in Europe.
From the east head at the Tunnel to Biger
Lake Valley. the ground Is quite smooth aud
unbrOken by ravines; but for une-third Of the
distance, the side SLOPES are steep.
Between Lake Valley and Walton's Summit,
the ground is considerably broken BY small
gulches, but the side slopes for most of the
distance are very gentle, and tire rock soft aud
trIuble The tunnel through the ridge to tue
east fork OF Clear Greek will penetrate granite
Ut suffer quality than the large tunnel, but not
suit enough tn require lining.
OD The east side IT the ridge, for the remain
ing distance. the ground Is very rOngh and
oT"Aehi mere are numerous ShlcheS ana iwn
! large ra'ines ~ cT'SS' ana the Slu' slopes are
very steep lhe material 10 Oe rem"ved l.
Misn'eRa.eu granite h"t uIIHcnlt 10 WORK
There will necessarily b. consider bile curva-
lure on this division, but curves Of moderate
radIi can easily be obtained.
! By the construction # the tunnel between
Slippery F"Id and Blgler Lake Valley, the snow
Which accumulales in ali Of the passes of the
middle ana northern section OF the Sierra Is
aN"ueu' anu also an eIeNatun ana depression
I" seven hundred und eIghty'slx teel, which
""nII otherwise have I" be overcome by high
gradients. Al SLIPPERY Fro. near the west
rhh IT 'he '""'n 'hnI'ei The drP'h 81 snow al
I no 'iiut dul'" t!-i ''">'n (Which WAS AN "a.
/ .r'"i .'in'tF >eN,'r 'n" ""> n''Ir than six feet
I 80 hE'' Ink N'"i''. ''- heih ana not exceed
49,. - IA" i"'' 20. : 81 TIE .'sS east - Lake
! '.r' ana ~ N'~'" ''ii' mere Mas lllch less
= "Af''- 'i' 'hii"I 'h''. u L1Ae Valley.
! 3 tsifi 90 -" -, lac Railroad surveys
! ~ IArialh U. MtC"i." (h"M Generdl
! MNC'e'I'hl IL TIE Hon -! JtHerSnn DAVIS, Sec
! relay "f War, presents conclSe statement Ut
TIE amount "i iiucil"hS uecasion9d Oy snow
storms. tie say
SNOW
| THE roads NJ Massachusetts, with rare px-
crp,i,ms. hnd but lule difficulty in clearing
! The track from snow in the course of one uay
/ They only fail Ia do 20 when the snow d. its
| badly, aud packs hard To open the .t,d nom
two t. live ENGINES are attached T., each Train.
! with Il SHAW -piuw IN iluu; The tram bushes
J through uniII siuI ped when it ba, Ks oil and
! dgdin advances.
| Snow L. the depth Ut i've or six feet. as IA
nax ilnuu, can be cleared ia this manner
/ With higher plnuxhs and additional power it
is possible that slightly greater depths Of light
snow NAV b., worked lliuugh
Snow a tutd drrl, ,Itn.S not present a very
/ great obstacle thar i 10 say, the train makes
regular pruyr-sSa redu, ed suerd
EmLaukuIeo,s are Tar less DISTRACTED than
cuts
4 Cuts If twenty feet deeu, and upwards are
! less oL,tructyd Than ;hJsr of tIuu, hive to ten
feet.
/ Alny side of cuts like tie latter snow fences
are used. These dtr brIrdS t,nceS about eight
tccl high, placed some twelve feet back tom
/ the edge ut excavation.
DritinK snow nbsiructS train far more
rhamA settled fail fr when the engine j.
brought L. "a state at rest aud hnds it necessary
~ :" back" IN order to obtain u new impetus
, the sn"w blows IN under III, wheels and some
uneS "binrks" the train So that it cannot
move either wuv. In sach G&ees, large man
ual imce Is necessary to clear all the wheels
at once.
Men and shovels nre aiWayA carried on the
tram hen the tail at snow is grrai, III order
partially Ia open heavy drifts, and 10 provide
for thu cunineenc. OF The train being Llncked.
Freight Trans sLoud be discontinued until
The r'ad Is "irr ed the whk beIng dnre Ul
! a>scrgrr ,r"ir> Light dry sn"w is by II"
m,..t, ,-t nu> al. uL>,Lcle us We; heavy
>,i.N. - "a. lnitE.'d''' lis liability To drift.
-. u:'. =. r"..G ever HAY, gradients,
.rHnt".'"e ~" Htrs ;r'"n ,'iv >nniillt. ----
Whtn h. sn Il +. >rs cons d,Iabe re-
-, cue. ;hc engines use au"ut dOubl- The
"olo! qunntl, 81 frr aud Water.
IN -Pi"IghS are Z ne'aily of two-slzes;
The larger sizes ATE from niue To ten ferl high,
aud db''u; seven ieet broad; the smaller ate
about fur feet high By seven broad, and are
S,r,etInieS at iron
1t is evident from the above extract, that on
the proposed line the railroad eau be kept in
-; GRAFTON through the winter season with but
little expense "n account at snow.
IL may De We' ~ TtWaTk Lnat ue wagon
r"au r"u,e Uy I''ce'' me- H"PPe'N E :'L % h
J"hhs"h T"SS, II 'ne o"'N que ""'e" "as