Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-01-04
Central Pacihc Railroad.


Central Pacific Railroad.
The following summary of information
concerning this important railroad, is from
the Sacramento Union of January lst:
The surveyed line of this road runs
from Sacramento by way Of Auburn and
Dutch Flat to the eastern line of the
State of California, in the valley of the
Truckec river, at the eastern base of the
Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The published reports and surveys
show that there are no natural obstacles
to prevent the completion of the road to
the State line within two years, though
the Act of Congress allows the company
five years within which to accomplish 1t.
1t is now but little more than year
since the official acceptance by this COM
pany of the condition of the Act of Con-
gress, commonly known as the "Pacitic
E.,ilroad Act" During this brief period
more ias been accomplished by them than
was evcf done in the same length Of time
by any other railroad company on the
Western coast. Indeed, more has been
done by this company in the actual con-
struction of the Great Pacific Railroad
than has been accomplished in the same
time in Kansas by the companies on the
eastern end of the line, Notwithstanding
the greater risk, difficulty and delay in
transporting material aroud Cape Horn,
and the difficulty unavoidably incident to
the beginning and carrying forward of
public works in a new country, where
both labor and capital are comparatively y
high priced and scarce.
Individual subscriptions to the stock. Of
the company amount to $S,000,0O0. The
county of Sacramento aids the road by
the loan of county bonds to the dmount
of 100000, secured by All equal amount
of the stock of the company. Placer
county has subscribed stock to the amount
OF $25O,OOO, payable in the bonds of the
county. Eighty per cent. of all subscrip-
tions has from time to time during the
year been called in by installmcnts of ten
per cent.
The work of construction was formally
inaugurated at Sacramento on the Sth OF
January, 1868, though actual work was
not commenced until the month of Feb
ruary following. The grading, masonry
and bridging of twenty-four miles Is now
finished, and the next eight miles are in
such a state of forwardness as to be ready
for the supershucture as soon as the work
of laying the track shall reach that point.
The entire material, rolling stock, iron
and machinery for seventy miles of road
has been purchased, and is mostly shipped
from Atlantic ports; Of which there has
already arrived one locomotive, nine cars,
q tuntable, etc., and 1866 tons of iron,
with chairs and spikes sufficient to lay
fourteen and a half miles of track; and
700 tons of iron, cars, etc., are now due
at the port of San Francisco.
Sufficient railroad ties to complete thir-
ty-two miles of road have been received
on the line of the work. Ten miles OF
track have been laid down, and it is being
extended from quarter to a half mile
daily, which rate Of progress, as the iron
arrives, will be continued until the thirty
miles are laid to Newcastle Gap, a point
81 miles from Auburn, and thirty-two
miles from Sacramento, which is expected
to be reached by the lst of March next.
The authorities of the city of Sacra-
mento granted to the Central Pacific
Railroad Company the right to lay their
tracks along the north levce and along
the front of the city as far south as X,
with the exclusive use of the water front
from X street north; and also conveyed
to the company a tract known as the
slough or "Sutter Lake." containing about
twenty-five acres, and lying north of I
street and west of Sixth street, within the
city limits.
In the preparation for future business
and the trans-shipment of freight to and
from the water craft of the Sacramento
river, the company have filled IN with
earth and raised the levee along thenorth-
ern front of the city to point four feet
above the old levce, thus placing the foun-
dation of their track and depots out of
danger from high water.
Commencing at X street. on the Sacra-
mento river, the track runs for three miles
upon the north levee, which has been
strengthened and enlarged so as to pre-
sent solid embankment of fourteen feet
width on the top, with a base of fifty feet,
against the encroachments Of the Ameri-
can river. On leaving the leyee at this
noint. the track runs upon substantial
trestling distance of 2,4Oo feet to the
American river, which is crossed upon a
!" Howe Truss" bridge, consisting Of two
snans of 1872 feet each upon three piers
and thence upon trestling for 700 feet to
the high ground north Of the American
river; thus leaving a space of about
$500 feet in width for the passage of the
waters Of the river during its period of
overflow, the bridge being six feet above
the highest stage Of water during the me
morable food Of january 10, 1852. The
bridge contains 100000 feet of timber,
l22, 600 pounds of iron, constructed at a
cost Of more than 100000, and is ur-
questionably the finest Of the kind in the
State.