, 1865-10-03
UNION PACIFIC hallway,
The Change Of Route Sanctioned
by the President,

by the President.
Report Of Springer TIarhaueh, G.yern-
faens Director, to the Secretary Of ahc
Intcr1xx.
wecopy the following important letter. from
the Pittsburgh Gazette:
NEW foHK, August IS, 1865.
SIN: had The honor Of transmitting yeu de-
tailed report, under date Of the s0:h nllino Of nv
recent visit along the line aH operations nf tx
Union PaeiEc Ralroad, more particularly touching
the condition ms naesm i, nj l. ana progress Of The
ed in FOUR Letter Of tho 10th OF June to he anrer
ment Directors. and part,cu.atly expressed n your
communication 70 me Of The 12th inah INT / n,w beg
location Of The road between Omaha aud tbe Ptastc
,rroposed to b changed by the Union Pacifc Rsit-
Al The d.teo my arrt report, as yon were advised
By letter Of the 1sh iDstunt, Ind not Ill the data
desired 10 enable ne S to fosM coErast conclusions
tunltY to examine the reports OF the suryeys made
at eTequcst md undtr fhe direction oF Liett Cal
Simpson befote. leaving omahs, and which reached
the once OF the Company In New York only few
After 4 personal Inspection of the road md ,ts
location, and az matters pertincut thereto, win
candid ,rport u; fpIly IS nm t11a1ined to maks'
mitb az efe single to The Interests Of the euure n.
tion which hare The honor to represent.
In accordance NTH the original act at Ipcernora.
don, section Il, the Union Pacific RAILROAD Com
psny ID authorized md required to construct sin:
gle 3 lins o. railroad and tesg1aph trom poiet o.
fixed BY the President Of the United States nnon
the most direct and practicable route to he subject
70 big approval md within designated tine; md
in fixing the point Of connection OF tie main Trunk
NAh the eastern connections 1t shall be fixed al ihe
most practicable point for the CONSTRUCTION Of the
Iowa and Missouri branches.
Thai point Was definitely settled by President
nsei =, qsan s ta 9n the Missouri rser
hled map !os the drrt 100 miles In The department
A contract for the construction and equipment OF
The nrst lCo miles westward was naaue on The tets
and conditions set forth In the report Of mr. col.
leagues OF tho 8th nit; 10 the Department.
Dur ne the month Of October, 1856 Hou- ]. 1,
Williams al the request OF The other Government
ln company with Col. s. Seymour, the eonsaitins
Engineer OF the company. On their return, Col.
Seymour. tn COMMUNICATED 70 the company,
ended change in The location Of portion Of the
line between Omaha and the Elkhorn rtyer, q point
about twenty three msles by the first located hue
the maximum grade could be reduced from eighty
to forty feet per mile ascending IN easterIy d.
reet5gn snd rom si5I5.s1s 70 tofty let PEI ns a.
e he then supposed, It Mon!d .ncreaae the distance
don 10 The company, under date Of JAN 2 1861
witk-cancu1rcd NTH Col Seymour In advising the
change. On the condition hat affair actual surveys
we're fnalc, thc basts assumed shonld hold good.
to be the ssh,e upon both routes The subsequent
surveys made b! the company for the location cf
ts s1sS1 81 &c , sse Ss
a. 10 maximum grude. and mere thaa verified them
u 10 comparative, dhtances5tbc new route being
found only a5 miles longer than the first location.
Consequently At meeting oflhe Doard Of Directors
LAST epfpg, The change was made and the Directors
On The part Of the GoSernment eolcns1ed therein
report Of surveys made at the instance Of 1eat:
Col. Simpson, O. $. tngmeen, for the purpose Of
enabling him 10 form correct conclns,ons as 10 the
Of 1oeation wnacn show tes ults sil more favorable
Tor the pfop,aed. new rouic.
Ope Of the surycys made down the valIes Of the
the bluEs, from thence 10 Station No. I'll, where
this survey lntefsects the graded road IN thu Wiley
of Mud Creek. eiscs une Of $3.50 feet, shortcr
points Ia Stallion IL, sad ehlca xisce iine ] oay
aDl miles longer than 1he old Or first located line
between Omaha and the valley Of the Ekhosn river,
eaperee Nith maximum grade OF 90 feet pr mile
nm IN ftiiy convinced. after examining the surveys
That afer the track shall have been laid over he
loqte, = al present GRADED, which has been asked
to BE- approseti bJ the hesideat q the United
pany can at any time hereafter, with locomotive
and roDA euction trasos to assist in doing tbs work
economically and espedltloae1y, reduce the tnaxl-
aud the Platte Valley to thirty feet per mile il each
direction, Al eu expenditure not exceeding fa50 U3
st the tane tine thc distance Will only b. increased
originally located with maximum grades Of 81 feet
per mile ascending westerly and eighty ibet per
milo ascending castesly-
be to bring the original location 10 this MAXIMUM
ard eeonomtcalfy Tofkca
BY itF officers. they pledge themselves to further
ashpeedily - the incEeased business Of the Ioad
this pledge be dnly fnEnished properly auth.nilca-
led. 10 lhe Government. an frnly Convinced
t1i vi se 1.s r.
will be manifertsy TO the interest, u welt the
policy or The Company, to Fsance grades to the
lowest posslole e. Razim9m for the sale and eoonom-
I consider Ii my duty to mention that s1rveys
were made A. The request Of Col. Simpson tfpm The
The Missouri River, II Is atceEtaned that the n3.xi.
muD gssde can he reduced to twenty feet per mile
from The M.stoura Iser, a. the point mentioned to
feel per mile In contrary direction rom tho Platte
Wiley to the Nlssonrl River, md ftom lhe csti-
mates on 1le IN The otticc OF the Company N ex-
rom The mouth Il Iud crcei 70 ihs M+soas s1s snd
at the came time shorten The ltnc about thrce
Lilies oset The proposed ameudcd line.
the adoption 81 high gradients & errrr fatal to
the economical w0tking Of = raflwuy: Heavy Era-
de'ts ar generally adopted from notious of econo
permanent expenses that would well pay ior largely
Increased outlay In hc beginning. Generally, the
ertimated maximum Of business on most II the
1ni!ways In our counl1J has been too lev. Ny
fdeae, pnIestinates Of tho businers to be done on
The Union r.ciGc Railroad particularly, "a soon as
possibly il advance 81 he calculations Of most per-
IONS not con.ersant with tho present heavy over
lind trade and travel 1u.the iocaiion Of this roaI
nets must be Kept In view l. must be considered
the work OF the nAtIon, without IN: particular Sec
tonal Or local interests at the expense Of the great
il is pstcnt 10 al1 raI!road managers that high
gradients grcatly increase the zl1k o xec1dents It
is impossible 10 have that control orer 1nin On
obecrvattop convinces nc that it Is better to have
two miles Of thirty fce than oDt mile Of rixty fest
gradient. ! hope that Col simpson viii Iscnsa
workings Of trains On low and high gradients, With
Advantages and dtsaasantagce, .nra give tho Dc
partment zuch Gacts aud calculations practical
civil enginser consersnnt with kuch subjects only
ean do.
have examined the subject Of fehange Of fIocation
ottne line west from Omaha, both y heretofore
be changed, rs fully as au able, for and sRanst,
present aud prospective with no interests 10 snb-
d. honor to DRIP represent, and would rsspeettg % s rs
commend ctauge In the location from the ono first
made 10 the ncw one which bis Ekcc1lcncy The
approve, and which The Board Of Directors mani
mons1y coucurred tn, and With lhe understanding
that the Company plaza on file the pledge a. herts-
grade - soon and Is speedily q tic business Of lbs
' / an vcsy respectfully,
your obed1ent serrant,
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