Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-11-15

s%S1
and telegraph poles-enough for several
: hundred miles, and probably enough to
reach the Rocky Mountains. This cedar
grows in canons, where it is most probable
that the wild fowl have dropped the seed,
and, protected from re,cold, bleak, pierc-
ing winds, they have been nursed into life,
and once securing q foothold; soon reared
their heads to bid defiance to all the ele-
ments combined, and now they ere found
ready to make glad the hearts of the Pacific
railway pioneers.
THE WATER QUESTION.
Water is easily reached all along the road
by digging from eight to twenty feet. The
company have constructed water stations at
convenient distances, and with station
houses of size and character not excelled
by any of our Eastern roads. The water
is pumped up at present by hand, but the
company will soon introduce windmills for
that purpose, the perpetual winds that go
bowling over the plaine furnishing all the
necessary power.
RAILWAY SHOPS AND STRUCTURES.
The company have built shops at Omaha
for the construction and repairs Of their
cars and engines, that bid fair to rival IN
efficiency and build those of any Of our
Eastern roads They are all Of brick, and
all are so laid out as to enable the company
to extend them indefinitely. The company
are now running Il locomotives, and next
summer viii increase it to 100. They have
now only 800 cars, but in less than year
will have use for 1000. By March next,
they will be able to turn out from their own
shops at Omaha one car day, and proba
bly, soon double and treble even that num-
Der.
THE DIVISIONS.
The road will be divided into working d.
visions of about $50 miles each, and al
though the same cars will run from the At
lantic to the Pacific without any change eff
| their freight, the engines viii only run
over one division. From Omaha TO the
mountains there is to be no grade over 80
feet to the mile, and trains for the west 20
through just the same. On their return,
the all down grade will enable them to bring
back any quantity Of COAL or stone for bal
lasting the road. Che first working divis-
ion terminates at Grand Island, l65 miles
from Omaha Here the company have
nearly completed brick round-house for
next relay or end O. sion will be near
Cottonwood, where n brick buildings
viii be erected. t. brick are made at
Omaha, although there is. plenty of the
finest brick clay all along the road, upon
the bluffs or terraces at the edge Of the prai-
RE bottoms.
THE TRACK.
The loan and sand make an excellent
bank for the track, and the surface, form
ing q kind Of paste, does not easily turn in
to DUST and soon covers over with grass,
thus in a greet measure keeping down the
dust, which is such a terrible plague to all
travellers. 1t is Re Intention Of the com
paDy, however, to balias the entire length
Of the road with finely bro Ken stone, similar
to the Pennsylvania Central railroad. On
their reaching the Rocky .Iountains, they
will send return loads Of stone on all their
construction trains
AN AIR LINE.
No road ever yet built runs on SO straight
line as this. East of Columbus there is
an airline Of eighty miles, without the
slightest detection; while in the last $50
miles of track there is probably not twenty
curves in the entire distance, not an en-
bankment over twelve feet high, not cut
over that depth, with oaly bridge in q
half days ride. This road has every adj
vantage that will enable it to make the fast
est time Of any railroad in the world.
PROSECUTION OF THE WORK.
A-.-@y out over the plains we find grading
parties at work for distance of hundred
miles beyond the end Of the rail; seventy
five miles are ready for the ties, except
some small gaps that will be filled up in
ample tire. There is bridge to be built
ever the north fork of the Platte, but that
is already partly done, and will cause no
delay. ~ H
The track has been laid this summer at
the average rate of one mile and six-tenths
per day for every working day in the month,
and making no allowance for rainy days or
want of material. Three hundred miles of
rails, chairs, &C., have been taken up the
Missouri river this summer and landed at
Omaha. More is on the way, but the freez-
ing up Of the springs that supply the Mis-
souri, river at its head will leave SO little
water in the channel as to stop navigati on
in ten days more. Before the work is
stopped this month they expect to have 1926
Chicago & Northwestern will have COM
pleted their road to Council Bluffs, when all
the future material of the Union Pacific
will pass through Chicago, en- route to
Omaha.
The item of freights up the narrow and
tortuous banks Of the Missouri has been an
up from st. Joseph (from which nearly ali
the freight was taken), bost had to be
constructed on purpose, and SO built as to
draw only three feet of water. It cost to
transport engines from the shops in
the east, where they were built, from LOO
to So, 200 each, and cars from $3.50 to s., 900
each. 1t is evident that all rail commune
cation will reduce this item Of freight from
80 TO 40 per cent. While no road has ever
been SO cheaply graded, none have ever
been built under so many disadvantages
| and expenses, and the whole world may
well look on with wonder at the almost magic
build Of 286 miles, now in running order.
The wonder is increased as you look upon
the map and see it built far off from any
other railroad, and only the Missouri river
to furnish channel for supplies. i
THE SURVEYS.
For the last six months, the Railroad
Company has had four corps of engineers
feeling around for pass through the Rocky
Mountains. No route has yet been adopted.
Col. S. Seymour, Consulting Engineer of
the Company, and Gen. Dodge, Chief En-
gineer, have spent several weeks in the
mountains. personally inspecting the various
passes. They have just returned, and will
soon be able to recommend a route. 1t is
most likely that they viii cross hundred
miles north of Denver, where they can get
along without tunneling. Five separate
routes have been surveyed: Berthoud's
Pass, west of Denver; Bolder Pass, 20
miles north of Denver Cache Pondre
Pass, So north of Denver; Grow Creek Pass,
IS miles north of Denver; and Lodge Pole
Greek Pass. 100 miles north of Denver. |