The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-11-13
THE CHARLESTON DAILY NEWS"..NOVEMBER 49, 1866

~ II III
ties for from 81 to $780, Two hundred and fifty
miles from Omaha, and south Of the Platte, is
found n1 belt Of rcd cedar, about thirty miles wide
pany have cut ono hundred thousand cedar cross
ties and telegraph poles,-enough for several hum
Rocky Mountains This codar grows in tho canons,
whore it is most probable that tho wild fowl have
dropped tho seed, and, protected from fire and tho
cold, bleak, piercing winds, they havo boon nurscd
into life, and onco securing foothold, soon rear
ed thoir heads to bid defiance to all tho clomcnts
combined and now thoy arc 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 oight to twonty foot. The company
have constructed water stations at convenient dis
tanccs and with station houses of sizo and cha
actcr not oxcecd by any of our En- tern roads.
Tho water is pumped up mt present by hand, but
| tho company win soon Introduce windmills for
over tho Plains furnishing all tho necessary power.
RAILWAY SHOPS AND STRUCTURES.
Tho company have built shops at Omaha for tho
construction and repairs Of their cars and engines,
TINT bid fair to rival in efficiency and build those
OF any Of our Eastern roads. They all of brick
and arc all so laid out to enable tho company to
extend thom indefinitely. Tho company are now
win increase Il to to- one hundred. They have now
only three hundred cars, but in less than year
will havo uso for two thousand. BY March next
at Omaha one car day, and probably soon double
and oven treble that number.
THE DIVISIONS.
Tho road will be divided into working divisions
Of about one hundred and fifty miles r,o, and al
tho Pacific without any change oP their freight,
the engines will only run oyor onc division. From
over thirty feet to tho mile, aIt the trains made up
there for the wost 60 through just the same. On
their return tho all down grade will enable them
o o e unhy ho %orns Gh lRG op
terminates at Grand Island one hundred and
sixty-fivo miles from Omaha. Here the company
have nearly completed q brick round-house for
their engines, and shop for repairs. Tho next
relay or end Of division will be near Cottonwood,
whore similar brick buildings will be erected. Tho
Of the finest brick-clay all along tho road, upon
the bluffs or terraces at the edge Of the prairie
bottomy.
Tho loam and sand make an excellent bank for
tho treck and tho surface, forming kind of paste,
does not easily turn into dust, and soon covers
over with grass; thus, in great measure, keeping
down the dust which is such q terrible plague to
all travellers. It is the ntontion of the company
to ballast the entire length of the road with finely
brokon stone, similar to tho Pennsylvania Central
Railroad. On their reaching tho Rocky Noun
tans they will send roturn loads Of stone all
thcir construction trains.
AN An LINE.
No road ever yet built runs on so straight a line
as this. East of Columbus there is an air line of
eighty miles, without the slightest detection; while
in the last two hundred and fifty miles Of track
there is probably not twenty curves in the entire
distance, not an embarkment over twelve feet
high, and not cut ovor that dopth, with only n
bridge in half days rido. This road has every
advantage that will enable it to make the tastes,
time Of any railroad in the world.
HIGH SPEED.
On its return the late excursion train was com
posed Of nine cars, and, to show tho guests what
could be done, it ran at the rate Of mile minute
or sixty miles per hour, for some time. Five hun
dred and fifty miles from Omaha to the mountains
can be run in fourteen hours with perfect safety
and allow for passengers to stop and get meal.
and water. From New York to Chicago, by by way aye O
Pittsburg, is eli niles-time so hours; from Obi
more, and time "a hours; making 1858 miles in ii
hours, or three days from New York to Denver
| City. One week to 60 from Wall street, spend
dny in Colorado gold mine, and return to the
Brokers Board.
PROSECUTION OF THE WORK.
But turning back to the end Of tho track reach.
ing away out over the Plains, we find grading par
! tics at work for distance Of hundred miles be-
ready for the ties, except Some small gaps, that
will be filled up in ample time, There is bridge
to be built over the north fork Of the Platte bu,
that is already partly done, and will cause no de-
| The track has been laid this summer at the av
erage rate OF one mile and six-tenths per day fol
|
allowance for rainy days want of material. Three
hundred miles Of rails, chairs, &C., have been TAX
en- up the Missouri River this summer and landed
at Omaha. More is on the way, but tho freezing
up Of the springs that supply the Missouri Rivoi
at its head will leave SO little water in the ohanne
as to stop navigation in ten days MORE Before the
work is stopped this month they expect to have
| three hundred and twenty-five miles in running
order. By January 1st the Chicago and North
western will have completed their road to Council
Bluffs, when all the future materinl of the Union
Pacific will pass through Chicago on the way to
| Omaha.
The item of freights up the narrow and tortuous
| channel OF the Missouri has boon an enormous
one. TO get engines and cars up from st. Joseph
(from whic point nearly all thefrcight was taken,
| q boati.l constructed on purpose and &c
| builtl'i' " three feet Of water. 1t cos
| totranS))' rom the shops in the East
whore they wjH t, from $1700 to $4,000 each
and cars from $3.50 t O $1,000 each. It is eviden,
that all rail communication next summer will re-
duce the item Of freights from thirty to forty pei
| cent. While no road has over been 80 cheaply
graded, none have ever been built under so many
| disadvantages and expenses, and the whole worle
may we'll look on with wonder at the almost magic
build Of two hundred and eighty-sx miles, now IL
running order. Tho wonder is increased as yol
look upon the map and see it built afar off from
any other railroad, and only the Missouri River II
furnish channel for supplies
| THE SURVEYS.
For tho Inst six months the railroad company
has had four corps of engineers feeling around TO
@ pass through the Rocky Mountains. No rout,
has yet boon adopted. Colonel 8. Seymour, con
sulting engineer Of tho comp'ny, and Genera
I binPa hoy