The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-08-22


made by the construction partieswho
are laying down the track Of the
Union Pacific Railway. Tho best
explanation OF the actual PROCESS of
conssruetion is furnished by a cores
pondent of the Cincinnati GozeUe.
He says:
One of the most complete roads Of
which the country can boast, with
equipments that surpass many, is
being laid with o speed that fails to
impress the nation. simply because
it is not believed. But let the facts
tell their plain yet wonderful story.
Gems. j. s.. and D. @. Easement,
of Ohio. grade the road, lay the
track, and put up the telegraph.
The graders go first. There are
2,000-of them. They protect them
selves and are digging the great for
tification which makes the future
sure for us, on through Indian bat
tle-fields, while the daily fight goes
on. l. t.,.I..l
OF tie-getters and wood-choppers
there are 1,50D. Their axes are re-
sounding in the Black Hills, over
Laramie Plains, and in the passes! Of
the Rocky Mountains u A'mile in a6-
vance of the; track-layers are, the
squads which place the ties. There
are three of these. First, however,
the engineers set their levelling.
stakes at distance Of 100 feet on the
straight lines and so feet on the
curves. At each of these points,
sawed ties are placed and leveled by
them. Then come two men, with
measuring rod, marking off spaces
equal to the length OF rail, and also
the half of this space. These sawed
ties are laid by the second squad, to
give firm support to the end and
middle of each rail. These are placed
by sighting along the guide ties
already laid. The third squad then
places the intermediate ties, aud the
bed is then ready for the iron.
Now go back twenty miles on the
road and look ut the immense con-
struction trains loaded with ties and
rails and all things needed for the
work. 1t is liko the grand reserve of
an army. Six miles back are other
trains of like character. These are
the second line. Next, near the ter
minus, and followingi it hour by hour,
are the boarding cars and construc.
ton train, which answer to the actual
battle-line. The one is the camp;
the other is the ammunition used in
the fight.
The boarding cars are eight feet
long. Some are fitted with berths;
two are dining halls; one is kitchen,
store-room and Office. Under the
whole, those men who prefer fresh
air have swung hammocks. Rifles
are hung overhead, plentiful in num-
| ber, loaded and convenient. The
party protects itself without atten-
ton from the Government. Tho
track-laying gang numbers 400. On
the $50 miles already built, there are
1000 track repairers constantly i'm
proving the road bed.
The boarding cars go in advance.
They are pushed to the extremity of
the track; a construction train then
runs up, unloads its material and
starts back to bring another from the
second line. The boarding train is
then run back until it has cleared the
unloaded material
Three trucks, each drawn by two
horses, ply between the track-layers
and their supplies. The horses run
outside the track, pulling with long
towline. as boats are moved on ca
nails. They must be out of the way
of the workmen. One of these trucks
takes on load of rails, about forty,
with the proper proportion of spikes
and chairs, making a load, when the
horses are started off on a full gallop
for the trnck-layers. On each side of
these trucks are rollers to facilitate
running off the iron. On reaching
the end of the last rail the truck is
stopped. A single horse is attached
to move it over each successive rail.
Meantime, the truck last emptied has
been turned on its side to allow the
loaded one to go to the front. The
two horses released are started back
on keen gallop for another supply.
The third one moves up in like man
ner, and thus through all the day
they are rushing forward with their
iron load. To see them, and reflect
what their rush and roaring means, is
as exciting as it ever was to watch O
battery thunder into position at a
needed moment. at the vital point in
its line.
The rails within reach narties of