Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-07-03
Che Railruau QUESTION.
now THE PACIFIC RAILROAD is
BUILT,

The wonderful rapidity and energy with which
the railroad is stretching its iron trail across the
Plains and into the Rocky Mountains are thus
graphically described bya correspondent of the
Cincinnati Gazette:-
There is really little known by the people Of the
character Of the enterprise. Most think that A
company of capitalists are hastily putting down a
rude track, over which cars can be moved with
care, for the purpose Of securing lands and money
from the government. The fact is. that one Of
the most complete roads Of which the country can
boast, with equipments that surpass many, is be-
ing laid with speed that fails to impress the ma
ton, simply because it is not believed But let
the facts tell their plain yet wonderful story.
Gen }. S. and y. G. Easement of Ohio. grade
the road, lay the track and put up the telegraph.
The graders 90 first. There are two thousand of
them. Their advance is near the Beach Hills
They protect themselves and are digging the great
fertilization which makes the future sure for us on
through Indian batte-ield5, while the daily fight
goes on.
OF Ue-gettcrs and wood-choppcrs there are one
thousapd Eve hundred. Their axes are resound-
ing i the Black Hills over Laramie Plains, and
in the passes Of the Rocky Mountains. They
have one hundred thousand ties in these hills
awaiting safeguards for trains to haul them.
A mile in advance OF the track-layers are the
squads which place the ties. There are three Of
these. First, however, the engineers set their
leyeng stakes at distances Of one hundred feet on
the straight lines and fifty feet on curves. At each
of these point. sawed ties placed and levelled
by them Then come two men with a measuring
rod, marking of spaces equal to the length of a
rail, aud also the half Of this space These sawed
ties are laid by the second squad to give firm sup
port TO the ends and mi Idle Of each rail These
are placed by sighting along the guide-ties already
laid. The third squad then place the intermediate
lies and the bed is then ready for the iron.
Now 20 back twenty miles on the road aud look
l,a I.l,v
and rails and all things needed for the work. 1t
is ike the grand reserve OF an army. Six miles
back are other trains Of like character These are
the second line Next, near the terminus, and
following it hour by hour are the boarding cars,
aud construction train, which answer TO the ac-
tual batle-line. The one is the camp the other
is the ammunition used in the fight.
The boarding cars are each eighty feet long.
Some are fitted with berths two are dining halls;
one is a kitchen, store-roon and office. Under
The whole those men who prefer fresh air have
swung hammocks. Rifles are hung overhead,
plentiful in number loaded, and convenient
The party protects itself without attention from
the government. The track-laying gang number
400 On the $50 miles already built there are
1000 track repairers constantly improving the road
bed.
The boarding cars 90 in advance They are
pushed to the extremity of the track; a construc-
ton train then runs up, unloads its material and
starts back to bring another from the second line.
The boarding train is then run back till 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
tow line, as boats are moved on canals. 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 started off on
a full gallop for the track-layers. On each side OF
these trucks 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 enipted has been turned on its side to
allow the loaded one to go 10 the front. The two
horses released are started back on keen gallop
for another supply The third one moves up in
like manner and thus through all the day they are
rushing forward with their iron load. To see them,
and reflect Whit their rush and roaring means. Is
as exciting N il TO watch a battery thun-
dering into position ut needed moment, at the
vital point in its line.
The rails within reach, parties Of five men stand
on either side. One in the rear throws rail up
on the rollers, three in advance seize it, and run
out with IT to the proper distance. The chairs
have, meantime, been set under the last rails
placed. The two men in the rear with single
swing, force the end OF the rail into the chair, and
the chief OF the squad calls out down" in tone
that equals the d" forward to army. Every
thirty seconds there came that brave down."
e" down. on either side of the track. They were
the pendulum beats of mighty era; they marked
the time Of the march and its regulation step
One of the rear men drove the cars, in addition
to handling the rail. The horses started each
rail fell into its place. the truck rolled 20 the
end of it; n second rail projected into the
wilderness, with the same precision and haste;
then came the magic down. the car moved on
again, and another length was accomplished.
Two spikers followed each rail, one party lit
tie in advance OF the other One rail was fastened
at TIE end and at the middle. The second party
then drew the opposite rail to the exact gauge,
and fastened it 10 the middle and the end. Then
came other squads of spikers, moving along with
the precision OF military drill, each having par
ticular spike to drive, aud no one interfering with
another. Track liners followed these and with
their crowbars rectied the line The filters came
last. One party OF these filed and packed the
spaces at the ends and middle Of the rails; the
the Job was left till the squads of track repairers
should come up and finish the ballasting. But as
the filters leave it, full trains can it with
safety at twenty miles AN hour.
These are the dry details Let the reader pic
ture the scene. The rush of the loaded truck
the successive dropping Of the rails in place the
rattle Of the spikers hammer, sounding like hot
ly contested skirmisb the roar OF the distant sup
ply trains moving up; the resounding OF the fre-
auent signals near at hand the universal hustle
- the rumble, aud grumble, aud roar of the won
dcrful advance. Let the elements of savage war
fare and the actual presence OF hostile Sioux along
the bluffs, be into the picture, and together
il forms one that the world has not before,
and which the stories of magic scarcely equal.
D