The Portland daily press., 1867-05-13

ne Heeu or !" -.r-adiar hetter nA"a,"~nina-
between the East and the Ear West has long
been felt. The remarkable yield of precious
metais the extraordinary agricultural capaci-
Ties, and the prospect OF a rich Asiatic lrado
augment the original demand for IT. 10 send
mails, passengers, SPECIE and treIShts over tor
eign isthmus, or through the Anta-tic seas,
when we might have short, safe, and pleas
ant route OF our own, Is agrlevous disability
LIZ is comforting to know, therefore, that the
two companies which have undertaken to con-
struct continuous line from the Missouri to
the Pacific are moving ahead with commend
able energy. Particularly in this the case with
the Central Pacific railroad OF California, the
western halt OF the main trunk line, which has
steadily pushed forward its rails, until 1t can
now be said 10 have surmounted the greatest
and most of its expected difficulties. For O
time during the WAR; and while the excitement
OF new gold discoveries was transferring cap
Ital TO the adjacent territories, IL seemed as II
the work must stop Tor want of means; but
the peop.e OF California, profoundly impressed
with its necessity and certain profitable ess,
came TO its relief The general government
also advanced tke national credit to az amount
nearly half sufficient 10 build the road; 80 that
at tins moment, although work is one of i'm
mense cost, the Central Pacific Company is
bearing . Light financial burden, and is pre-
pared 10 made great step forward during the
coming summer. Upwards OF ten thousand
laborers are now employed upon the road IL
California, and 1T is hoped the force will be in
Creastu W ultcch tilOubsiuu ere IOuS Dy tQe i'd
dition of serviceable Chinese.
The Californians, at their end of the line,
encountered their hardest and costliest task at
the very outset oil their career. The snow-cap-
ped Sierra Nevadas We're to be crossed ut an
elevation OF 600 feet within a hundred miles
Of the starting point at Sacramento; but it has
been successfully done. Already the locomo-
tive is making u..,"N IA" trips 70 ihe crest OF the
ridge, and all that delays nssa passsRS osst
lnto .ne eie'ated plateau on the ''-s
IS tunnel at the summit, which will h. ..
OUT IN lew weeks OF 1 COS feet. 1O00 bsJ
bv the nse eS U,tr 0n .ne ist Of March last; and
parrler Oh granite was being blown ont at thee
rate oi nity feet per week The traoI 10
been graded, tunnels cut through on the east.
ern slope, and the rails laid on a good portion
OF the distance, so that by midsuSmer a Ionr
stretch OF forty Or fifty miles will be added 20
the ninety-four already i'll operation. This
Will bring the road into very smooth country
and progress over the level plains of Nevada
will be easy.
This feat of crossing our great backbone
range OF mountains is the most considerable
achievement in railroad engineering on this
continent, or, perhaps, i'll the world. Our only
roads with which to compare it are the Balti-
more and Ohio, with a summit elevation of
200 feet, and the Santiago road, in Chile
with 2,640. The maximum grade on the for
mer Is l16 feet per mile, of which there are II
miles, in two stretches; and of the latter 1l9
feet per mile, OF which there are five and q
half miles. The Virginia Central is operated
by the unaided locomotive q distance of two
and third mi es, with rise of 61O feet and a
maximum grade of 296 feet per mile. The
steepest grade of the Central Pacific is ll6 feet,
of which there are but three anu a half miles,
the bulk oI the heavy grading being log, and
the average is below 75 in crossing the entire
l5O miles. The nearest comparison is the rail-
way between France and Italy which crosses
the Alps, over and through Mont Cents at an
altitude of 5000 feet, and which is to be finish
ed In four years. The grades used in the as
cent are as heavy one in twelve; while
some OF the curves are very sharp, having q ra-
dius of go feet only. The least radius of curv-
ature in crossing the Sierras is 573 feet Curves
on the Atlantic lines have been worked as low
us 800 feet.
During the severe winter just passed, though
the snow has fallen in successive storms to an
unusual depth, the Company has kept its
force at work night and day on the summit of
the mountains. The danger from snow OBJ
structions is less than was expected, and no
doubt is entertained thai the trip can be made
with as much ease and regularity, at all sea-
sons, as upon roads in the same latitudes East
For the greater portion of the route, the track
is sheltered by tunnels and causeways. By
midsummer the famous Washoe region-the
richest silver mines in the world-wilib be reach
ed, anu Dy january next about two hundred
and hfty miles of the distance between the nav
igable waters of the Pacific and Salt Lake
City.-N. Y. World