Smyrna times., 1867-07-24
How the Pacific Railroad is Built.

The wonderful rapidity and energy with which
this railroad is stretching its iron trail across
the plains and into the Rocky Mountains are
thus graphically described by correspondent
OF the CHcHndti Gazette:
There is really little known by the people Of
the character OF the enterprise. Many think
that a company of capitalists are hastily put
ting down rude track, over which ears can
be moved with care, for the purpse of securing
lands and money from the government. The
fact l., that one of the mos. complete roads of
which the country can boast, with equipments
that surpass many, Is now being laid with
speed that fails to impress the nation, simply
because it is not believed. But let the facts
! tell their plain yet wonderful story.
General j. 5. and ID. G. Easement, Of Ohio,
grade the road, lay the track, and pat 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 fOrtifcatiOn which
makes the future sure for US, on through In
dian battleticds, while the daily fight goes on.
Ot tie-getters and wOod-chOppers there are
one thousand FIVE hundred. Their axes are
resOunding in the Black Hi 8, over Laramie
Plains, and i'll the passes of the Rocky Noun
tains. 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 evelling stakes at distances of one
hundred feet on the straight lines and fifty
feet on curves At each of these points sawed
, ties are placed and levclled by them. Then
come two men with a measuring rOd marking
oil spaces equal to the length Of a rail- and
also the halt of this space These sawed tie.
t are laid by the second squad, to give firm sup
G port to the ends and middle of each rail. These
are placed by sighting along the guide-tie
/ already laid. The third squad then plac,
[ the intermediate ties, and the bed is thel
e ready for the iron.
: Now 90 back twenty miles on the road an,
] look at the immense construction trains, lOade,
n with ties and rails, and all things needed fo
+ the work. 1t is like the grand reserve Of al
/. army. Six miles back are other trains of lik
:. character. These are the second line. Next
). near the terminus, and following it, hour b
: hour, are the boarding cars, and constructio
!, train, which answer to the actual battle line
O The one is the camp; the other is the ammu
l. milton used in the fight.
e The boarding ears are each eighty feet Ions
Some are fitted with berths; two are dining
T. halls; one is a kitchen, store-room and ohlc
k Under the whelc those men who prefer fires
le air have swung hammocks. Rifles are han
Id overhead, plentiful IN number, loaded and co
le venient. The party protects itself witho
It. attention from the government. The trac
er lying gang numbers four hundred. On ii
ct three hundred. and fifty miles already bu
ne there are one thousand track repairers co
ir- stantly improving the road-bed.
mt The boarding cars 60 in advance. They a
m pushed to the extremity of the track; a CO
m struction train then runs up, unloadS its IN
RS, teral and starts back to bring another frC
MS the second line. The boarding train is tn
sts run back till it has cleared the unload
TO- material.
,Te Three trucks, each drawn by two horses,
od between the track and their supplies. L
err horses run outside the track, pulling will
in long tow line, as boats are moved on cana
a They must be out of the way of the workm
At One of these tracks takes on load of IA
md about forty, with the proper proportion
ice spikes and chairs, making q load, when
vas horses are started off on full gallop for
vaS track layers On each side of these trucks
"@o 'on rollers to facilitate running off the iron.
t0p reaching the end of the last rail the true
,ro1 . stopped. A single horse is attached to M
~ ~ Il over each successive rail. Meantime,
"e Ing truck last emptied has been turned on its s
"o- To allow the loaded one to go to the front.
n" bv two horses released are started back on a