The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-05
Tug UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD.


Report OF fhe Special Commissioners-Condi.
ton of the Road as Far as Con'pleted-Es-
tisnated Cost 10 Make the Line First Class
Raiiway-The Work Favornbly Reported.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 4, 1853.
The concluding portion OF the report Of the
special Commissioners appointed by the Presi-
dent OF the United States TO examine the Union
Pacific Railroad, In regard 10 Its location
road bed, cross ties. track laying, ballesting.
rolling stock, repair shops, stallion buildings,
culverts, bridges, viaducts turnouts and oil
other appurtances OF the roads, and what amount
OF expenditure would be required in order that the
road 80 far as built might be rendered in those par
ticulars equal to fully completed first class rail-
road, having been published, the following Is full
and correct synopsis Of their report:-
At the time the Commissioners inspected the road
II had been constructed for distance OF 800 miles,
They report the general location of the road, as
whole and In s several parts, to be the most direct
and the head OF Great salt Lake. distance of Ills
miles, and that the construction OF the road, In re-
gard to the amount character of the ations
and embankments has been remarkably easy. Be-
tween Omaha and Granite Canon, distance OF 535
miles, there was not yard OF rock excavation, and
the natural surface itself over great portion or "
has presented nearly practicable grades From
Granite Canon westward to the end OF the
roads Of the same length and the most
difcult parts are light compared with roads
one tunnel on he whole distance wheh is on
Mary's creek 230 feet In length. Although gener-
ally the line is well adapted to the ground there are
points where the full capabilities OF the country
have not been fully developed, and others where, in
Its details, the location ia radically wrong. In ma
lority of such cases the prevailing idea seems to
Introduction OF greater number and sharper curves
than the circumstances required. In view OF the
rapid prosecution or the work they may have been
admissible. but cannot justify permanent adoption
Of the line'as built.
ments fourteen feet wide on top, with usual slopes
and cuts OF not less than sixteen feet width OF bot
tom, the higher emsankments are not generally
plete, and IN some Instances the width top IL less
than the length OF the ties Instances occur where
the cuts have not been excavated to the depth de-
signed IN consequence or which the grades at those
points are higher than was intended, in some cases
reaching ninety feet per mile, when much easier
grades are shown on the profles. A considerable
portion OF the ties used in the Platte Valley cot
ton wood and they Will have to be replaced by others
Of better timber. The ties probably avera 500 to
the mile. The track laying has been as well done as
the exceedingly rapid construction Of the road
would allow. The only deficiency worthy OF notice
in the track laying is that on the curves the rails
have not been bent 10 conform to them. Upon por-
ons 81 he oad Sx ing apa
accessible points by rail. The track has, without
exception been laid on the bare roadway without
Covering Of ballast As consequence, except
where the establishments happened to have been
nas Without 0 Saas f00d the
having been done by throwing up the necessary
material for that purpose from the sides OF the EN-
banKments themselves. The bridging on the line
consists OF stone culverts girder and truss bridges
and many varieties Of trestle and pile bridges The
the end OF the track Is 944 Of which $50 deemed
permanent. The remaining 1914, with ar aggregate
M Of ct nearly sgt me ares w NJ nave we
placed by Howe truss bridges. erected on perma.
nent stone abutments and piers and go by box
culverts arches stone abutment3, with girderS or
trlSSeS OF short spans.
The rolling stock consists OF III locomotives, 81
passenger cars and l,799 baggage aud other cars,
besides hand cars and those suitable for special pur
poses. The accommodations for the care, main.
tenance and repair or the rolling stock erected and
designed are likewise SUFFICIENT to meet current
demands but the process OF enlargement IN this de.
partment must likewise be continued for some time
sTops aT nah r1 or "a
Cheyenne Laramie and Rawns, with additiona.
locomotive stalls at Grand Island, Sidney, Sherman,
Medicine Bow and Bitter creek. At Omaha there is
also shop for the manufacture and repair OF cars.
The shops already erected are well supplied with
machinery and tools ofrood quality, and the crowded
condition OF these at Omaha sufficiently indicates the
necessity for their enlargement or tho early COM
The sidings OF the road are of ample length, from
1000 to 1900 feet connected at both ends and nearly
every station is supplied with spur siding for its
own special accommodation. The rails are OF good
quality generally twenty eight feet long and OF
American manufacture: They appear to wear well.
in the Black Hills but more VIII be required at this
and other points on the road. They estimate the
road SO far as built may be rendered equa! to 4
fully completed first class railroad, as follows
Changing locations to improve line and d.
mnish curvature, at Blacks Fork, Red
Desert. Rawlings Rock creek, Red Buttes,
Dale creek. Granite canon and Hazard, not
creek, 5000. 900
ing trestleworks tsix and half miles, and
Completing excavations of cuts to grade on 'N''
Blccks Fork, Bitter creek, &c. ........... 10000
Reducing grades between Omaha and Elk
horn TO conform with condition on which
change Of line was approved. ........ e45,Oo
ZOO cross ties, to replace those O! cotton
wood timber. including transportation, re-
moval OF Old ties and placing new In track,
at .................... 52s, 900
track, placing materials, surfacing and re.
adjusting track and curving rails 500 miles 9io 900
Seventy abutments and 20 tier foundations,
including excavations piles, outage and
securing with riprap, at s., $4,000
30,4so yards masonry, In abuiments and
piers, at lS7, 200
or $50 feet, and IL spans OF 100 feet, at
s46.. ..................... CSC, $50
feet length and under, between Omaha and
North Platte with permanent works or
masonry and Orders. at 5000. co,soo
Supplying 25i openings OF trestework, OF 50
feet length and under, between North
Platte and end OF track with permanent
works Of masonry and Orders At 5000. i. 1853
supplying ls4 OPENINGS OF trestlework, aver
lures or masonry and Orders or short
trusses including foundations, si,Soo...:. 27e,ooo
Renewing Dale creek bridge, or replacing
same by embankment anu arched water
way. 100. 900
Probable expenditure for additional water
ways In Marys creek. Bitter creek aud
other points not provided for, and renewing
and enlarging stone culverts.. 100 coo
GO new passenger locomotives for through
travel on opening Of road at $4,000 -. $4,000
Thorough repair OF say one-third Of loconio-
tives used In construction and on hand
when road Is opened say so, at $1,000 each l50 900
A new passenger cars for through travel on
opening OF road, 80 900. ................ 100000
30 baggage. express and mail cars, So s00 I140o0
800 box freight cars 5000, .............. 100000
so additional locomotive STALLS $4,000. 100000
Completing shops at Cheyenne, additional
shops at Bryan and eIlargng shops at
Omaha, with tools for Cheyenne, Rawlins
and Bryan. $50, 900
Additional water stations and probable ad-
ditionai expenditures 10 secure full supply
OF water between Rawlins and Bitter Creek. $4,000
Additional station buildings. 5000
Additional snow 1ences..... ............... $4,000
Additional fencing against stock. .......... $4,000
Total 30 49, $50