The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1868-08-12
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.

As the great railroad on the american
Continent progresses, the rivalry of the
two Companies engaged in its construc-
ton seems to increase. The prize in view
is, not only the vast business to be divided
according to the respective length of the
road owned by each, but the land and SUBJ
sidy granted by the Government to each
mile of the road finished. Hence, the al
most superhuman energy displayed in
pushing forward the track, and the accom-
plishment of results in space of time so
much less than was anticipated. The
/ Union Pacific from the eastern side, have
already passed the seven hundredth mile
from Omaha, and have surmounted the diff
fculties of the Rocky Mountain Pass, and
left it fifty miles behind. They are push
ing on for Salt Lake at the rate of from
one to three miles per day.
From the western end, the Central Pa
cific have pushed their road across the ST.
ezra. and the easier work of the eastern
slope of the mountain, and the plains of
the Salt Lake Basin, will enable them to
compete, in miles per day, with those at
work at the other end of the road. The
day that the locomotive made Its first
Journey over the Summit. last Spring, was
properly made an occasion of congratula-
ton and rejoicing by the Company-a
large excursion train having been sent to
duly celebrate the event.
The passage of the Sierra was once
deemed almost an impossibility, and her
culean labor, as well as great engineering
skill have been laid out upon its rugged
slopes. While the l84 miles from Sacra-
mento have been in progress. more than
600 miles of the track on the eastern end
have been laid.
The Central Pacific Railroad is now in
running order from Sacramento to Reno, a
distance of l54 miles. The grading and
tracking of the Sierra Nevada, which was
anciently the bugbear, and always the only
great difficulty in the way of building the
Continental Railroad, is now a thing of
the past. The formidable barrier which
formerly required many days of painful
climbing and descending to surmount, can
now be comfortably crossed in few hours.
Reno is about 20 miles from Virginia City.
The Central Pacific have 5000 men at
work, to be now placed upon the easier
grades of the plains. The track is already
laid to the Truckee, 80 miles east of Reno,
and 1877 miles from Sacramento. Grading
is progressing rapidly across the desert
from the Truckee to Humboldt Lake, and
will be pushed forward to Salt Lake as
rapidly as possible. From Big Bend to
Gravelly Ford, 227 miles, the grading is
said to be very light. 1t is not improba-
BILE this space will be spanned by October
or November. Gravelly Ford is All miles
east of Sacramento, and only 234 miles
west of Salt Lake.
The two Companies had designed to
meet at Salt Lake-this being the OBJ
iective point of each-the Central Com
pany hoping to stretch on little beyond
to Weber Canon, 20 miles further-but
the Union Pacific has secured new ally
in the Mormons, who have already con-
tracted to grade 100 miles from their city,
eastward, to Echo Canon. The Presi-
dent of the Central Pacific found, on
his late visit to Salt Lake, that the IL
val Company had already secured the
ground. The Union Pacific have, there
fore, now under contract, and the work in
progress, from the completed end of their
line near Evans Pass to Salt Lake, dis
lance of 52l miles. AS it is almos. a
physical impossibility to lay more than
300 miles of track by hand in country
so rough as that of the Rock Mountain
region, in year, it is probable that the
news of the success of the California
track layers has induced the Union Com
pany to grade more rapidly than they hid
before intended, knowing that they will
soon be able to put down their iron at the
rate of five miles in twenty-four hours.
By the end of this year, there will be a
gap of only 400 miles between the ends of
the two roads, and only eight days be-
tween New York and San Francisco. 1t
is confidently believed now, that by July of
next year, the road will be completed. and
the cars running. Already, the way bust
ness of each road is large, and rapidly in
creasing, so that when the line is COM
pleted, and through traffic commences,
there is little doubt that the road will be
profitable investment.
This great Overland Railroad is watched
not only with interest by the nation whose
special work it is, and for whose advantage
t is being constructed, but its incidental
benefits to US, and to other neighboring
countries, causes Its progress to be re-
garded with interest also. AS to mail
natter and light freights we shall, with
he establishment of steamers, be brought
zithin / I DAYS of New York: while the