The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-06
THE PACIFIC RAILROADS.
Progress Of the Central Pacific Road-Its Con.
sfficn and the Difficulties Of the COmpanyS
solid and Substantial Road BEING Built
-s.sisp Of the Work.
"AAENTO, Cal, June 10, 1868.

Dee'.-. aAhENTo, Cal, June 10, 1s6s
SAL. ,aso.,,,,,. :. a..
In my letter TO the HERALD -.onru, =, .So
Union Pacific Railroad promised an a VI '
western half OF the trans-contnental roaG' Nv"
being built by the Central Pacific Railroad Comp ~
Of CALIFORNIA;; and In accordance with that promise
now propose in brief form to lay before your
headers the result Of observations made on trip
pyer the Central road
After passing over the Atlantic and Pacific ends OF
she Continental Railroad arrives at the conclu-
non that nature might have said 70 the builders over
che mountains on the Atlantic side ''There are OBJ
ptacles IN your way here but have done all could
without removing them altogether TO smooth the way
for your progress while TO the road builders on this
hide said, "Here great obstacles In your way
and have done all that could to make them i'm
passable.r To compare the mountain obstacles on
che Atlantic side with those In the Sierra Nevada
would be to compare pigmy TO giant On the
Union Pacific Rair9sa there are bun very few heavy
suits or nlls and few tahnels on the Central Pacific
there ls not half o mile OF the road from the
Joothlis OF the mountains 10 point about
one hundred and thirty miles eastward that has not
An expensive cut, Ill or tunnel. When such OBJ
staces were met with the other side they were
always light and seldom occurred In rock; while on
this side they generally Of the most expensive
nature and usually were found in granite material
Pacific road in the Black Hills that is higher or
deeper than thirty feet and there only one or two
Of these dimensions. They are all short. too. On
che Central road there IL one cut which IL i've
hundred feet through and one hundred and fifteen
feet high. One OF the fills is six hundred feet long
eighty five feet high IN the centre and one hundred
and twenty thousand cubic yards OF earth were re-
CURED 10 oil II. In addition 10 the great summit
tunnel which is sixteen hundred and sixty feet
long through solid granite ledge, there tins
road fifteen other tunnels, nearly all through granite
and having, with the long one named, total
length Of over two miles. No railroad In the
world has been built in the face OF greater physical
obstacles than the Central Pacific. One mile OF road
bult the Serras Is equal In the money and time
required to build IT, to ten miles Of road over such
country as even that passed through in the Rock,
Mountains by the Union Pacific Company. Ant
there are permanent advantages in this fact fo
once built the road bed the Central Pacific line
% hard and enduring that II is TO a great extern
built for Gil time, and expenses therefore for repairs
must be always very low. II would have been thu
height of folly TO have attempted build poor road
IN the sierras for everything had not been finished
MP In the most solid and enduring manner thu
FIRST winters rains, SHOWS and storms would have
destroyed the road. The builders here. therefore
were compelled to turn out the very best work. The
say that their choice always has been 10 do this am
IN proof OF these assertions they point to that portion
of the road that runs over the plains IN the Sacra
meDto valley, which Is certainly built IN nrst cas
manner.
with q few exceptions in the latter locality, where
prick culverts are used, all the culvers and small
bridges on this road are built OF the finest granite
and are always made with capacity for the passag
of water double as great as there IL any Likelihood
necessity for Granite was hauled az great expense U
the most Of these culverts. In many places sl'
oxen could not pull great load az one hors
could have trotted with In level country. The tie
are all Of the best tamarack, which IL is cianeo
superior TO the best oak The company always re
fnsed TO take any ties from contractors except thos
that were cut In winters; those cut IN spring, Wnei
used N the best American, fastened IN the neates
manner with twenty tbree-lncb 1sh plates
The altitude Of omaha ie e0s feet OF Evans Pas