The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-04-28

broken into fragments, and solid, sub
stantial, well-built road laid over the tops
Of the mountains. sets one to thinking that
this must be the work of Titans. But,
then, these Californians have become Ii
tans. The people of the East have heard
comparatively little Of what they are
doing. There was tin hen the en-
terprise looked as if it night stop, not
withstanding the Government appropria-
tons, but those wonderfully keen-eyed
bankers Of Frankfort on the Main looked
into the matter. They sent over to their
San Francisco correspondents to know
about this Central Pacific Railaoad, and
having ascertained what it was doing, its
prospects, its support from Government,
took up its bonds as fast as issued, and
from that moment the Company has had
no lack Of funds.
MATERIAL
But all its construction material-iron,
engines, spikes, implements, screws, nuts,
bolts, shoVels, spades, crowbars, chains,
car-wheels, glass. the thousand articles to
be found in railway shops-had to come
from the East, by Panama or Cape Horn.
Ships failed to arrive on time. Articles
ordered months in advance were not on
hand when wanted. The track-layers
were out Of spikes, the car-builderS in
want of bolts. Engines were not forth
coming at the time appointed. Carpenters,
masOns, bridge-builders were rot to be
had. There was deficiency Of rolling
stock. The Company could not transport
its own material The traders of all Up
per California, and Nevada and Idaho,
were clamorous to have their goods trans
ported before the winter set in. The
steamboats, from San Francisco to Sacra-
mento were loaded to the waters edge
with goods; the warehouses in Sacramento
were filed with boxes, bales and barrels,
with machinery and furniture, which the
railroad could not take away for the want
of cars and engines. There was an army
away out in the desert of Utah to be fed
an army of from $4,000 to 10000 men,
with thousands of oxen and horses. Every
pound Of grain. -four, meat, hay-every-
thing consumed had to be sent up from
Sacramento.
To do this, to keep the army in rations,
to forward ties, timber iron-requires an
energy like that exhibited during the war
by the Quartermasters of Grants armies.
Notwithstanding all this, the work has
not tagged an Instant.
SNOW SHEDS.
Last winter, the road was operated to
the town of Cisco, within 10 miles of the
Summit, where the snow falls to the depth
Of fifteen or twenty feet, and the Company
mad fOretaste of what was to come. In
some places, avalanches descend, as in
Switzerland. from the tops of the mount
aims down into the ravines. To make the |
Dad secure, abont "a miles of sheds have
been built. Fortunately, the mountains
ire covered with dense forests, giving ex- |
laustless supplies of timber. The sheds |
ire constructed of logs. and are of sufficien: |
strength to resist any pressure likely to |
est upon them. 1t is not one continuous
inc of sheds "a miles long, but they are
ERECTED over cuts and in places where the
blow can not throw the snow from the
Judge Croker, who accom-
)anied me on the train. assured me that
With the experience of last year before
hem, they anticipated no difficulty in
,eeping the road open during the winter
The belt of deep snow is not more than
% miles wide, and much of the way the
Dad is cut into the hillsides, so that there
will be no difficulty in keeping the track
lear with the pillow. There may be, occa-
ionally, a blockade on these mountain
ivides, but the energy and enterprise
which has built the road surely will be
ompetent to keep it open.
Years ago, we had some acquaintance
18th civil engineering, and have, therefore,
ONE knowledge as to how a railroad
hould be constructed, and can say with
that the Central Pacific Com
any, have constructed line which will
ear favorable comparison with Eastern
iilroads. The rails weigh Sc pounds per
ard, and are laid upon cedar ties. The
lasOnry is solid and substantial We had
0 opportunity to examine the construc-
on critically, but so far as we were able
} see, there was no evidence of faulty
obstruction. If there be any, it will be
ade known by the Government Com
ission, now examining the road
ALONG THE LINE.
The scenery along the line, is very differ
ut from what we had expected to see.
he dome-lIke formations Of the Sierras
rther south, in the vicinity of the 70
emite, are wanting here. Leaving the
alley Of the Sacramento, we have, first,
unded hills of red earth, with a growth
oaks and small pines. A few miles
rther, and the tale formation, with veins
white quartz, appears. This is the
eat quartz gold region.
The gulches of this section have yielded
illions of gold. They have been SHOW
ed over and over again by Americans,
ID now. as we glide along. we see China
en- patiently at work with shovel and
cker, washing out the remaining grains
precious ore. And now we come to