The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-05-28
Defective Construction of the Union
rsotas Railway.

r"oias Hallway.
A correspondent Of the San Francisco
Bulletin writes from Ogden City under the
date of May 0:
"After travelling over part Of the road
between this point and Echo four times,
and the rest twice, In positlon TO sec every
rail and tie, can say Of the earthwork
that, II II IL not the worst piece Of road In
the world used for passenger traffic, Ii is by
far the " orst l ever saw. Tho passengers
who know most about railroading and take
the most notice, are the most timid. Tho
earthbanks In maoy places are not 90 wide
as the ties. Instead ofbeing IA feet, where
| the road has been cut out Of the side Of the
hills, the loose ground seems to have sub
| sided; and even where the line Is straight
the cars frequently bend toward the river.
There Is not sufficient width Of embank-
mcnt to cover the tie ends In places where
you have roaring torrent 80 to 20 feet below
you. In many places-indeed, might al
most say as q rule the banks have not base
enough TO give solidity. A second view Of
the road along the clay and sand banks
above the Weber-between the mouth of the
canon and Ogden-connrms me In the
opinion expressed yesterday. In that part
there Is, In addition TO the danger Of the
road bed with the train sliding into the river,
that Of the banks above on the land side
coming down on tho rails even In dry
weather. The company keep two watch
men on the ground.
"Add 10 nll this that the material was
thrown together In frosty weather, and has
since settled SO that the rails arc neither
straight nor level, and 1t can readily DO &C.
counted for that, though the Company has
a wrecking train on the road, 30 wrecks
have been counted this week between Wa
satch and Ogden. The building ofthis road Is
extraordinary In some thir Is. In It's cut
sandst one culyerts and bridge piles, and Its
neatly painted water tanks, II Is superior to
the Central Pacific. Its trestle work and
bridges where they have been finished, APP
pear sound and substantial; but from Wa
satch to Odgen there is work for the TO- 900
men for months TO rcmake the road bed and
straighten the metal. The company cm-
ployccs appear TO take every precautlon to
avoid accident, and run very slowly with a
sharp lookout when they have passengers.
By this means, since the Green River bridge
accident, no passenger has been hurs 10 my
| knowledge, and no broken passenger cara
arc seen on the roadside. The directors
rclterate their intention ofmaldug first class
road of it, but compared with the work
needed to be done, except OH the bridges,
there are few men to be seen. DR.. Duraut
says they want the first frost all out OF the
ground before they can level up the road.
"The secret of all this bad work appears
to be want OF money. A contractors agent
told me that many Of the contractors dared
not to be seen around among the men; also
that many contractors' forcmen had been
shot, and some hung by the men. In the
Echo Canon camps, life was held as cheap az
in Promontory Valley, and men were shot or
the most trivial proyocation. A contractor
Informed me this morning that the company
owed him $3.50, 900, and that there would be
demonstration by the unpaid men at the
last rail celebration, He estimated the tota
liabilities of the Union Pacific Railroad L
the contractor RS at eight or ten millions"