The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-05-14
Com pletion of the Pacific Railroad.

As will be seen by dispatches published
elsewhere, on the 9Th inst, was laid down
the last rail on the iron highway that is to
join the Atlantic and Pacific States in more
intimate commercial and social relations
lAhan they have hitherto known.
The Pacific Railroad, which has been
built in two divisions and by two distinct
ompanies, the Union Pacific and the
Central Pac6c-thc latter a California cor
poration-stretches from the Missouri riv-
er to Sacramento City, distance of nearly
1900 miles. 1t crosses two immense nat
ural obstructions--the Rocky and the Sier-
ra Nevada MouDtains-one at an elevation
of S,242 feet. and the other at an eleva-
ton ot ,O42 feet above the level of the
sea- Upon such length of line, 300
miles of which are. through these great
mountain ranges, the obstacles encounter-
ed must have been immense, as for nearly
the entire distance the country was with
out inh abitants, or cultivation. All the
material and force used in the construc ton
of the road had to be transported over the
line as it progressed, and still, with all
these difficulties, this stupendous work has
been executed in about three and halt
years. Of its whole iensz::.hs l,6sO mile.
have been constructed since the first day OF
January, 1866. About 800 miles were
completed in each of the years 1866 and
1867. From the first of January, 1868, to
the lst of May, 1869, period of 3l7
working days, 1850 miles were opened,
being al the rate Of 3.06 miles per day.
more remarkable when we remember that
the work has been completed six years
sooner than the contract of the companies
required. Of course this speed could not
have attained without the sacrifice of GER
tain prerequisites of a good road, and the
truth is the line is very imperfectly con-
structed. Still for this the government is
quite as much to blame as are the compa-
nies. As soon as the several sections were
completed they were submitted to the gov
ernment survey, and unless the commis>
>ioners, who made those surveys, had pros
nounced the work we'll dune, the nation S
credit would never have been loaned to
the companies, and the work could not
have been completed. Still it is to be said
in favor of the road, that, mperfec,ly
built as it has been, it is, perhaps in better
condition tc day than were the majority of
the railways in this country of hastily COLI
structed lines, when they left the hands OF
the contractor. The Pacific road, for al>
most Its entire length traverses raiLlcss
region, the soil of which, disintegrated
sandstone, makes perfect road-bed: and
the road is, consequently, already bal!asted
when the rail is laid. I here are but few
bridges on the line, and taking its whole
length, it is a remarkably favorable one
although very heavy WORK had to be en-
countered in crossing the Rocky and Sierra
Nevada ranges, and in descending the
Wassatch Mountains into the Salt Lake
Valley Thus, it will be seen, that al
though the road cannot be said to be cont
pleted, TIE work tha. remains can be pros
ecuted while the service is being performed
and interest being earned on the heavy
capital already expended. II the compa-
MES are disposed to deal fairly with the
people, aud have their own Interests in
view, they will be willing to accept small
returns from their investments for several
years to come, until the road approaches
that perfection which the commissioner:
should have required at the hands of the
contractors on the s1 s1.; surveys.
As to the ultimate benefit the country
will derive from the completion Of thi:
great work, it would be almost impossible
to exaggerate Take the single fact OF sl
years having been gained on the contrac
time. In six years, judging from the re
cent growth Of the country, seven million:
will be added to the populations; more thar
twenty thousand miles of railway will bt
built; the tonnage of these works, new anG
old, will be doubled, and the wealth OF th'
country will increase in like ratio. TIL,
Pacific railway has always been instrument
al in securing the construction Of greater
mileage than its own length, which wCulG
not have been built without it, and in 81,
years it will influence the construction O
ether lines having twice its mileage. B.
| that time, too, the uninhabited regions
through which the lines runs. will be pop
ulatedby those hardy pioneers..who s.ever i
the vanguard OF Western civilization. A
TO the effect of the new road upon tn
through transportation between the Atlanti
and Pacific coasts, it would be rash at pre-:
ent to predict. We are inclined to the or
inon that, for the present at least, th
great mission of the road will be found
the transportation IF passengers to the va
rious points on the line as well throughou
it's entire length or what is known as loc,
traffic. The carrying of governmer
freight to the military outposts already i:
and will continue TO be, an important Sc