New-York tribune., 1869-01-02

covered,
North Platte bridge 900 feet long, is formed with tenn
TSE Es snt ana sp fec flee eaSs Ssns saTqf
above low water with pne cans and a plle brace at
each end Of the bent boted to it a top Highest rse or
subject floods nor ia there any drft.wOod. In the
spfng OF 1867 The lee did however take out two bcnts
important ar TINS and, having served the temporary pur
pose 9rsshed the carrying forward OF mAteills-lI
should be replaced by permanent bridge, OF longer
spans resting stone abument before the road fuy
ueceptu Dl the government Ils more necessary iut
the reason that In high water this river neither be
Lodge Pole Creek IA crossed three times and in each
case Pile trcstle bridge In spans Of 16 feet. Crow
Ctek or Cheyenne IS snauucd by Howe truss bridge
OF Oi feet, resting at each end on timber bents,
LelR replaced by ablteus ~ granite. Dale Creek. on
western upo Of Black Ilill Range running in granite
gorge i2l re deep and near coo cet wide AT grade lne
creased by ri timber tfcste bridge Of 40 feet spals
WIN double bents resting piers OF granite masoy,
by low truss frame. resting these hents. The struc
tare IN part mountain pine, but chiefly OF the better
TO nte II cost, as told by the President OF tine
SsonP3ny' W f.Vooo Nnen IT shall decay pe[mahenes
rock. or by an iron bridge, resting piers. Big
by pile trcsie bridees is feet spans Rock Greek is
crossed by Howe truss bridge, abutments blt
Medicine Bow River. crossed by pile trese bridge, ss
nj Big aud Little Laramie. These are mountainous
be unsafe In each case am informed that Howe truss
bridges with two spans 100 feet eac are lnder contract
NOrth fOk of Platte second crossing), also Green
River further west. are temporarily crossed by uestle
mountains, having great all and rapid current when
high. such structures would be manfesty unsafe on
II To be presumed that the Company VIII build in
each case substantial bridge on stone hbutments, be-
fore TIE floods Of next Spring Such their purpose In
descending Marys Creck Valley, leading from Rhtle.
Summit TO North Platte InoCed this stream had
been crossed four five times without any culvert or
opening relying upon the passage OF the hoods through
utesticCs In the loose gOck cm0ankment This may an
sw'r i"r one or two years rt nnluestionaby cuVers
must he built here. III other places found tendency
to embank temporarily across small drains, without
taking time now TO build openings nave reasOl 10 De
lie that this practice resulting from the hurry, mas
been abandoned should add, In justice to the con,
sucllug englneers, that tne has scarcely Deen aoWed
tO acquire that knowledge ~ the wateTeOurses essential
far less falling water here than in the States east OF the
Missouri yet here ut times, there are HOODS when
must he fully provided for or the road interrupted
EQUPMEYT.
Rolling St0ck-A statement Of the General Supern.
tendent handed me giving the number and deecrp-
pany the Of August, among which are Ill loco
motives The locomotives IN weight range r9u 70 10 %
tuns, the latter class used on the mountain grade; Iley
have been furnished by builders Of good reputation, ana
are no doubt equal to he machinery on our best tous
They are chiefly used ut this tune ia transporting iron
ana material Tor the eonstrucon, which service as he
rolling stock On tho completion OF this constant aud
wearing construction service many Of these locomotives
tsrit item Of expense. The Company has also about
Loo cars The larger portion Of these are platform or
fiat used in the transportation OF iron and ties be-
tween Chicago aud end Of the track They VIII be part
through S business 70 the Paeae large additions to the
passenger car stock, with more passenger lScomoyes
viii be immediately required. as this aud light and val
uablc freight viii form large business
Repair Shops-On the first 10 miles the principal shops
AT Omaha, North Platte Cheyenne, near eastern base
Of Black HIS, aud Laramie western base each
having engnehouso wiial20 stalls nnlshcdi Que at
RAWLINGS Sprugs I'm OF erection, with IN stalls At
each point there are the usual maclneshOps aud
other buildings. At the two mountain stations the build
iugs stone. and the others of brick with stone
foundations all having hreproOf roofs. mostly OF tln
Up To this ume eDGlnehouses and lnachlnt~sh0ps are
bt only meet tho present wants Of the road but are
planned enlarged The plans appear judciOus
ana the construction substantial The machlne-shos
especially, at North Platte, Cheyenne ana Laramie are
large aud cOmIuUdOus.
Station Buidincs-on the FIRST 10 miles there are 81
stations provided with water tanks aud station buildings
The ayelH distance apart about IA niles side tracks.
Win nm occasional INTERMEDIATES siding OF 800 feet,
amounting in all 10 nearly per cent ot the engh OF te
or the station buildings about three fouths of the
smaller class 25 feet by 40 feet and onefourth fifty per
cent larger In few froiRhthouses are built,
datious nt the proper stations to take fuel All these
building are wood and, except tho coal hGnses are
painted wl,h metallic paint and rooted WIN shingles Al
North FORK Cheyenne and Laramie, suitable hotels have
erected In progress or erection, and the sta
ton buildings Seueraiy when proper hotes arc erected
miles Through uruhabi;ed portion OF the continent, Is
enterprise attracting general attention. IL would not
have been planned Ol accomplished ny any other thah
vigorous and advancing people The rapid progress made
by the Company under such clrcumstanees their vast
grading force living IN tents and hauling supplies loO TO
yrlous while n receives ho cornmendaion OF all II Is
accordance with the genius or people. The temper
OF times Is uniavorable TO slow movements. On Inc
concern lcst rapid progress should impair ITS substan
tai character IL mas therefore been the object
undersigned 20 lay before the DEPARTMENT description,
very much in detail. In Which the work Is being con-
sirueted IN every particular
feature nnfIyoTble TO the Permanence and safety
OF the almost entire want Of stonenasonry in
bridges aud culyers II s true that many OF the now
railroads IN the Western States have limited means, are,
first construction carried over small streams
with wooden trestes, relying upon the contingency of
future means from income or other sources to complete
road But In respect to THIS national wolk 80 Literally
aided by ~ Is bnt easo9abe b eSpeih ia
masonry IN bridges and euyerts shonld form
practical difficulty In few instances "a stone OF
durable character found within hauling distance OF the
this masonry tho Wabash Range must be brought
by rail The company therefore, seem to be shut mp 10
the necessity oirst placing their Howe Truss Bridges on
temporary wooden trestes or the still less permanent
plan OF trcstle bridges entire.
haste the wooden trestle with spans OF
feet has been almost everywhere adopted even acroSs
large yes n most cares r e a Gs ihe vde nS
The pieces OF the better pine brought from C1l
cagO The Of stone In some cases ana OF Tune IN
Others has induced also the crossing OF most OF the
smaller streams and land drains, ana someumrs Ialys
on temporary rcstcs Instead Of masonry cuyertS and
drains, with earth roadway. The same general pln 0i
crossing the drainage OF the country, large anu small
will be followed understand to Salt Lake valley III
the Wcthcr Valley however where good building stOle
isabuudant trust that stone drains ana masonry OF
bridge abutments may be built In advance OF ne track
This necessity IN most cases under tho rapid progress
have freely admitted to the members OF me Board ana
the constructing engineers who accompanied u.s. insist
ng at the Same time, that masonry force With con:
sircton trains To bring stone fom distant qnGIrcs OF
durable character. should follow tho trackIAying
party az tho grading force precedes H.
The President Of tho Company renewed 20 mo n,
on the line the assurance before gl'th py
members of the board In Now-York, that this DuS0nry
with earth embankments should be substitutes u soon ~
practicable On railroad important as this, td-Hlss
ir 500 miles through region likely 10 remain ".huut
settlements ON ITS lne every occasion OF lnterfup 20
s ira ns not Inherent the railroad system shOud 20
ayoded In tins extremely AIRY region with hIg Wlids
such an extent Of timber rcse bridging exposes 10 Ah
ara more than the states further east on account OF
more frequent On the first division OF 100 miles cast
Of the Black Hl Range all the cnlyerts. DRAINS ana
bridge abuiments 10 tho number OF ICY were lh Juno
last placed contract and the stone worAs com
from salt Lake over this division