The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-11-19


the costs of widening them.
TUNNELS.
There are fifteen tunnels on the roat
through solid rock and conglomerate o
soft granite. A part of these are archet
with heavy woodwork, which will last TO
many years. Those not through solid rocl
and not arched have stood without givins
trouble for two or three years and show NJ
signs of failure, we therefore make no es
innate for arching any Of them.
BRIDGES, TREsTLEs AND cULvERTs.
The bridges are usually Howes' truss O
good material and workmanship sew
eral of them are, however, lighter, especial
ly in their suspension rods than is advisa
BILE, and in some cases so light that tn,
heaviest load that can be put on them,
train Of locomotives coupled together
should not be run over them at high speed
An estimate has been made for strengthen
ing such as are deemed too weak to carr,
the maximum load with safety. They are
the bridges over the north fork of the Hum
boldt, over Bonner creek, and the two
long spans of that at the American river
The piers of the American river bridge arr
of wood, and an estimate is made for re
placing them with stone.
The high trestles west of and in the 81
ezra Nevada are generally of good char
acter; but at least two of them should ulti
mately be filled up or replaced by perman
ent structures, as also the trestles and tenn
porary waterways east of the Sierra Neva
ola. An estimate is made for this. Tht
immediate replacement of these trestles
however, not be required, as they will b.
safe for four or five years, and in the mean
time the necessary experience will be gain
ed as to position and dimensions of tn,
waterways required. The masonry, espe
cially on the mountain division, is wei
constructed and of good materials.
SNOW SHEDS.
At the summit of the Sierra Nevada The
snow sometimes falls to depth of about
fifteen feet, making it a problem of great
difficulty to secure the running of trains
during the winter, but one, it is believed
which has been boldly and successfully
met. Through the region of heavy snow
fall, except on some high entertainments
the track has been covered by strongly
built sheds, boarded in at the sides, thu.
thoroughly protecting it from snow
There are in these mountains frequent snow
slides, or snow avalanches, and in many
places the road crosses their track. When.
ever this occurs in excavation, heavy roo
is built over the road and extended up the
side OF the mountain to which it,
upper edge is fitted, and the whole Sc
curely fastened to the rock, its slope being
such that the avalanche will pass readily
over 1t. These roofs in some cases extend
up the slope of mountain from one to two
hundred feet, and are very strongly built
to carry the great weight that may be sud
denly thrown upon them. In distance Of
forty miles there is an aggregate length
of thirty-two miles of snow sheds and gal
furnished by the company, $1,7s1 ,oOO.-
The iron in the track varies from SO to sc lbs
per lineal yard, and is thoroughly spiked
on good sized cross trees, numbering from
1890 to 2,640 per mile. About one hun
dred and fifty miles of the road is laid will
chairs and the remainder with fresh joints
The whole is in good surface and line, anC
as well adapted to high rates of speed al
average first class railroads in the United
States.
WITH AN ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF COM
PLETIoN.
The location of the accepted line is high
ly creditable to the engineers of the com
pany. There are fewer errors than might
reasonably have been expected, consider
ing the length of the road and the Difficult
ties encountered, and none which, in GU
opinion, the government should require cor
rected. There are deviations from the &C
cepted line at the Promontory Mountains
and at Umtah, which should lie corrected
and at Omaha the bridge line should b.
built to avoid the present heavy gaade.-
The adoption of this line removes the ne
cessity of reducing the grades on the pres
ent location, as heretofore required. Al
estimate of the cost of these changes i
made.
ROAD BED.
The road bed is, large part of the way
of proper width, both in cuts and embank
ments, though there are some places wher
greater width is needed on the embank
ments, for which an estimate is made.
TUNNELS.
There are four short tunnels, tire
through solid rock not arched and on
arched with timbers. The Commission
have not deemed it necessary to provide 70
arching with masonry.
BRIDGES, TREsTLEs AND cULvERTs.
Several of the high trestles between Blu
Creek Station and Promontory ought to b
filled up at once. They were evidently in
tended as temporary expedients to gal
time in opening the road. Below Echo, O.
the 971st mile, two high trestles and tn
two of the same character near Piedmon
on the 934th and 935th miles, should be file
within the coming year. The high trestle a
Dale creek is good structure and no est
F, mate has been made for filling this, it bein
first class work of the kind. The bridge
are generally well built and of good mate
rial. There are, however, several of 10
and 100 feet span on Bitter creek, where
water way of forty feet would have bee
ample. The masonry of these is of an in
ferior character. The company are nov
engaged in changing the course of tn
stream so as to render eight or ten of then
unnecessary, and will fill the crossings wit
entertainments. An estimate is made 70
completing those which are to remain