New-York tribune., 1869-05-10
NEW-YORK MONDAY, MAY 10. 1869.


masters Department Of the army in the parts OF tne
road previously in operation, shows vast saving IN
pan. ana the saving for the
next years upon that OF the last twO III 10 pu
at $4oO0OOO annually In seven yeaTss II ToaLu tL
whole amount of Government bonds Issued tor the
construction OF the road. This may De cunhinggy
devised fable as rosewater stores are 700 apt
but il as much of it is truth as was told 10 Ino
Queen of Sheba in relation to the wisdom OF solomon
it is worth the telling. 49,. .r
The surveys and location Of the road were fraught
with much difficulty. We have already seen how
slight change in the direction of the initial section
caused delay of nearly two yearsin the construction
of the road and IL worthy of note that the course
Of the road in the vicinity of the Great Salt Lake was
only recently determined According to the origlna
surveys. tho road was to pass south OF the lake,
whereas PrOmonitory Point, where the Union racine
joins the Central Pacific Is ut what may be called s
northwest corner. In the mountain passes, i hlso
much difficulty was experienced. and many lines
rum but all this was accompIsne' DeloIe the
actual work of construction may be sald 10 nave
commenced. That the route would necessarily go
through BridRer Pass was apparent from the begin
ming. but it desirable to ind more easy passage
over the Black Hills than was afforded by either
the Antelope or Cheyenne passes mr. james
A. Evans, one of the assistant engineers, run
an entirely new line in 1865 from those which haQ
been previously surveyed. This he assumed to be
the shortest line than can be obtained oyer the
Black Hills with grades less than 16 feet per pne
and he ascertained its summit to be g6 feet lower
than Cheyenne Pass, and 375 feet higher than Ante
the saving of IS miles in distance over the latter lt
was finally adopted by the company, and received
the designation of Evans's Pass.
The question of attitudes is one of the most inter
estng connected with the construction OF this great
work. The initial point of the Union Pacific at Oma-
ha is 937 feet above tide water aud Cheyenne at the
base9of the Black Hills, 5l7 miles west OF Omaha
is 6,O62 feet. Tho difference in elevation be.
feet. or an average of about 10 feet to tho
mile. Sherman at the summit Of the Black Hlls
is S262 feet above the level of the sea- the ascent
from Cheyenne westwary being nearly 60 feet to- tho
mile. The westward descent of the Black Hills is in
striking contrast to this Echo Canyon 42S miles ds-
tant from the summit being 63 feet above sea level
The summit Of the SeTas the line Of the Central
Pacific is 7.042 feet above tho sea. When the ques-
ton of the road over these mountains began TO be
seriously moOted il was doubted If railroad could
lie operated at the hight to which it would be neces
sary 10 carry it, The atmosphere, IT was believed;
would be rared TO such an extent that there would
not be sufficient oxygen left to support combustion.
Even IL fuel could be induced to burn after much
persuasion IL declared that water would be con-
verted into steam at 80 low temperature as TO lose
it's expansion force, and upon this theory prediction
predicated that the locomotive would stand still
in its tracks or rush backward down the steep as
cents urged by its own, weight. But, somehow or
other, these scientific theories came TO naught and
the iron horse Of the Black Hills Tushes to meet the
iron horse of the Serras and to-day they meet on the
confines Of the Great Salt Lake, within the terrific
rice Of the SANITY Brigham
CHARACTER OF THE WORK
On the 1st OF January, 1868, $40 miles OF the roah
mountains was then only II miles from the end Of
the track and the Company was ready 10 graphic
with the Black Hills themselves The passage OF the
Rocky Mountains was accomplished much more cas-
ily than was at rst thought possible that on the
lst Of January last l032 miles OF the ROAD were IN
successful operation. The mountain barriers had
been passed. and the locomotive was seen IN the
Valley of the Great Salt Lake In the mountains
there are only four tunnels on the line OF the
Union Pacific, all of which have been finished
ana the whole line though not thoroughly completed
in the way Of ballastlng, permanent bridges; cni-
verts &c. is in working order from Omaha to Sacra-
mento. , -, r.. -,
profusrly praised and heartily condemned. Inc
Company Kept up sort OF Literary bureau during
the progress OF the work, the expense OF which
must of itself have been very Important item
in the cost of construction. Every facility was
afforded 20 journalists and the press 10 examine
the road. and the yearly statements of the Com
pany are rcplete with quotations from the news
papers. To more fully satisfy the Govcrnment a
Special Commission, consisting OF Brevet MUOrGen.
G. X Warren, u. =. A.. Jacob Blinkensderfer, jr.
Civil Engineer Of Ohio, and Gen. James Barnes Clyl
Engineer Of Massachusetts, Was appointed by the
President of the United States. September %, 1863 10
make o thorough Teexamination of so much OF the
Union Pacific Railroad as had then been constructed
then complete in November following, closing as fol-
lows: Deficiencies exist. but they are, almost with.
out exception those incident 10 all new roads. or OF
"A character growing ont of the peculiar dntles en-
countered or inseparably connected with the uneX-
ampled progress of the work matter OF the great
est Importance, and highly creditable to the able
slpplIpd at an outlay but little exceeding that which
would have obviated them IN the first instance hut
at the cost of materially retarding the progress Of
the great work Under the circumstances II is much
more matter of surprise that 40 few mistakes were
made aud few defects exist, than 10 would be had
serious deficiencies been of more frequent occur
renee and the cOantry has reason TO congratulate IT
self that this great work of national Importance Ia
so rapidly approaching completion under such favor
able auspices"
a correspondent of THE TRIBUNE, writing upon this
subject while the road was in course OF construction
said:
"Cana road built with such tremendous speed and
that too. IN district whore every tool every labOrer,
every appliance TO aid In the work, has 20 bs brought
hundreds OF miles from the eastern manuucoty ho we'll
n md exoli'd more HAN zoo milo, of tGIs roag md
believe It thoroughly built and fuiy equipped For 800
a." air Inc There fhc road wa esiIy huilf but here
iudnerently or slovculy. Tho cmbanlmcnts arc nigh
enough 20 secure good drainage, ana Wlde enough 20
mako a solid foundation; 1850 ties nro lnd % the mile
he average eastern roads 5 O1 tho rails are joined
by nslrplutcs, making continuous rIIl; the water
courses are spannCd by substantial Howe truss bridges
or by culyCT5 OF timber which is To Doe at ouco replaced
by solid mason ~ although the timber good FOR at least
ten years wear Tho road bed being ballastrd with
broken stone and d,ntcgacl granite which Is cNcay-
acd in the passage ot the Black s, and which makes
as fine baasug material as there Is IN Inc world Inc
road ~ remarkably smooth. ON tho return trip tho run
from Cheyenne TO Omaha was at an average ratio OF "a
miles aud fraction per hour ana We ran % 's III one
hour. In short, the road shows less sgus OF hcWhesS
than nine out OF ten roads at tho East aud ~ so far
equipped, and welmanagcd railroad"
THE BRANCH AND CONNECTING ROADS.
The bnilding of branch and connecting roads is
work that must follow rapidly upon the completion
of this great work. ArapahOe County, Colorado, by
a yotp of 2iD Tor TO 10 against the Goth OF Janu-
ary 1888 decided TO take 100000 of the stock of q
railroad connecting Denver with the Union Pacific
rOad in the vicinity of Cheyenne distance of 100
miles and that road is now i'm process of constrEc
tion The Idaho Oregon. and Pugcts Sound Rail
road is also i'm cOntomplatiOn which is also TO in
clnde a branch to Montana This branch would
leave the Oregon line in Idaho River Valley, and 200
miles of road would carry 1t into the heart of the