The Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1865-1870, 1869-11-09
LOOK AT THE RAILROAD.

track, at Rigby's Mill, American Flat.
The train consisted of four platform cars
laden with ties and iron ; and we made
the trip in about two hours. There IS
. long, straight chute from here to
Empire, then curve down on the
river bank to the "fOot of the grade,
then a series of curves. excavations ana
deep cuts through the rocks thence out
upon the open country past the Mound
House; from which point there IS an
other straight track up 10 the hills
which lie this side of the approach To
the big tunnel. From the latter point on
TO the present end of the track there Is
a succession of curves skirTing the deep
valley which lies to the easr aud south
east Of the tack and intervening BE-
tween it and Silver City nt one end and
Gold Hill at the o, her end of '-Siipprr'
Gulca" The scenery, bleak and bar
rem rs i, is. is very grani-tsr more :"
than one gets sight at while travel
inc over either Of the old wagon roads
THIS railroad, butt as it has been with
in eight months, strikes the observer a
remarkable sample of rapid work mos
faithfully performed and NJ grand ri
amph over imposing natural obstacles
1
is a sig, Il attestatiou of the skill of th-
engineer Thi. becomes apparent when
we look at the figures l. is about four
and Que half miles from Carson street
to ssihe foot of the grade near the
Brunswick Will. FROM that point I"
Rigby's Mill the distance is abou
twelve miles and half. The grade
over that entire twelve miles and
talf is o. an uniform average of one
hundred and sixteen feet IL the mile
That uniformity of grade is TO be COT
tinued from Rigby's Mil into Virgins
City, say four miles and half. This
gives US seventeen miles of road built
upon a grade of one hundred and six
teen feet to the mile or total rise of
nineteen hundred and seven'y-two feet !!
Il seems surprising that the skill OF an
engineer should be equal to the task OF
selecting, in that great wilderness OF
barren rocks and bresk.neck activities
such a course for a railway The exca-
vs;ions of rock along the banks OF the
Carson are surprisingly extensive; ana
the graders found that drills and pow
der we're needed to make the necessary
excavations along on that sage brush
plain near and above the Mound House;
for, underlying the sand thereaoout
they came upon q hardpan p" that
would not yield to the pickax. The big
,unuel is very handsomely constructed
and most substantially timbered. Along
the river the road is SO built that ore
can be dumped in convenient places for
the Brunswick, Vivian, Merrimac and
Santiago Mills, all of which are to be
seen by looking down over the steep
side of the road as you ride along
The Santiago, especially, presents a
very romantic appearance as one gszes
down over a precipice Ct two or three
hundred feet upon the cottonwood COW
cred fiat below.
Some Of the curves are yet Imperfect
in coustruciion-as is to be expected, in
a new road; and chief Engineer james
will devote his attention during the
coming week to putting them in shape.
gallasting is going forward as rapidly
as possible; and if the present favora-
he weather continues the road Will be
r,aced in au excellent condition within
thirty days. In the meantime the track
layers are progressing rapidly toward
Virginia City; aud if no unlocked for
occurrence traospires the locomotive
viii be running TO tha, point within the
next ten days. Dir. James thinks that
wien tic line is ooce pu, in the perfect
coudit:on which he contemplates the