Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-07-02

For convenience in estimating the
cost of grad1ations, Engineer CRAw-
FORD has divided the route into three
subdivisions, as follows:
Subdivision No. From Spadra TO he
Mohave, 70 miles; cost of graduation .--.
s2.3Oo per slel OOt
Sub livsion No. 2-Mojave to l. tile
Lake, 76 miles; cost of graduation
$500 per mile 45,GO(
Subdivision No. 3.-Little Lake to In
ton $500 per mile -. ........... GO,sO(
Grading five miles of sidings at $500 per
4O01
Wood and water stations................... l2,00C
stations and freight houSes............... l0,00C
Ens ineering and superintendence...... 2S,O0C
sl4iS per rmile..................... ..... ss2i, ,4OC
The above estimate is for the gradu-
alton of an ordinary gauge railroad,
four feet, eight and one-half inches,
bridged and stationed ready for the
track and rolling stock, the character
and cost of which is matter which is
left for the consideration of the
Board of Direction. AS the work is
mainly light, the adoption of mar
row three-feet gauge will only reduce
the above total about ten per cent.
The cost of water and freight stations,
engineering, ETC., being the same for
either gauge.
The description of route number two
is as follows:
Beginning at San Fernando Station,
the present terminus of the Southern
Pacific Railroad. the line can be laid
through the cafion now occupied by
Telegraph Stage Road, thence by
short tunnel through the summit, via
Lyons Station, until we reach the
head-waters of the Santa Clara river,
thence swinging eastwardly into the
Soledad Canon the line is laid up the
same, conforming to sinuositleF,
which render necessary the use OF
sharp curves of small radius, or else to
make frequent expensive rock cut
tings in Strengthening out the bends
of the caflon. Thence surmounting
the summit with maximum gradi-
ent of one hundred feet per mile,
thence descending into the Mojave
Desert with equal rapidity, the line
should be laid to pass west of Buck
Horn Station and the Twin Peaks to
the Dry Lake, near Desert Springs,
thence skirting the east side of said
Lake, it passes via Mesquit Spring
and Tortoise Caflon direct to Little
Lake, at which point it coalesces with
route No. l, and thence forward as
sumes the same line, making Inde-
pendence two hundred and nine miles
from the present railroad terminus at
San Fernando.
The physical difficulties which are
met with upon this route are at first
quite formidable. The passage at the
san Fernando mountain, which oc-
ours Immediately after leaving the
railroad station, will necessitate either
the use Of exceedingly steep gradients
or the expenditure of large sum in a
tunnel and approaches. This region
is so broken and the choice of alter
nate lines is so great, that an estimate
of cost made without having careful
instrumental examination, must ne
cessarily be only vaguely approxi-
mate. From the railroad station
north vertical rise of seven hundred
and fifty feet has to be overcome in
five and a half miles, portion of
which distance cannot be made avail
able on account Of the formation of
the ground, while in descending north
towards Lyons Station we encounter
within mile and half a fall of four
hundred and thirty feet. If we use a
gradient of one hundred and twenty
five feet per mile upon the southern
and one hundred feet upon the north
ern slope Of this pass, it is estimated
that an expenditure of at least $4,000
would be required to grade the first
ten miles after leaving the railroad sta
ton.
The work of building railroad up
the Soledad Caflon has been already
commenced by the Atlantic and Pa
cific Railroad Company, and most of
the cuttings being opened up gives q
good idea of the character of material
and extent of the work required to be
done. The caflon is in places close
and crooked, whereby the line is
forced to cross and recross the drain
age frequently. The summit of Sole
dad Pass is broad and fiat and cannot
be materially reduced by cutting down,
as the line descends north into the
Mojave desert, maximum gradient
of one hundred feet to the mile can be
obtained by side-hill development,
at sacrifice of distance. From this
point forward the line can be cheaply
laid upon the surface, until
connection is made with route
No. l at Little Lake. Crossing the
Mojave Desert we encounter two sand
belts, one south of Buck Horn Sta ton,
which is about eight miles wide, and
the other south of Desert Springs, of
about ten miles in extent. However,
there is no evidence of any con slider
able amount of shifting sand. From
the vicinity of Buck Horn Station
road might be opened up connecting
with the Holcomb region and the Ar
izona trade at the bend of the Mojave.