Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-07-26
M, I,hos Marrow Gauge @R.llr0ad.

A reporter Of the Reno foar'@ ma
returned from . trip over The narrow
easue railroad. s1tsndns from the
mills Of D. o. Mills. N(rihgtOn. Bliss
a Co., on tho eastern More OF Lake
Tahoe. to the summit OF the Sierra. q
distance Of about nine miles. From
his account Of the road and Its sur
rosndings, W extract the following:
Our ride over the frst three miles OF
the road which Is already completed.
was q very sxhilarating m The loco
motive employed in hauling the con-
struction train was the Tahoe" q dap
Der looking engine. built specially for
tho road, at the Baldwin Locomotive
Works, Philadelphia. Its companion
Ii called the "Gisnbrook." The busi-
ness Of the road will probably nscessi-
tate the employment OF q third locomo-
live. At the west end Of the road the
company have erected q round house
and machine shop 1880 feet, and fur
nished Il with a full complement OF ma
chinery. The enterprise. which was In.
auguratsd on tho 10Th Of April last,
involved numbsrless difficulties. Tho
grade is one hundred and twenty-nino
feet to the mile, and in order to climb
the steep and rugged mountain sido
after winding through q rocky gorge.
the road bed assumes the shape OF tho
letter z considerably fiattcned out
and standing ut m angle Of about 40
degrees. A portion Of the route was 30
steep that even q footman could not
traverse II. and the engineers had to let
themselves down from the ove r.hanging
rocks to the road-bed below by means OF
ropes. In order TO complete the survey.
The road for the most part traverses a
country lined with pine stumps, boul-
dsrs and rock OF gigantic formation.
Many Of the rocks when lifted out OF
their place with blasting powder rolled
down the steep declivity with sufficient
momentum to map Of the largest pines
like . pipe-stem. Ono gigantic boulder.
fifteen feet in diameter, was lifted out
only after twenty kegs Of powder had
been placed under Il. There are II
trestle bridges on tho road and n tun.
mel 40 feet In length. Tho t~restles are
the most substantial 81 any road In the
United States. The shortest curve Is 20
degrees. II In calculated that q single
locomotive will DO able to haul $4,000
feet Of lumber at o load. About 2J0 Ia
borers are employed on the road, which
will DO in running order In q few days.
Superintendent Holmes, and also Mr..
Anderson, are entitled 10 much credit
for the skill and energy displayed In
overcoming almost insurmountable OBJ
s~tacles. At the southwest corner OF the
Lake, Mr.. Gardner is making rapid head
way with his railroad. which is to be
used solely in hauling saw.logs to the
lake. One mile Of track ia already laid.
and In o few weeks tho "Ormsby' will
arouse the feathersd denirons OF the
forest with Its shrill shrek. The mills
at Glsnbrook m cutting out lumber
with marvellous rapidity. The mills are
superintendent by Mr.. Rigby, employ
about co men and cut out about 100, OOO
feet Of lumber daily. The new mill
lately put in operation Is ono 81 the
finest on the coast and embraces all the
modern improvements In the method Of
handling the logs and lumber machinery.
The largest log IN drawn into the mill
and tumbled about on the carriage with
out the expenditure Of tho slightest
strength on the part OF the men engaged
In saving. The engine is 25'horse pow.
er. II is estimated that about 9.000..
900 feet Of lumber will he sawed out dur
| ing the present season.