The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1876-02-12


OF the road inaugurated a system
Of developments, as they are called,
by means of which they gain alti-
tude at the expense Of length OF
road-bed. In other words, the
road, either by curve where It is
possible, but oftener by means Of
. Z doubles On itself and by run
ming back from one to several miles,
but always up a steep grade, which,
contrasted with the parallel = lines
above or below, gives the appear
ance of running up an inclined
plane; and then by means ofanoth-
or curve, or < retakcs its nominal
direction, and winds its way along
to tho level Of the river again. In
this way gam is often effected Of
one-one foot vertically for every
foot, or foot and q half, the lines
arc apart horizontally; and moth
ing shows moro forcibly than this,
the extreme steepness Of the mour-
tain sides traversed by this road.
But to express It in the, actual
figures Of tho developments them
selves: AT San Dartolome where
the FIRST development Is met with,
the distance run from the point
where the road doubles OH its track
BY means Of a 4 until it comes
back to q parallel point higher up
the mountain side, is three and
onc-third miles, and tho gain IN
| vertical height Is 5A5 feet, and the
defiance apart horizontally Of the
two lines at these points is only
655 feet. On what Is known as tho
Psrac development, where advan'
tdge IL taken Of a continent quel-
rada, tho distance run Is about tho
same, but tho gain IN vertical
height is 5S5 feet, while the hori-
xontal distance between the tracks
at tho same points Is only 465 feet.
showing M average slope sleeper
than one TO one, or foot for foot,
OF these developments there are
nine before reaching the summit
aud by means Of them d gain o.
1000 feet Of altitude Is made 1t tht
cxpcMse Of ~ miles Of extra road
bed. In two Of those development
you see two tunnels, ono right
above the other, through the sam,
spur Of the mountain, througl
which the road has TO pass twlcl
IN doubling on itself and returning
to its normal direction.
Tic hast development, except on
small one, before reaching tn
summit, IL on tho grandcst scale
Hero the road crosses the rive
twice in the course of the develop
mont, and gives us three parable
lines Oh ono side and two on tn
other side Of the river. l hav
neither the exact length nor gail
in height OF this development, bu
no doubt it corresponds with thos
already given.
No wonder some twenty od
} engineers were occupied over fou
! years IN locating it, and in work
Ing out the construction problem
} as the actual work progressed.
Other difficulties bcset the cor
: struction Of this road that woul
: not be thought Of, much less cnte
: into the calculations Of contractor
!. in the United States. The cost {
making mule trail, ind, in man
I places, several, before the eng
q neers could reach the ground 0
: which their surveys had to b
4 made and the cost Of transpostin
S provisions, water and workin
: materials for the engineers an
; workmcn while locating and buils
; ing the road, amounted to MOI
/, than the total cost Of building an
4 cquippihg the same number ,
l miles of many roads, both In FL
1 rope and In the United States. Ad
Q to this the still incxplicablc sicl
Q ness that carried of thousands
I tho workmcn between the altitud,
! of.thrcc and six thousand feet, OH
r here known as tho bloody varrl
. gas, because of the bloody warts {
! boils that broke out all over Il
patient. Higher up they had
b contend with the "seroclle, a kin
of sea-sickness, accompanied vii
J. terrible pains in the head, shor
i ness Of breath an violent vomi
o ings. To awake in the night al
), feel yourself sufiocating, was oftt
h the first premonition OF this tcrr
Is bio affection. Above the sno
l. line the dreaded ssorrumpio' wou
|, scorcll tho eyes and face, until, hu
d blinded and with face and nc,
II blistcrcd, the poor workman wou
n have to give up and seek relief
~ the hospital or descend 10 low
10 attitudes.
., never travelled on o better roa
le nor on one In smoother ruunil
% order. Through nearly oil Gun
L from San Darthololne the curry