The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-11-14
Wednesday, Nov. II, 1877.
A TRIP TO THE FRONT.

a IA43 AZ 4480 1SV4V -
Yesterday. notwithstanding the heavy
rain, tho big cut on the west side OF
Nays Greek was finished and the track
laid up to tho high trestle. Awaiting
of an invitation to accompany Superin-
tendent Colman aud Resident Denny
TO the front on this occasion, we repaired
to the depot in the dim and misty twi-
light Of the early dawn, just in time
to catch the starting train, and were
soon flying away like the wind, overths
smooth, safe and solid track up the Do
vanish valley. Found the construction
without any stoppage for rain, trains
working steadily swsy, crawling.
rip-rapping. filing. Strengthening. and
improving the track generally. Stop
ped in Renton while freight was dis.
charged. just long enough to snatch an
hospitsbls breakfast at Leroy Parker's
excellent hotel. and then ratified away
across the Cedar river bridge which BY
the way is being we'll strengthened, rip
mapping in readiness for the strain Of
the winter Aooda.) and over the new
track At lively gait toward the scene
of grand activity on Nays Creek.
The rain poured in torrents. but As
Superintendent Colman characterize
cslly remarked-"Ths rain don't make
any difference with this line"
From Cedar rivsr to Mays Greek.
thses md ons-half miles. the work i
pronounced By engineers familiar with
the whole route, to b the heaviest in
the whole distancs from the valley Of
the Sound scross to the Yakima. Il 10
one succession Of long and deep cats one
after another. interpreted with deep
Alls and trestliDgs. Some Of the cuts
are 10 feet in depth, being partly
through sand and partly through very
hard gravel cement called "hsrd-pan."
The heavy rains caused . few triAing
lsnd-slides, though but little difficulty
10 anticipated from that cause on this
section owing to the nature Of the ma
terial which 10 at once porous, dry and
6rm in consistsncy.
There ere fourteen pieces Of trestle
on this section. some Of the minor ones
being 80 and GO fest high; and the
great Nays Creek bridge. lie fest. il
the highest In the United States with
one exception. that Of Dale Greek. on
tho Union Pacific. 1t 10 800 feet long
and b in nix stories.
The traok-lsysrs are crowding CLOSE
upon tho heels Of the graders. mailing
down the iron ribbons - fast - the way
Il cleared. for about two miles from
Browns farm. the grade il nearly 100
feet to the mile, thence to Msy's Creek,
one mile. the grade is nearly level.
Only . few bsrrows fall Of earth re-
manned to be removed to complete The
grade to the canyon, and 1t the bridge
oil the bsnts Of the upper and coaclud-
ing tier are In place. ready 70 Lift
into place. and = portion Of them st
each end already raised. Just in the
last excavation on this side. the grsd-
ere struck large round rock, estimated
TO weigh about four tons, nearly in the
center Of tho cut, the bottom Of which
lay about four feet above he grads.
The shovel brigade he'd dug around
this nugget and lsft Il psrched beside
the track on . pedestal Of nnd, looking
"liks Patience on . nonumsnt, smiling
ct grief" Thsrs b . short. dis1ance
this aide. rsgulsr Cape Horn Of .
place who're the road svseps aroand
> psscipitsus aide al. running doun
hundrsds Of feet to che Ike basin. Il
wns proposed 10 run The ts.in slsngsids.
drop the boulder upon = plAlfurn or.
and then toppls him over q CAPS
Hora On IN exploring sxpsditiea down
through the neither segioas thessahoat
From this point Mr.. Colnan 81 s1t
afoot through the mud and the rain q
HE ssmi-vsekly tour a inapection I'll
aloag the line. The rsst Of Ne lss
critical (ander !. the eircumsaansss)
jumped aboard the rstarsiag tram. veil
sAtsaed with oar day's sxpsrisnos q
the front AZ ths commercial campaign.