Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-10-05
PACIFIC COAST.
ARIZONA.
4 Rampus at Fort Yuma.
The Builders Of the Southern Pacific
Railroad Take Snap Judgment
on the Government.
ARIZONA.

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 4.
A Yuma Sentinel extra says: On
Saturday, September 29th, the Super
intendent Of the force engaged in CON
structiDg the bridge and track of the
southern Pacific Railroad Company at
this place, having announced to his
chiefs that everything was ready for
connecting the bridge with the track
on the California side of the river, re-
ceived orders by telegraph to make the
connection forthwith into Arizona with
the Sunday morning train. The adop-
ton OF this programme was foreshad-
owed in the Sentinel of Saturday. To
avoid a collision with the military au.
thorities OIL the Fort Yuma Reserva-
ton, and possibly TO. give the military
commander ne chance L call for vol.
unteers, to enforce the orders of the
Secretary of War, the railroad men de-
termined 10 carry out their ipstruc-
tons in the night. Major Dunn, of the
Twelfth Infantry, commanding Fort
Yuma, ~suspecting their Intentions,
placed a sentry OF the end of the track
until IL o'clock at night, when all be-
ing quiet the guard went off. The en-
tirs force g~arrisoning Fort Yuma con-
sists OF Major Dunn, one sergeant and
one enlisted man, and a prisoner.
About midnight the railroad force be-
gan active operations by cribbing up
with railroad ties the space between
the track and the bridge. Upon these
were laid heavy ~stringers, and the rails
quickly followed. All went smoothly
and quietly until about 2 O'Clock A. NJ,
when a rail was carelessly dropped on
the bridge. Its ringing vibrations
reached the ear of the officer COM
handing the fort. The garrison, ex-
cept the prisoner, was soon marching
to the scene of war, and further prose-
cution OF the work was strictly forbid
den. A detachment was stationed on
the bridge and ordered to fix his bayo-
net and let no n pass. Fol a little
while the army had things its own
way and all was quiet, but pretty soon
"A carload of rails came rolling along.
The detachment on the bridge had
no orders TO retreat, but rather than
be u YER he changed front. Ma
jor Dunn ordered superintendent
Green to consider himself a prisoner,
and not having sufficient force to
carry out his instructions. returned to
the tort. Track laying was continued
WlluOu luftneT lulbTTu ptlOll, u by
sunrise the construction train was on
the Arizona side of the Colorado. BY
I O'Clock A. NJ. Sunday, September
30th, 1877. the track was laid along
Madison avenue beyond the intersec-
ton of First street, and for the first
time the whistle of the railroad loco
motive was sounded in Arizona. It's
shrill sounds reused folks from their
Sunday morning nap aud the construc-
ton tram WAS soon by an
eager crowd. 1t was hen run back to
the California side to clear the track
or the regular morning train from
San Francisco aud give the workmen
a chance for breakfast and rest after
their nights labor. The length of
track laid was over 1000 feet. The
rails We're laid and spiked across the
jOists of the draw in such a manner as
to make it impossible to open it with
out the use of much labor. This was
to guard against any unfriendly man
ipulation of The draw. The regular
train came in on time drawn by en-
CINE %, decorated with a dozen flags,
and preceded by a hand car to guard
against accidents. Passengers, mails
and freights were landed at the cross
ing of First street.