Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-06
LAST NIGHTS DISPATCHES
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD. .UNIoNl
PACIFIC COAST POSTAL CHANGES.
Items Of Special Interest in the Govern
ment Railroad Auditors Report.
PASSENGERS COMING WEST BY RAIL.
Close OF a Long pending and Celebrated
Case in Wyoming.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS OF FOREIGN NEWS.
Northern Afghanistan Rendered Unsettled
by Plundering Turcomans.
COMING WEST BY RAIL.
Close OF Long pending and Celebrated
Case in Wyoming.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS OF FOREIGN NEWS.
Northern Afghanistan Rendered Unsettled
by Plundering Turcomans.
DOMESTIC NEWS.

DOMESTIC NEWS.
Report OF the Government Auditor of
Railroad Accounts Items OF Pacific
Coast Interest.
WASHINGTON, December 5th.-The annual
report of the Government Auditor of Rail-
road Accounts contains the following passages
of special Pacific coast interest. After men
tioning that the Central Pacific Railroad
Company during the fiscal year has opened a
new and shorter route from San Francisco to
Sacramento, via Benicia and Port Costa.
Auditor French says:
This route is over roads not subsidized bv
the United States. The Eastern overland
mail is carried on this route and the bulk of
the overland freight and passenger traffic is
done upon it, in preference to the much
longer subsidized lines. The question sug-
gests itself in this connection, however, as to
whether three or four hours quicker transit
is more to be considered by the Rail.
way Mail Service than the retention
of larger or smaller proportion of the COM
pensation for carrying the mail. More i'm
portant even than that, is the fact that the
use of the new routes reduces the amount of
through and local business of the subsidized
lines extending from Sacramento to Niles.
via Tracy, on the net earnings of which the
Government is entitled to 25 per cent. under
the requirements of the sinking fund law; and
in the same direction, but of vaster proper.
tions, is the still greater fact that when the
junction of this company's leased lines from
Goshen south and east be effected with those
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Com
pany in New Mexico, of every dollar of over
land business diverted and done on that route,
at least fifty cents will be lost from the pay.
ments on the part of the Pacific Railroad
Companies to the Government.
Concerning the material condition of the
road, the report says While the property of
the Central Pacific Railroad Company as
whole is in good condition and well main
tanned, there are some things mentioned by
the Government Engineer which seems to
require notice. A good many small girder
bridges have their masonry in poor condition,
and should be rebuilt. The temporary trestle
approaches to the bridges in the Sierras
should be done away with. The supply of
steel rails for renewals on the main line has
not kept up with the deteriorating of the old
iron. 80 that there are q few badly worn
places.
The Engineer considers it important,
and with gooa reason, that the switches in
road between Rocklin and Truckee-about
100 miles in length-should be lighted for
night trains. It is recommended that the
section girders for small spans should be in
creased as renewals are made, and that the
truss bridges as rebuilt should be designed for
heavier loads. The floor system for bridges
on this road is faulty. The ties are too far
apart, are liable to be punched and short.
and the bridges are generally without guard
rails to prevent derailed truck from leaving
the bridge.
Among the more noteworthy improve
ments on the subsidized portion of the road
may be mentioned the new car shops
and other buildings at Ogden, Utah, and
the extensive yard facilities furnished
at that point. the spacious and convenient new
passenger depot at Sacramento, and also the
new freight depot at the same place, and the
very extensive renewal of snow galleries ne
cessitated by the destructive avalanches of
last winter on the unsubsidizsd portion of
the company's property and railroad. The ex-
tensive improvements in progress at Oakland
wharf is worthy of notice. 1t is solid and
safe embankment of stone and gravel, brought
from Alameda canyon, some rs feet wide and
over a mile long, increasing in width at the
terminal point~in the bay to 2S0 feet and
length of 1,250 feet, being an area of about
eight acres. 1t will afford the company perma-
nent and probably ample room for the largely
increasing business at that point, and result
in great economy, compared with the present
piling and wharf arrangements. Of the roads,
1904 miles, 1862 miles had a steel track on
June 80, 1880.
The remarks of Government Engineer
Nichols, above referred to, conce, ming sig
mails at switches, are as follows On no por-
tion of the company's system has the custom
been introduced of lighting switches for night
trains. i mention this subject, not as being
peculiar to this road. but in order to call at
tention to the special Importance Of both day
and night signals at switches. On that por-
ton of the line between Sacramento and
Truckee, particularly in the snow gal
leries, there are points where the
switoh-stands are entirely obscured by
the sheds until the observer is within
few feet of them, so that the largest are In
visible and useless even in the day time. At
such points efficient distant signals should be
introduced, so that in case of the misplace
ment of a switch ample time would be had in
which to stop the trains. When it is remem-
bered that during the season of snow it is
practically night all of the time in the nearly
forty miles of snow-galleries, and the heavy
grades and sharp curves are taken into &C.
count, the Importance of having efficient sig
mails at all the switches day and night will, /
think, be appreciated.
Engineer Nichols reports, however, that
the Central Pacific Company's track service
is the best organized and most efficient that
has come under his notice west of the Missis.
sippi river, and compares favorably with any
in the country.
Auditor French says, regarding the South
ern Pacific Railroad: The system of short
Vandyke bitches and culverts adopted by the
company to protect its track from washouts
caused by cloud.bursts in the region of the
country east Of Seven Palms, in Southern
California. has proved very successful :;
but no protection has yet been found
against the terrible sand-storms to which the
deserts are subject, or against the drift of
sand, which often blockades the track and in
terferes with railroad operations. Until and
after connection is made the main traffic will
be as it has been in the past-depeadent
merchandise Of the numerous and
thriving mining communities of Southern
Arizona. When an Eastern connection is
effected, no doubt much of the business from
and to the East, which now passes over the
Union, Central and Southern Pacific roads,
will be done by the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe, which will have the bulk of the
mileage, while the Arizona road will have
but small portion over its 200 or 250 miles.
This being SO, the earnings Of the leased lines
south OF Goshen, Cal, SIS we'll as those of the
uaiu iinS VI tue CSntrat ana u Mon f6clflC,
may be expected, with some reason, to de-
crease. Unless q new business, arising
from other sources and from the
natural development of the country
through which they pass, makes up the loss.
there can be little question as to the result,
the distance from st. Louis to Tucson. via
New Mexico, being but I,676 miles, while by
the present roundabout line it is 8. 128 miller.
and the distance from Chicago to Tucson by
the former route will be but /. $50 miles. as
against S,2l5 miles by the present overland
lines.
The report makes the following statement
about the northern division of the Southern
Pacific Railroad: During the year the COM
pany las kept the property in good condition.
and has acquired possession of a branch road
extending nom Castroville to Monterey, at
which latter point on the Pacific ocean mag.
nificent hotel for summer resort has been
built and opened The business of this road
has remained much the same as it was in pre-
vious years, California not having, as vet,
participated in the increased business activity
of the country at large.
The Auditor says, with reference to the
Oregon and California and the Oregon Cen
tral Railroads: Both of the roads, the one il,
Oregon and the one in California, are unfn
ished, and owing to the circuitous line pro-
posed In the map of the general route. they
have not been accepted by the Department,