Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-07-28
RAIL AND RIVER.
The Canadian Pacific Road.
Manitoba Free Press, July 26. !

Inc OUH0Utdh IUCtItC hoUus
Manitoba Free Press, July &c.
Hearing of the arrival of Mr.. James
Ross, superintendent of construction ON
the G. p. R., from the Rockies, Free
Press representative waited on that gen.
tleman last night, and CLEANED some par
ticulars regarding the progress being made
in building the @. p. R. on the Rocky
mountain division. Mr.. Ross reports that
Langdon, Shepard & Co., will, by this
evening, fully complete their grading con-
tract to Calgary, and the tracklayers at
six o'clock last night were at point forty
three miles from Calgary, and 797 miles
from Winnipeg. The latter expect to
drive the last spike at Calgary by the 10th
of August, five days sooner than the time
predicted by the contractors, when they
began work in the middle of April at Ma
pie Greek.
THE NORTH AMERICAN
Contracting company have purchased all
the plant teams and outfit of Langdon,
Shepard & Co., and these as we'll as the
men have from day to day been pushed on
the Rocky mountain division, on which
there are now employed 5000 men and
during the winter in the mountains, but
only portion of the horses will be neces-
sary for the kind of work there. Mr.. Ross
had tidings from Major Rogers on July
81, just before leaving Calgary for Winni-
peg. The news is of highly satisfactory
character Three parties under the direc-
ton of Messrs. Critchlow, Stephen and
McMiiligan, are making exhaustive
EXPLORATIONS OF THE sE1KIRKs,
and thus far with every prospect of pierre
ing them with direct line. Mr.. Ross has
established courier communication with
Major Rogers, change of man and horse
being made every forty miles. The rate
at which construction has been going on
of late rendered this absolutely necessary.
There are now nine locating survey par
ties in the Rockies in ALL the furthest west
being on. the west slope of the Selkirks,
and the others distributed at different
points eest of the gap. Mr.. Hogg, in
charge Of the engineers east of the summit,
has, under the direction of Superintendent
Ross, made new exploratory survey of the
east slope that has obviated the construct
ing of tunnel, as at first expected. The
distance from Calgary to the summit is
exactly 121 miles according to the final
location of the line. The summit is $500
feet above the level of the sea, a much
lower elevation than the highest point on
the Union Pacific, and the grade is also
much easier, beng
ONLY FORTY FEET PER MILE.
betweed Medicine Hat and the summit of
the Rockies which is at distance of 300
miles. The work from Calgary to within
forty miles of the summit is covered with
an army of graders. A native white sand
stone was the first rock cutting struck,
three miles west of Calgary. At Padmore,
blue limestone and also heavily timbered
country is struck, principally pine and
spruce of good dimensions. The valley
of the Bow river is followed
right into the mountains, and
this stream is crossed seven times ere
parting with it short distance east of the
summit. Before reaching the height of
land the line deviates by the valley of a
small tributary creek of the Bow river,
which is followed to the summit From
here the streams all flow westerly
INTO THE COLUMBIA RIVER,
which is just forty miles west of the sum-
nit. 1t should have been stated that ere
reaching the summit, the Kananaskis,
one of the leading branches of the Bow
river, is also crossed by the line. All
bridges at the different crossings Will
vary in width from $50 to 900 feet. A ra-
vine seventy-fve feet deep has also to be
bridged before reaching the summit. 1t
is expected that the rails will be laid to the
latter poirt ere the snow flies.