Daily globe., 1883-09-01

Yesterday morning a party of some
fifty Helenaites (among others an Inde-
pendent reporter) in expectation of the
finishing of track laying on the Northern
Pacific boarded the construction train for
the west, with the end of the track for
their destination.
This train was the first one to carry
passengers through to the mouth of Little
Blackfoot. It consisted of two ordinary
cabooses and a Pullman sleeper. The
train left the depot at 6:2O a. m. The
murky weather of the preceding day had
left heavy mantle of fog over everything
in the valley, which the party greatly re-
gretted, as they feared that the splendid
view to be had from the summit route
would be obscured. On proceeding up the
line few miles, however, the train got
above the fog, and it was found that "be-
yond the clouds was the sun still shining"
The sensations of one on his first trip over
the SUN nit line are almost beyond descrip-
tion. To one unaccustomed to railroads
in the mountains the trip seems to be
fraught with a good deal of danger, for the
trestles are high, the grade steep, and the
curves sometimes sharp. But the Mogul
locomotive hauled the train right up the
steep mountain grade, and the passengers
were not asked to get off and walk a single
time, as in the stage coach days.
The overhead line is a marvel of engi-
neering. Here was a mountain range
which few years ago was considered a
very difficult place to cross with wagon,
and now on notice of scarcely more than
sixty days latter the time when it was
found impossible to complete Mullan tun-
mel by the 1st of September) a broad
gauge railroad Is built and in operation,
over its very summit. OF course the grade
Is sometimes very steep-almost like
climbing up a steep roof-but the North
ern Pacific trains get there all the same.
The scenery along this overhead line is
magnificent, and to the writer the effect
was greatly heightened by a nervous fear
Of the train jumping the track, and diving
into some gorge or other few thousand
feet below-but it didn't. On the out trip
yesterday morning, the scenery was large
ly edulterated with cinders from the loco
motive, but was duly appreciated never
theless. At the summit or, Tip Top, as
the railroad calls it, is board with the
following inscription: "Tip Top: Divide
between the Atlantic and the Pacific 5,773
feet above sea level.
The mouth of Little Blackfoot was
reached without incident worthy of note,
and soon after the tracklayers were come
up with. This was at about 12:45. One
of the gentlemen overseeing the work
stated that the men had been at work since
5 o'clock in the morning without stopping
to eat. This gang had already laid about
four miles of track for the day, and they
were stretching out the rails in a remarka-
bly, rapid manner. They were timed for
ten minutes, and in that time laid $50 feet
of track-more than one-tenth of mile
which would be at the rate of mile in one
hour and forty minutes. 1t was asserted,
however, that at one time during the fore
noon a mile of track vas laid in an hour
The reason for all this hurry was that
the road was to be completed during the
afternoon, and both gangs (that from the
east and that from the west) were trying
to do the biggest days work. The track
layers on the east end were generated by
Mr.. W. o. Winston, while those on the
west were headed by Mr.. P. B. Winston,
the two gentlemen being brothers. At the
close of work Tuesday it was found that
ten miles of road yet remained to be built.
Each of the two brothers asserted that his
men could lay the most track at the wind
up, and to settle it they divided the un-
completed road equally, placing a stake
with red flag upon it in the center. The
contest was to see which gang could build
the road to the flag first.
Bright and early the men on both di
visions ate hearty breakfast and then
started in to go to the red flag first or
break something. They worked like he
roes, and. as was remarked yesterday, each
man strained himself as if he was person
ally responsible for getting there on time.
At the time the excursion arrived on the
ground the ends were less than two miles
apart, and were closing as fast as muscle
could accomplish it.
The visitors took position under tree
near the central point marked by the red
flag, and waited anxiously to see which
side would win. In a few minutes the tie
distributing gang moved up from the
west, laying the ties in place as fast as
man would walk. In fifteen minutes more
the tie men from the east came round the
bend a half mile east, and it was but few
minutes until every tie was Strengthened
and ready for the rails.
Then came a pause while awaiting the