Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1886-05-09
The hallway Route Again.

the HALFWAY Route again.
There are few local questions in which
more people are interested these days
than in the route of the new coast rail-
way. Yesterday the HERALD published
a report Of several indicating proba-
bility of San Fernando being the route.
These representations called out during
the day comment in several quarters.
Along in the afternoon the HERALD re-
porter met an experienced railroad man
quite familiar with both routes, or rather
with all the routes and with the praoti.
cal advantages and disadvantages of
them all. He said: "Your publishing
the reports as you did is all right, that
is giving your readers all the news OBJ
tainable about 9 matter which no one
really knows anything about yet. /
say anyone, mean anyone with
one exception. / think there is
man who already knows the
route by which 1t is TO come. Now let
me tell you. You say they have found
0 new route over the Santa Susana
Mountains, by which the long tunnels
and heavy grades are avoided. / must
say doubt the correctness OF the re-
port. The railroad company have in
their hands, should say, at least
dozen routes for road along the coast.
1t would be difficult to find q route that
would change these in any respect beyond
details. They knew before, within q
triHe, the grade of everypracticable route
between Santa Barbara and Los An.
geles. l will bet you the engineers who
are doing the work will not confirm the
report. You can 90 into the country
anywhere and hear all rts of rumors.
As for Newhall, know the route along
the Santa Clara river is very easily
built--at much less expense than any
other. 1t is also much less expensive
to operate for all time to come.
The tunnel above San Fernando Is built.
The company know what it cost them.
1t was built contrary to the advice of Mr.
William Hood. He told them what it
would cost before they began. They
did not take his advice, but went on with
the tunnel. 1t cost them one million
dollars as he told them it would. They
know now what q tunnel through these
mountains means. They will not build
another if they can help 1t.
As to the wash of the Tejunga--what
will they gain by avoiding its The
track through the tunnel crosses over it
now and will continue to cross over it.
The wide valley from there to Los Ange-
les north Of the river cannot be left
without Q road, II the crossing of the
Tejunga must be maintained for one
road it can be used for two and save a
bridge over the river below the conflu-
ence of the two streams where such q
structure Is nearly as bad to maintain as
over the Tejunga. The extra expense
involved in the building of a road by the
Santa Susana pass would make the
Tejunga crossing impregnable several
times over and have money left. The
railroad is not In favor of very heavy
money outlay just now.
The only reason why the company
will ever come in this side of the tunnel
will be to shut some other road out. I
do not see how that can be done. Bat,
as said, no one knows about the mat
ter for a certainty except Mr.. William
Hood. He knows, but he would net
tell you"
There was listening TO this conversa-
ton another gentleman who said:
well, ii the matter rests with Hood
to decide the road will come to Newhail.
| know he is very much impressed with
thai route, because of its easy grades
and inexpensive construction