Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1886-05-27
THE UNION PACIFIC IN
MONTANA,

party OF Union racine surveyors,
says the Anaconda (Mantana) Reuiew,
! left here May IA, and will go to Mlssoula
by rail. They will start surrey from
near that point, and will run up the Bit
ter Root river to point near its head.
There the line will cross the divide into
the Big Hole and down the Big Hole to
the head of the canyon, striking the main
line. of the Utah & Northern at a point
near Lavell, which is the first station this
side of Melrosc. Incidentally another
line will probably be run by this party
from some point on this projected line to
and down the Columbia river
The object of the putting in of this
road is to get hold of the timber on the
Bitter Root, which is acknowledged to be
the finest in the Northwest. The Union
Pacific has Ions had its eye on this
country, and is now going to close its
hand on this fine timber district. The
present party will make an accurate sur,
vey, and it will take all season to get the
line ready and no construction work will
probably be done this season.
We before mentioned the allu.ion of
the Muscular to this surveying party,
but its object and purpose was not 40
fully disclosed to the public as found in
the above quotation. Mclrose, the point
spoken Of on the Utah 4 Northern, has
an altitude of $3.50 feet above sea level,
which is about $50 feet higher than the
Beall pass, at the summit and the latter
can be reduced by short tunnel 125
feet in height. What may be the altitude
on the higher summit between the Bitter
Root valley on the line of this projected
survey and Melrose we have no record,
but we presume it presents no barrier to
railroad, otherwise the Union Pacific
would not have determined to survey
this line for they had it examined baro-
mctically last fall. The approaches to the
Beall pass from the Bitter Root valley
are excellent nowhere having grade over
sixty feet per mile, and that only for a
short distance. The approaches of the
Beall pass from the west have no grad.
exceeding forty seven feet per mile The
first twenty-four mile from the summit
the difference in altitude between the
summit and the western terminus of this
twenty-four miles, is one thousand and
forty feet; all else of the west aud along
branches Of the Clearwater, and the main
Clearwater itself, has no higher grade
than thirty feet per mile. There are no
canyons or serious Instructions to a rail,
road grade along the margin of Clear.
water or its branches from the summit of
this pass to Lewiston. This line of road
from the summit west, to within twenty
miles of Kama, is borJered by belts of
timber consisting Of cedar, white pine,
red FIR and yellow pine, Of an excellent
quantity and large extent, ample for
supplying the prairie lands either east or
west for century to come. The timber
itself will make fortunes not only for the
railroad company but for the settler and
Inhabitants, who may seek to utilize i,
and the determination Of the Union
Pacific to build a road so as to have &C.
cess to this timber was wise plan of this
railroad company. The construction of
road from the Utah & Northern, west,
through the Bitter Root Mountains to
the Columbia river will opeI up trade
and traffic for that company which will
be almost unreasonable and that at an
early day.