New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-05
SUPPLEMENT.
j AN UAR;Yt g. $780,,
for 100000 of stock and tho Count, of riacer for

for 100000 Of stock; and tho County Of Placer for
The state Of California had enacted that II would
pay tho interest million Eve hundred thousand
Of the bonds issued by tho Central Pacific for the period
OF twonty years
Tho citizens OF San Francisco resisted the subscrp-
ton authorized by tho Leg,lstnrs, and tho contest
which resulted In tho courts in addition TO tho cost Of
the litigation besides causing and rulnous
delay seriously affected tho financial credit OF tho
Central Pacific, and caused such depreciation OF 0
STOCK IS to render II unmarketablo.
Tho promoters had used their own private credit In
building the thirty-onc miles They could not have
until they had forty consecutive miles completed Tho
company was therefore unable obtain tho assistance,
the act Of 1862 Tho Government then held the prior
Hen, and was expected would take the property.
Ill
CHANGE OF CONTRACT BY THE ACT or CONGRESS
OF 1854.
The Union Pacific found Itself unable to construct
any portion Of It's road under tho Act b 1862 and did
not begin building until somo time In the spring OF 1865
and In that completed forty miles. II numbered
among Its corDorators the most wealthy In the
nation. but the terms offered by the Act Of 1862
not sufficiently inviting. The Central Pacific although
attempting to comply with the Act Of 1862 found that
in the tone and temper of capitalists Il impossible
to build their road even with the aid as therein granted
and therefore. their contract CHANGED BY the pas
sage OF the Act OF 1864. which permitted the Railroad
Companies 10 issuo they first mortgage bonds the
speclye railroad and telegraph lines to amount
tho amount OF the bonds to bc issued by
United states. aud OF tenor date time of ma
tuty rate aud character of interest. and that the lien
OF the United states bonds should he subordinate
that of the bonds Of said COMPANIES authorized 10
issued on their respective roads pr0perAG and equip
mens, except as to that provision of the Act OF loGs
relating to the Transmission Of dispatches and he trans
p0ratlon OF mails troops. munitions OF upplcl
States and that the aid provided be granted by tho
Act Of 1862 should be given upon the completion of
twenty consecutive miles Instead OF forty and that tho
Government should tain ONLY Onchalf of the
satlon for services rendered to bv the Company to 10
applied in PAYMENT OF the bonds issued Instead Of tn,
whole and that tho Central Pacific should he rcdnired
to complete only twenty miles In one In place Of
ffty
With this increased aid. and the improved credit Of
It's promoters. the Central Pacific enabled 10
out from Newcastle. eastward and to build its road
the Union Pacific. on May 10. 1869 nearly
and two months less than the timc provided in the
tract.
THE DIFFICULTY OF CONSTRUCTION AND THE
GREAT COST OF THE CENTRAL PACIFIC ROAD.
The manner In which this construction performed
tho difficulty of Its performance and through tho
Sierra Nevada Mountains. tho obstacles encountered
its construction in the winter months the rreat cost Of
the work. the difficulty Of obtaining supplies Of men aud
machinery, and of water the desert lands In Ncvaa
IS graphically told In the report of Mr. Stanford. tho
President Of the read Mr. j. H. strobrdee. the supcrln
tcndent of Construction. Mr. Arthur Brown the SUI
pcrintendent OF Bridges and Buildings Mr.. L. NJ Glenn
ent the Assistant Chief Engineer In charge of b. work.
and of Mr. Alfred t. Davis-all Of which Was tahen bc
fore the United states Pacific Railway Comp' IN at
For convenience and bv wav Of Illustration
VIC copy here portion of the testimony of these Wit
ncsseS.
Mr. l.. NJ. Clement. the engineer in charge Of the
work. said. In a sworn statement:
knowing the political ana commei claI necessities d.
handing the rapid completion OF the railroad. deter
mined thar nothing which was in tbeir power
Should for single day arrest IT'S progress with ,his
determination I'm view. all energies were bent. notwh
standing the physical obstacles and financial difficulties
to be overcome.
The financial difficulties were NOT lcsscncd bv tho
opinions then prevailing to the effect that the obstacles
insurmOnntablc. that the railroads then con-
structed were baca,elles as comDaed with the diicnl-
tics to be met with In constructing the Central Pacific
Railroad that not only II impossible to construct
a railroad the sicrras via Ionner Pass. hut
owing to the great depth Of wonld he imprac
ticabc to operate and IL built must be closed To traffic
In the winter months.
As the Company was confined TO the usc OF American
rails, tho prices raised eighty cent from foyonc
to seventy-six dollars per ton. Tho average prices
during the building OF the road were oi 20 ton at
ported to san Francisco Canc Horn thc Tsthmus
thence b. schoOrers to Sacramento the initial Dont
2 2ear the @ via as ae
per ton. making the cost at Sara,
rsnter rom San r,n..eo ncuH DELAYS ana n.
OF ships made It TO use the I@hmus route,
and for r ted by @ no route the Com
motive. On shipment OF eghtccn locomotives fhe
transportation charges were se4 sG6 so or - coe 20
each. The Company pain for two engines SIo.752.
The payment was necessary to avoid delay Tho Est
ten engines urchascd cost upwards OF 100000. tbs
second ten upwards OF $2t5OOO The demand for
power was great to overcome the hlgh mountain
gradients. Labor shared in the advance in prices.
CALIFORNIA; laborers mostly miners accustomed
to work in placer mines, which more 10 their
liking than the discipline Of railroad work They
Indifferent. INDEPENDENT and the excitement Of
the discovery Of tho Comstock lode upon them,
whore any able bldlcd man commanded four moro
dollars n Der diem There was not snrSn, Ie1s hsn
and such could he obtained could rot be depended
NJ NJ nd tho NHo rAnt ~ ma
work
Each day brought up propositions which must bs
advance.
As n, snow nS was re.:hea the dep,L Of snow i.:
over fifteen feet level from actual Measurement.
The ground was kert bare for the graders by shovel
forces 81 St the IN aSr OF the sn
Not only this necessary. but to make excavations
tho space 10 be occupied BY the embankments was
cleared and kept clear of snow: otherwise the melting
Of the snow under The broad bases OF the high embank
ments would have caused serious settlements, which,
mile, would IN cases, Increase the gradient beyond tie
tractIvc power Of the engine. II required army "
small gang of graders. Rock cutting could not 10
carried on under drifts varying In depth from 20
to 100 feet 1t decided no matter what the COS;
that the remaining tunnels should bored ddping the
winter To reach the faces Of the tunnels, the snow
drifts were tunnecd, and through these all rock was
removed.
Water scarce after leaving tho Truckee AMI
Humboldt Rivers. and during the entire construction
was hauled Tor steam and general use of the grading
forces
Thousands OF dollars were expended in cll-borlng
Tunnels bored into the mount aims OF Wads
worth to develop small springs, and when water was
found It carefully protected, very precious was
II. and conveyed I'm some over eight miles In
pipes to the line OF the road
There a tree that would make a board on
over 500 miles of the route. nor satisfactory quality
Of building stone. The country afforded nothing en-.
tcrng Into the construction Of tho supeistructure Of
a railroad which could DC made available
The maximum haul for ties was GOO miles, and OF
rails andother materials and supplies III" entire length
OF the Central Pacific Railroad, or Gio miles.
Cars transported on ships In pieces to San
Francisco and lghtcIcd to Sacramento and there put
together.
California had no means OF manufacturing for rsll-
road building Only fourteen years prior 10 the To-
ginning Of tho construction of this railroad the
any considerable emigration directed 10 this coast.
A quarter OF century has made great changes
Once the possibility Of constructing a railroad across
the uountan ranges and deserts proven and emgratDr
started West, capital was less tmid Of the probable
future of railroad ENTERPRISE, and means wcte fu-