The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-18

Grand Engineering Feat Just Achieved In
CalifarniR.
san jose Herald.

California.
san Jose Herald.
It is no wonder that the Bay of Monterey is
SO popular during the summer months. me
northern shore of6t, especially from Santa Cruz
70 Aptos is sheltered from the trade winds; the
beach Is shelving clean and sandy; the surf rolls
and tumb1es in with perpetual restessness- Be-
hind the beach rises bluff. aud behind the
bluff tower the Santa Cruz mountains, from
which numerous perennial streams run hurried
IL towards the In these mountains and in
the guebes through which the streams flow, Is
some of the prettest and most romantic scenery
in the Nest-not the rugged. frowning,
bold and stupendous scenery of the Sierras,
but a far sweeter and gentier scene-rural.
rustic and full of repose and seducriveness
scene of wooded glens, dels and hooks, with
rustling streams aud musical birds. 1t ia the
prettiest scenery in California. The
Aptos creek debouches here into the sea, and
running ND this creek seven miles to the base of
grim old Iona Prieta is railroad built and
owned By the Iona Prieta Lumber Company.
This wonderful little road, hidden away in the
bowels of the mountains and creeping up the
Aptos guch, is, besides being the prettest bit
of railroad scenery in California, the most re-
markable feat of railroad engineering north of
Peru. Five miles of the road were built four
years ago. The timber having been cut out
within reach of the railroad, the company
greatly desired to extend. the road two miles
further up in order to reach the magnificent
basin of the Aptos wide fat opening In the
heart Of the mountains filed with some of the
finest redwood timber on the coast But there
appeared TO be insuperable difficulties In the
way. Engineers were sent thither to explore
The grades were too Steep the gorges too mar
row and the curves too short The company at
last appealed to Mr.. Macleod, who went and
looked over the ground
Il can build it" hs said, 'if You back me with
money"
You may have all the money you want" was
thu reply.
He went to work last June and has just fin
ished the road Il is a remarkable Achievements.
Some idea of the difficulties that had TO be
overcome may be gathered from knowledge OF
these facts: The average grade of the new ex-
tension IL I'll feet to the mile, the maximum
grade being 264 feet The maximum curvature
is "a degrees that is, angie of "A degrees in
every 100 feetl. When the basin is reached
Through which the road q mile) there
lighter grades and harder curves. there being
one 26-degree curve. making total angle of "a
degrees. The grades OF I'll feet are on the "a
degree curves the grades of 264 feet being
the tangents. The road crosses and recrosses
the creek many times, requiring numerous
trestles and bridges. On one of these bridges
there is curvature of Is degrees on a fifty foot
span. At the high bridge, fine piece of work, the
track is seventy-five feet above the bed of the
creek. and quarter of a mile above 1t, at sDev-
lis Gate. narrow gorge occupied wholly by
the creek, the road is cut through the rock. and
is only seven feet above the bed of the creek.
The gorgs difficult passage. two bridges
being required in space of loo feet. queer
looking locomotive, a powerful machine that
carries its water it's back, is kept on this
road. making daily trips. In the summer
passenger locomotive and train will run TO Iona
Prieta, and beyond that the queer locomotive
will run to the end of the road. and bring down
the timber to bt cut at Iona Prieta. So steep
is the grade that very slow progress is made,
and in coming down the brakes have to be set
very hard. Il is a charming ride from begin
ming to en3. All the lumber is cut at Iona
Prieta where there is little town and big
mill The mill has large circular saw, with an
oversaw. and they cut boards six feet wide, and
have q capacity of 60, 900 feet day.