Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-24
THE SALT LAKE ROAD.
work Done Isv the Utah southern
Surveyors,

THE SALT LAKE ROAD.
work Done Isv the Utah Southern
surveyors,
The party OF Utah Southern engineers
which has been operating southwest from
Milford has returned to Salt Lake City,
and the Tribune Of that place
gives an account Of their report:
They are J.. Fewson Smith, John Sharp,
Jr., G. w. Snow and seven minor mem
bers. They find it rather warm in the
Nevada desert this weather, and are glad
for respite from the heat. The main
drudgery Of the work is about through,
but there remains much to be done in ex-
amining territory adjacent to some parts
they have been over where it is not cer-
tain but that the lines may be relocated
with advantage. The plans of branches
to mining camps will be examined now
more exhaustively, with the chance in
several places Of influencing main line To-
cations. The engineers will look into
every probability and possibility that rea-
son or expediency may suggest in order
that the work may be completely and
thoroughly done. Then the profles and
btdiib vi tllo WOIk Will Ut DlHpptu Oub anu
sent to Boston for President Adams in
spection. As this cannot be done under
three months at the best. construc-
tion can hardly begin before winter. The
route from Milford to Bullionville is
practically settled. From Milford the
line goes directly south for eight miles to
Hay Springs. Thence it bears more
directly to the southwest through the
Escalente desert to Desert Springs, six
miles east OF State Line, and 20 miles
from Milford. Thence there is heavy
five mile climb to the top of the divide of
100 feet to the mile, and westward so
to 100 feet descending gradient continues
for 10 or 20 miles. The line leads south
OF Phoebe, which can be reached by
seven mile tramway if desired, and runs
between Panaca and Bullionvile. Here
the surveys divide, one leading across
Highland Range near Bennett Springs,
and thence straight across the desert by
Crystal Springs and Timpahute over the
southern edge of the Ralston desert to
Ash Meadows. A second and more
probable route leaves Bullionvile toward
the north and west through the White
River wash, past Freyburg and down
through Penoyer valley directly across
the Belted Range to the other survey
southeast of the Ralston desert. This is
ONLY A DESERT so CALLED,
As it is not sandy, sagebrush waste, but
vast plain of broken lava and of the
debris generally of tremendous volcanic
upheavals, when the backbone OF the
American continent was raising itself in
to the air. The line runs from Nevada
into California over entirely open coun-
try, but shortly strikes divide where
there must be an ascent of 1000 feet.
Hence the road drops easily into Barstow
at distance from Milford OF only 45O
miles. AS has been stated, the grades
are easier than has been generally sup.
posed, the steepest being sixteen feet be-
low the Union Pacific standard, and none
being over one hundred feet. An ap-
proxima.e average of the grades is forty
five feet to the mile, and no curves will
exceed six degrees, though at a few
points eight degree points could be used
to advantage.
To use Mr.. Smiths graphic description,
"the entire country is just lousy with
minerals" and the miners are having
great great expectations now that the
engineers have shown them that the
Union Pacific actually means business.
In fact, the surveyors found prospectors
almost pouring into the country to
locate and bond mines with the under
standing that within year they would
be placed in direct communication with
the Salt Lake smelters. The whole
country is one vast aggregation of gold,
silver, copper, lead and iron ores, both
1nilling and smelling. One man has
bonded a mine showing 3.foot breast of
silver ore assaying so ounces, and another
has bonded an iron-silver mine whose
ore assays $50 ounces, in anticipation OF
the coming line. The excitement is ex-
tending throughout Southern Nevada
over the new road that is to open the
doors of the great prison house that since
the Silurian period has smut in this vast
storehouse OF riches, and it is an assured
fact that when the road opens the move
ment of coal and transcontinental mer-
chandise westward, and OF ores, grain,
fruit and provisions eastward, will neces-
state number Of sidings for passage OF
trains that will be surprising. The sur
veyors return with enthusiasm to their
work, and Bishop Sharp has more cause
than ever to be satisfied with the persis-
tent courage that has enabled him to
overcome the Union Pacific's traditional
conservatism and make certain this great
step in western railroad developments.
Pullman Passengers.