The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-20

The Northern Pacific Taking Up the
Famous Track Across the Cascades.

RosLYN, Sept. B-tSpecial. THE work of
taking up the switchback over the summit of
the Cascades, between Stampede and Martin,
which has been begun by the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company, will, when completed,
almost entirely oblterate all traces of what was
one of the most interesting feats of railroading
in this state and probably in the Pacific North
west Pending the tunneing of the Cascades,
as a passage-way for it's trains the Northern Pa
cific, in its march to the Pacific, constructed
this veritable railroad through the clouds,
traversing the mountains a distance of eight
miles in order to reach objective outlet barely
two miles away from the starting point. Com
mencing at point near Martin station, on the
eastern side of the mountains, the track crosses
a ravine over trestle 10 feet high, and little
beyond encounters the first switchback, which
headed the train northwest for distance of one
mile and half over a standard grade of $50 feet
10 the mile, or an inclination OF one foot III
twenty. Arrived here switch No. Q sent the
train in a southwesterly direction until nearing
the summit, where the track curves, and cross
ing the summit in a slightly northwersterly di-
rection, the descent on the western side
was commenced and continued due west for
short distance; bearing again to the north the
track crosses a small plateau over horshoe
curve trestle, and for another mile the west
bound traveller journeyed toward the rising sun.
Another switch and the train was again headed
west, only after Il few minutes TO be again re-
turned 10 Its eastern course, from which the
last switch on the western side admitted it to
the main line, and its journey to the Pacific
coast was continued. The altitude at the sum-
nit of the Stampede pass is $3.50 feet, and its
crest is frequently enyeloped in clouds. In
travelling actual distance of two miles, pas
sengers were raised and lowered nearly 200
feet. Ordinary road locomotives were almost
useless on this grade, and with bad rail were
barely able to climb the mountain with their
tenders only. The adhesive powers of the
huge decapod and hog pattern en-
gines, with their small drivers, en-
abled them to climb the mountain with
comparative ease; still while these engines
could handle forty to fifty on level, their
capacity was strained to haul four TO six cars
over the switchback The great Stampede tun-
mel under the pass is nearly two miles in length,
and is the second largest in the United States,
being exceeded only by the Hoosac tunnel, in
Massachusetts. The work of brick-arching this
tunnel, which commenced nearly three years
years ago, is still in progress and will require
at least the same number of years to complete.
Japanese brick is used almost exclusively in the
work. An Edison dynamo furnishes light to
300 incandescent lamps for the illumination of
the tunnel at all times. The work of arching is
necessarily slow an account OF the passage OF
trains, but the safety OF the tunnel is obvious by
the action of the railroad company i'll taking up
the switchback.