The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-05

known passes when has attention was
called by Mr.. Becker TO . fact which he
had already nosiced-she lack Of informs
tion In regard to the mountains, streams
and passes to the south o! the Cadypass.
Mr.. Haskell was then started up Mason
creek. branch Of the Wenatchee. with in
struc;ions to explore the mountains At and
near its source. Accompanied by one
packer and carrying Blankets end PROV
sions on his back he vent up this stream.
No trail led up the valley and
there was no sign that any human
being, white or Indian. had ever
penetrated the forest which bordered it.
1t was one day in July or August that he
and his companion stood on the summit
of the range. and. looking TO the south.
saw . gap in the line Of jagged peaks
where the heads Of two canyons we're di-
vided By only narrow ridge. one Of them
on the east and the other on the west.
They descended to the spot. and, after
satisfying himself thatit Was practicable
pass for . railroad. Mr.. Haskell carved
the name Stevens Pass" ON > tree which
stood exactly on the divide. as tribute to
his immediate superior. But they did not
yet know whittier the valley TO the west
led, 20 they started to trace it down, blazing
trail as they went. They saw not
. sign that human being had ever been
there. There Mss not an az mark on .
tree nor remnant Of . camp fire. After
they had reached . point where Berlin
station now is, they found . beaver dam
stretching into the river, . broad. rushing
mountain stream. along which their path
lay, populated seemingly BY fully 100
II.
evidence that no other man had traversed
sbat valley before. The first settlement
they reached was Index, where they
learned that the river they had traced
down was the south fork Of tho Skyko-
mish. There they took to a canoe and
went on down to Sultan. Mr.. Haskell no
sooner reported than . thorough investi-
CATION Of the route was ordered
with the result that it was found
to be the best crossing Of the mountains.
with the lowest pass. shortest tunnel, best
grades and shortest distance. Mr.. Becker
and Mr.. Stevens went up Mason creek and
over the pass on horseback on October %,
1880. following trail which had been cut
by their own mel. and came down by the
same route ~ MI. Haskell. The survey
was begun through the Cascades in OctO-
her, 1880. and BY February. 1891. the pre-
liminary line was through the mountains
and the route was practically established
throughout.
Meanwhile the location of the line east
of Spokane had been making rapid prog
ress and by July, 1E9a about the time when
the much.sought pass had been discov-
cred, the engineering work was far enough
advanced TO warrant the starting o! grad
ing. The contract for the first lS5 miles.
from Assiniboine to the summit of the
Rocky mountains. Was let TO Shepard,
Stems & Co. on August 4. 1880. and . week
later they began work. The first l8 miles
of road were all in rolling prairie. stretch
ing to the bank of Cutbank creek, where
one Of the highest bridges in the country
had to be built. The first rails we're laid
on October %, 1880. and traeklay,ng con-
tinued without interruption until Janu-
airy II, 1891. when il was suspended for the
erection of the great bridge. which occupied
February ana March. The forces were
transferred 70 the mountain section until
the breaking up Of winter in April. when
they were again put to work grading on
the plateau west of the Cutbank. Tho
bridge was completed on April q and
trackIaying resumed. but the mountain
work just ahead was very heavy and labor
was scarce, 80 that grading did not prog
ress very rapidly. These causes and the
construction Of heavy bridges led to fire.
ouent delays, so that the track did not ad-
vance very rapidly. The bridge over Two
Medicine creek. 2i2 feet high and 500 feet
long. was built after the track reached ITS
banks and suspended traeklaying for forty
- oh urtt f~h
could not be built in advance OF the track
held back the machine and the Flat
head river bridge fell just as IL
was nearing completion. SO that
it was December 81. 1891. when
the rails reached Kalispell. a6i miles from
the starting point Much grading had.
however, been done in advance oil the
track and connection was made with the
Northern Pacific at Sand Point. Idaho. TO
enable the steel bridges across the Pend
d Oreille to be put III. so that during the
four following months track xas lad from
both directions. SO mics teing iaid from
Sand Point east. This brought the end oil
track to Albany Falls. on the Washington
state line, 459 miles from Assi'sbo ne, on
April y. isas, and on Nav Sosi reached Spo-
kane, 5i2 miles from Pacific junction, as
the starting point AZ Assnsaoane was
named. oi this distance the lass soi miles
had been laid in Ave months.
While the main line was thus rapidly
advancing westward, the Coast lines HAD
been completed and pat in operation, and
construction had began on the west end
0: the road from the Junction With the
Coast lines a. Everett TO the summit ct 'hs
Cascades. Grading on the Seattle q Mon
'ana ~as begun on August !, 1879. anu
continued through the stormy winter
which followed. A number OF earcum-
stances ccnspiTe. 70 maze the progress
SOW. Some property Owners forced the
beginning % condemnation SUITS Tor right
ef-gsy; heavy rains made she earth hTary
and hard 10 work. . controversy VITA TIE
city council and the Lake shore reaa IN
regard to ricA;-os-Say AZ bsiiara Pre-
vented anything from being done IN that
town Tor sonae time: The fa!ing aaonz me
Seattle water from; had 20 be almost en-
t.rely replaced III consequence 0. TIE raw
ages OF the ;eresso: ana long
stretches o. trcsaies had 10 De oai.f across
the broad de.sas Of the rivers. but the
greatest cause Of ae.ay MAS in saas pars OF
the road, Vi ich. unlike say other In the
country. skirts the SEA Scr distance Of
;xenty-four miles from ias mouth OF sal
mon bsy TO Davis poia.. 1t the mouth OF
the srohomssh river. Tae Foaaeed VAS
cut out of the sides Of the bluffs over
hanging the Sound. which are n! CON-
posed OF earthly material. 50 ishs and
soluble in "A alter sha: Il readily washes out
Nearly the whole o. this section OF the
road had TO be projected BY esabeing
formed Of solid roEad iogs rising eight