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


81 - IL Summer Of isoi When ne
! go q ~ rosd from spokane vest vas
] s.~e..epd, bss II vas not Until the fol-
si.sre sueing that the contract Tor the -
$780, q The grading and bridging VAS
~. 49, he e.eat army Of labofers was
$780, 60 one end OF the state 70 The
-. ~ vak went ahead with rush,
49,. - saur1ieations IN getting through
%. - = DnchSns pending the subscsip-
-. lnrktefwsy by the citizens. there
- 49, lsasy in the resumption Of
s..s<s,.irr from that point. hut finally
ssss.eVvv arrangement wss made ~
- trcins ran over the tracks OF the
Cs,nn Poeifc and Spokane 4 Northern.
~ troekisying Vas resumed on Joiy
II and pushed With great RAPID
- In crossing the Big Bend
~ss.trv soue ssmasksbly quick work
~ aooe. - much - i've miles o. tfae.
li;ag laid In . sinxie day thfonsn sns s'-
nsatansous uss of the machine ana sess.
II order 70 hassea the complexion o. the
Nae. rails vsrs shipped to the west enc,
ara bssinuiag on Auenst q sxty-nvs
vslss az teack uess laid from Lowell east
vksd. some serious damage VS. done TO
ss;,irosdbsd by foods 1t the end Of Noven-
~ ia. which washed out the tresties in
ls,,ch coulee, on the east side Of the
.ss,nfafus. and carried out the false work
p; ievasl bridges along the Sky kemish
sltss. Ut this vas repaired In the course
a d. weeks and track Was ut LAST con-
elese1 fhlStssn miles vest Of the Summit
Il ~ evening Of January 9. 1888. Since
1kakaaoe The road has had many difficulties
h:ksoaend with through the unusually
heASy fail Of snow. which frequently slid
tDNn The mountains IN great avaianches,
1osxing the track 70 depth Of thirty or
IN S6et. A large force Of men Was kept
Usstanty It work, however, and the line
nn0w quite ready for regular operation. In
~ freight trafic has been earned on since
ufrsa. Tbs Western Union Telegraph
CD.sssny has extended its wires along the
mfdt laid track a. IL advanced westward,
UalsS tanks. stations. section houses and
yosisahouses have bssn built at the foot
= .shs switchbsek by which the Cas-
esks 10 crossed tempo rsrily and everything
- teen made ready for passenger trafiic.
Ire greatest, perhaps. Of the many fsats
q engineering which have marked the
eorlsMuction Of this line IL the great stecl
senBtI ssvsr bridge by which the Columbia
nver:s crossed. During the erection Of
the btidge. trains havs bsen transieyred
eses eais magnificent stream by the ferry
otssusss J. e. Nixon. but the bridge vas
tnisksd on May g and cars cab now be
hsE!ca the whole distance by locomotives
uitheas leaving the solid road. The point
ooisrt*d for the crossing 10 near Rock
1slsaa, where the river IL divided by an
isiaus OF rock. $50 feet from the east bank.
he sSsin stream 4l6 feet wide and II
fsst dyep flowing TO the west Of IL. The
Eve- i;ere cuts through . bssaltic hutts 500
ut high. which falls TO ito bed in shelf
IKE terraces. The road approaches the
liver from tho east by . way cut
throukh . huge bssalt rock which rises
30 !esn the water, and from this founda-
non lite first span springs to another pier
buils tn the rocky isiet Then the main
opsr, $40 feet long. leaps I'D feet above low
uater 20 the water line on the west side.
uhsfe q meets the third span Of $50 feet.
which stretches from the bluff over one Of
~ shelves. The whole bridge il 9i6Is
ut long. 10 a feet from top to bottom of
~ structure in the center and weighs $50
tons. IL was no easy matter to raise IL.
lbe its height and the depth Of the water
lbsbsde the use OF false work. Accord
tngiy tse two side spans were erected on
hlss;wsrk. but in IN inverted position.
ond thd outer ends were loaded with 400
hons of railroad iron each 90 a to balance
half II the main span a. IL Was projected
eVes iht abyss. When tbs two ends Of the
main span were brought together the
nd
plaeesl in their proper position.
4 ditacutt problem Was skiifuliy solved
Ct the Epint where the road comes down
- tho I've river. a. the upper south fork
= the Skykomish is called, and crossing
Martin creek dcscends from the mountain
lido b the bottom Of the valley. AZ the
point where the road begins this descent
u 10 kbout 600 feet above the river, and IL
uas necessary to wind around in order tn
ct down on easy grades. After coming
Down TIE river along the mountain side,
know issc switchbsck. about five and
half nsilss. II runs up the east side of Mar
I'm creek, which nows into the river from
she nor:h. for about three-quarters Of .
nile, passing through small tunnel, thea
crosses the creek on n bridge about
ksy feet high and 30 feet long
Then Il enters tunnel on the
Mme carve and continues to curve
through. IL for about i.,oo feet in solid
sock. thss doubling on itself and coming
cut agaii, on the same side Of the creek
hnow recrosses the creek at lower grade
n anatsaer bridge 80 feet long and $50
ket high. coming back under the original
nAe i. runs on up the Tye valley for
ak....S 4 L. a 81 l.. A.
sasii IL reaches the desired level above the
vater. shcn turns across the valley and
zones down on the south side of the river
Another feat Of engineering 10 performed
q Che forks of the Skykomish. where the
rad crosses from tho south side OF the
oeth Fore 10 the north side Of the north
eek fhq road here turns from the south
ucs of the south fork. crosses the river
I'D runs through what is known rs Nc
Lan's cat in the point Of tho ridge
esdiny the ncrth and south forks.
With se9sh and West Index noun
sains on shc south and North Index on
- nosik. 1, was q, first intended TO
nass "a sunncl At this point. but the
material sas sill found 10 be vet sand and
NE e'sy. which eavcd in and buried one
We s,earers. 81 the plan MAS changed.
d u ~as made an open cut. requiring
SsexcAss,ion OF IA 90 yards of material.
80 fesd then turns east up the soash
ssas o. use north fork for about . mile,
ufhs Esfssss the river and continues To
s1ve aata IL gets down To the level Of the
ssasey on sae north hank. which IL follows
=" .as seSi OF the aay down 10 the neigh
sse"s q saohomish. The adoption o.
as 'oGe sas necessary TO avoid about ten
a1s.s o. ess. cay slides on the south bank
. sas scssa fork.
Snastes eircui,oas piece of line va.
ascsssa,y ia orter 10 re, anwr ,nr,nrh