The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-23
FINISHING THE ROAD.
Lively Scenes Near the Summit
on the Great Northern.
TosoccAklmo ON 4 MOUNTAIN.
Uev he LabesePs &c Home - oappeT-
Fast Trains - the Northern Paddle
The Elevator Deal.

Reports from along the Great Northern rail-
rad aso % the effect that the work OF baliastin9
Il being pushed vigorously all the way from
Lesveu worth 70 Sultan. The big bridge over
the Columbfs Sivsf ct Rock Island 10 expected
% b finished some time In May, and mean
while the steamer Nixon II ferTying the cars
across four at . dina The bridge at Martin
Creek u almost finished. being the last on the
line, and . gang Of carpenters and masons 10
going along the line putting the finishing
touches on oil the bfidge2 The section Souses
on the east side Of the mountains are all built
and the painssrs are now a. work on them. The
yoad est Of Rock Island Il In full readiness for
operation, and IL IN nns condition. level ~
aoor and ballastsd with gravel.
The busiest scense are on and near the sum-
NIT Of the mountains, and wenstcheo 10 now
very quiet, the lsborers having Left there and
bsen followed By the gamblers. saloonkesperS
and thugs, male and female. Lsavsn worth. -
lcicls has been renamed. IL now the lfveliest
place on the line AID an idea Of the boom IL 10
having can b formed from the fact that con-
ductoI witnessed twenty nine distinct fights IN
one night At night the laborsrs get drunk and
90 about yelling like Comarches, and she place
IL more Ike an Indian camp on spree than .
pioneer settlement OF white men. Tho head
quarters Of the laborers on the west side Of the
mountains 10 at skykomish, which 10 Just about
~ lively ~ Lcsvsnworth. At these two places
eieven-stalt roundhouses are being built for the
helping engines which are to take trains over
the summit rs tho mountain grades begin there.
There 10 still about ten feet OF snow on the
switchback aud in many places 1t reaches TO
the tops OF the cars. There are frequent light
showers and a rotary piow goes in front OF
every train to clear the track for it Large num-
bcrs Of empty cars the way over, but
trafic moves slowly, because the track 10 FIRE.
Quently blocked BY work treinA Tho slides on
the switchbSok have oil been cleared and the
road 10 kept open by . gang OF about 100 men.
who are csmped on the summit ready to clear
away any slides that occur. The snowslides
are often twenty feet deep and OF great width,
earring trees and rocks, SO that the snowsheds
will have 10 be very strong and Of great length.
Tho laborers on the east side OF the summit,
who have their camp at Tunnel City, at the loot
OF the switchbacs, make good time and have
exhilarating. though rather periious sport, by
tobogganiug over the snow from the second
switch to tho canyon below, . distance of
several hundred feet. almost perpendicularly.
On reaching the switch they leave the train aad
cit on their shoveis on about ten feet OF snow. A
slight movement forward starts them shooting
like the wind down the mountain side, snow
dying like dust to right and left, while the train
crawls cautiously down the track, afraid that IL
- going to eops with itself.
The forces are all concentrated east OF Sultan
and little is being done west OF that place. At
the present rate Of progress the road will be
ready for operation by the beginning of May,
when the Columbia bridge will be completed.