The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-28
ON THE SCENIC LINE
Astoria and Columbia River Road
l'icturesquely Situated.
rany Of Capitalists Visit the Liae Much
kork Done 10 Most Subsian-
tial Manner.

SUNDAY morning party on the steamer
Dwyer. Capt Rehfeld. visited the grade.
now under construction by Corey Broth
erS. for the railroad above Tongue Point.
The entire distance was covered between
Tongue Point and the end OF the FIRST ten
mile contract near Knappa, and IL was
found that a surprising amount OF work
had been done during the bad weather.
Navigation In and out OF the narrow
sloushs was very dlfiicult. but a good
view was had OF all the work. In the
party were Messrs. A. b. Hammond,
Samuel Brown. OF Boston. Capt L. b.
Scott. l.. b. Seeley. ]. N. Turney, Walter
G, Smith, D. X Warren. DR. Jay Tuttle.
{. W, shively. Engineer Jameson. Il.
VanDsen. c. c. VanEtten. DIR. Alfred
Kinney and two sons.
The day was a pleasant one for an
Astoria April Sunday and the run from
the city was made In good time None
OF the camps were working, as the early
morning had been stormy. The men
and boats were busy. however. getting
out rock nj Tongue Point for the rip
rRpping OF the embankments. Camp No.
/ Is In full working order at Its new
location ON the east side OF Tongue Point
and work has commenced on the cut
through the Tongue, The grade work
has been done In sections all along the
ten miles. Because OF the nature OF the
ground II could not have been done con-
tinuously The earth work In many
sections is completed and the grade be-
tween Mill Creek and John Day river
is not only finished but completely rip
raped the entire way. The rlp-rap work
on the side OF the embankments next the
river has been thoroughly done with
blocks OF stone regularly laid like Bel
gium pavement. Is eighteen inches thick
the entire way. and refiects great credit
upon the contractors. The entire work Is
being done In a most substantial manner
and Il ls evident that the road Is being
constructed for the purpose OF handling
the heaviest traffic. The grade Is almost
IA water level all the way, and the curves
are easy so as to permit OF the highest
speed When the seventy pound steel
rails are laid on the solld road bed and
the track Is ballasted. Il will be the best
line OF road on the coast A number of
heavy cuts through projecting points OF
land have been made. and most OF them
are also cut on the bias. large amount
OF trestllng will have 10 be done to
connect the different sections OF earth
soon be commenced. This is said to be
the most expensive ana difficult ten miles
on the whole route TO construct, and Is
well out OF the way at the beginning.
The John Day tunnel is a splendid piece
OF work. and is cut through sand stone
that the owners OF the land once thought
had commercial value. The experience
OF the engineers. however was very diff
ferent As soon as the rock Is exposed
to the weather Il soon melts like sugar,
The tunnel is heavily timbered with the
best material throughout and Is SO large
that a man standing on box car can
pass through II without touching his
head TO the roof.
Along the line the different camps,
perched on the hiilsldes, with the blue
smoke curling lazily from the chimneys.
made picture most pleasing, and be-
spoke OF the coming MONDAY repast
which the hungry excursionists could al
most imagine was then being served on
deal tables and tin dishes in a most
tantalizing manner to one unable to get
an invitation to fall to-"
The Astoria and Columbia River Rail-
road. when completed, will be one OF the
scenic lines OF Oregon. 1t follows closely
along the river bank and from the win
dows OF the swiftly moving palace cars
will be had glimpses OF such scenery
as picturesque Switzerland might be
proud OF. The. mighty Columbia, as II
rolls to the sea, affords an uninterrupted
panorama OF beautiful pictures seldom
equalled anywhere.
Upon the return trip, whilst navigating
one OF the crooked sloughs of Upper
Cathlamet bay, the steamer ran on a
sand bar and there she stuck until the
midnight high tide fioated her. One of the
men rowed to Burnside point a mile or
two away, and secured Capt. Burnside
and his launch Daisy, who came 10 the
rescue Of the shipwrecked exeursIonists,
He landed the party safely at Camp. No.
l, from whence they walked into the
city over the line OF the road. Upon
arrival at the occident, Sing was kept
busy for an hour removing large uuan-
tity Of the railroad grade from many
pairs OF boots and at the o'clock dinner
Mine Host Megler's larder was nearly
cleaned out. On the way In Mr.. Warren.
Dr. Tuttle, Mr.. Hammond and Mr.. Jamie-
son were In the lead, and the reputation
OF Clatsop county was maintained. as the
first two gentlemen won the inpromptu
spnnting match.