The record-union., 1897-06-25
LAKE TAHOE WAGON ROAD.
Recommendations as to How Il Should
be Improved.
Result Of the Inspection Made by
Members of the State High
way Department.

way Department.
The following report was yesterday
made by NJ. Manson, President of the
State Highway Department, to Marco
NarOZZa, Commissioner of the Lake Ia
hoe wagon road running eastward from
Piacerville 1t will be read with inter
est By residents of FL Dorado and all
others accustomed to travel over that
old-time highway. The report reads:
Marco Varozza, Commissioner of Lake
Tahoe Wagon Road-Sir: On June Sd
this department received a letter dl-
rected to his excellency, James H
Budd, Governor of the State, requesting
that some engineer be detailed to ex-
anime the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road and
report upon the condition of the same
and recommend such suggestions as the
premises may require" This letter was
duly referred to this department and in
compliance with the same, Commission
ers Ashe and Price were detailed to
make the necessary examination and re-
port. Commissioner Manson being en-
gagged in the examination of road work
&lSRhDGTe- IOll lilC1I lttN NSOlISelllOiiG
we are able to report as follows:
Leaving Placerville on June 10th
they proceeded to drive over the road
from its point of beginning to the line
between the States of California and Ne
vada The road is 5S miles in length
traVersing for the greater portion of its
route the mountain sides adjacent to the
south fork of the American River to the
summit of the Sierra Nevada Mountains
thence descending into Lake Valley, al
the southern extremity of Lake Tahoe
and thence through Lake Valley to the
State line.
The State of California having as
sumed control of this important road
we deem it necessary to state cOncisely
its former as well as it's present condi-
ton.
The road is known as the old emigrant
road, which, through verious changes
from the original rough emigrant trail
has passed to toll roads and finally has
become a State highway. When the
road was operated under the toll road
franchise system it was known and
properly so, as a model wagon road. The
toll franchises passed to the county OF
Ell Dorado and thence to the State
through the operation of an Act ap-
proved March 26, 1895 Statutes 1899,
page 119).
Under the toll road system the road
bed was broad, averaging in width from
sixteen to twenty feet, and in some
places wider, located on a true grade,
varying with the conditions of the coun-
try but in a few cases excessive. The
road bed during the summer season
was generally well sprinkled, making
this one of the most attractive drives in
the State of California.
In the interim of time from the aban-
denment of the toll road system to the
present time, very little labor has been
expended in the preservation of the
width of the road bed, consequently the
mountain sides have by process of nat
ural wash filled a portion of the road bed
with earth and rocks thus forcing the
wagon track to the outside limit of the
grade, making the roadway single
track road The side drains or bitches
are completely obliterated by the de-
posit of this material. All bridges were
originally constructed of wood resting on
wood foundations. Some of these are
still in a fair state of preservation, While
others have decayed and must be re-
built. The crossings Of canyons and ra-
vines We're originally filled with logs
and earth. These logs have decayed
and the earth has been washed down the
slopes of the canyons, leaving the log
piles devoid of their covering, and the
road impossible. These damages have
been temporarily repaired from time to
time so as to permit of the passage of
vehicles.
The bitches, having been filed with
earth and rocks, are no longer useful,
and the result is that all storm waters
attack the roadbed, causing deep wash
outs and material damage to it. To
overcome this difficulty the various
road tenders have adopted the plan of
employing what are called ''turnouts, -
consisting of a ridge across the road
way, thus directing the water from the
roadbed.
The question of preventing the rain or
snow water from running on the roadbed
is of vital Importance to. the life of all
mountain roads. Hence the road tender
has adopted the cheapest system to
overcome the difficulty. If these turn
outs could be removed during the sum-
rner and maintained during the winter
season, they would do an inestimable
amount of good. On the contrary, how
ever, they are permitted to remain dur
ing the season of maximum travel and
are very annoying to those who pass
over the road.
The plan above described is not, in
our opinion, the proper procedure. We
would recommend that as soon as the
necessary funds can be obtained, the
rcadbed be graded so as to give a trans
verse grade or gentle slope to the hill or
ditch of only sufficient fall to cause all
water to flow into the side ditch: that
q ditch be constructed along the hill
side of the grade of sufficient width and
depth to meet the requirements of the
flow of water and that under drains be
placed at such intervals as the occa-
sion may demand conducting the