The Topeka state journal., 1897-07-10

MOUNTAIN ROADS, WORK.
How the Central Pacific Handled 25,
600 Endeavorers Without
Accident

San Francisco, July 10-with the ar
rival Of the last Christian Endeavor
trains at Oakland today there was COM
pleted one of the most remarkable
movements perhaps ever accomplished
on single track line as difficult to op-
crate as that of the Central Pacific.
Nearly 25,0O0 people We're transferred
tance of over 800 miles, with but one
comparatively slight delay, and with
out solitary accident to mar the prog
resS of the Christian host.
General Manager Krutschnit of the
Southern Pacific company has furnish
ed the following details of how the
Christian Endeavor traffic was han
died:
The movement of excursionists was
first felt on July /, when the regular
overland trains delivered by the Union
Pacific and Rio Grande Western at Og-
den were run in several sections. These
carried the advance guard of the move
ment, the main army of which reached
the Central Pacific lines on the evening
of July 4, pouring through in an almost
uninterrupted stream until the evening
of July 8. Including the regular trains
there were moved out of Ogden from
the 1st to the Sth, "A trains, of which
SO were specials or sections of the reg
ular trains; the total number of cars
moved was S3S, or an average of nearly
II cars per train; the total number of
passengers, %, 500, or 80 per train The
distance from Ogden to San Francisco
is 833 miles. Over the first part of the
railroad the trains had to be lifted a
total height of $3.50 feet, or nearly two
miles vertically and within distance
of Ill miles had to be dropped down a
mountain grade with a vertical fall of
1000 feet, or nearly mile and half
THE question of obtaining sufficient
water for the locomotives gave the Of
fcials more concern than any other
question connected with the movement
but when it is considered that for al
most the entire distance across Utah
and Nevada the country is practically
a desert, the difficulty will be better
tions are supplied by gravity lines from
springs in the mountains. Extra
watchnen were detailed to go to the
heads of these lines to prevent leaves,
chips or Instructions of any character
from getting into the pipes. At all
stations where the water was procured
from streams, springs or wells, extra
bumpers were put on with instructions
to keep the pumps going night and day.
AT some stations where the supply OBJ
tanned from wells and springs was short
water cars, moved from other parts of
the line, were stationed to increase the
supply, the water being hauled from
such stations up and down the line
where the supply was ample.
The most serious problem, after that
of watering the locomotives, was that
of feeding the people, but the railroad
officials arranged with citizens at Ter
race, Carlin, Humboldt, Battle Noun
Canon and Auburn, to furnish lunches
outside of the regular eating houses.
The companyS carpenter forces were
detailed to erect long counters or ia
bles in the open air at which the meals
could be dispensed.
Up to a time within ten days of the
Fourth of July, it was thought that the
regular locomotives on the Central Pa
cif1c would be able to handle all of the
trains offered, but as the Fourth ap-
preached and reports were received
from the east of the magnitude of the
movement it was determined to pre-
pare for a movement larger than the
company was warranted in expecting
from any of the reports received. Ten
locomotives were leased and sufficient
number were taken from other divisions
of the system to concentrate SO locomo-
tiveS and crews at Ogden on the morn
ing of July 4.
Six locomotives and crews were con-
centrated at each terminal west of Og-
den at the same time so that as the
terminal the locomotives were cut off
and locomotives and crews kept in relay
were attached, while the crews of the
locomotives took the necessary
rest and nourishment.
AS soon as they had done this, the re-
lieved locomotives were started east
ward light to take their places again
among those awaiting incoming trains
at Ogden.
The arrangements were so perfectly
made that there would have been no
difficulty in handling so per cent more
trains than the company received The
first train came through without pat
the eating stations to any great
extent, but the last ones availed them (
selves of the facilities offered, and their |
slower movement can be attributed al
most wholly to the delay in feeding the
MD