The herald., 1898-01-17

4
From the inception of the Leadville ex
element, when but twenty miles of the
road had been built, it paid operating ex-
penses and the cost of extending the line
one mile a day. Incidentally, l may re-
mark that freight rates had then a de-
cided Klondike flavor. The rate on third
class merchandise, Denver to Leadvile,
151 miles, was for years maintained at s29
a ton, more than the present first-class
rate from New York to Los Angeles! Two
other roads were subsequently built into
the Cloud City to share in its enormous
tonnage, and each encountered difficult
ties altogether unique. The traffic was
well worth the struggle made to secure
it, as is Illustrated by the fact that the
gross earnings for years OF the two roads
that first entered the city were greater
than the gross earnings of the entire At
lantic and Pacific system, eight hundred
miles in length.
The greatest barrier to the extension of
the Denver and Rio Grande railway, whose
policy has always been to follow water
routes, was the Grand Canyon of the Ar
kansas. This is a Platte canyon on a
larger scale. 1t is twelve miles in length,
and the vertical walls on either side for
long distances reach a height of three
thousand feet, more than ten times the
height of Niagara! The natural barriers
here were in themselves almost insur-
mountable, but the projectors had first to
dispossess a rival line which was then de-
termned to monopolize the gateway to
the exclusion of the Rio Grande.
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Expert engineers reported that one road
might be pushed through the canyon, at
enormous expense, but that two could be
built only by three-quarter tunneling the
entire distance. The foreign corporation
and the local company locked horns on the
proposition. A large force of armed men
were employed in the gorge and upon the
overhanging cliffs cannon were placed in
commanding positions, guards were
mounted day and night for weeks and
months, and although no shots were ex-
changed, hostilities were only averted by
the calling out of the state militia and the
| timely interference of the federal courts.
| The local road held the canyon and built
| it's line through, the roadbed in places cost
| ing one hundred thousand dollars a milei !
| Through one part of the Royal Gsrge the
walls SO nearly approach each other that
| a swinging bridge of iron Is hung from
| the opposing sides, so that trains run di-
| rectly over the river and parallel with 1t
Denver to Leadville is 269 miles long, and
one-third of the distance is on curvature.
| The maximum grade, although on a water
level, is, believe, per cent.
| 4 + +
| Emboldened by the success of the two
roads mentioned, another line was later
projected and built. This is the Colorado
| Midland, which crosses the main range
| Jof the Rocky mountains through tunnel
more than 1900 feet, or more than two
miles, above the level of the sea. This is
the highest point touched by any railroad
in the country. facetious employe OF
this road. when asked his opinion of 1t
remarked: 'It is the d-dst line ever saw
1t starts at stone quarry and runs uI
tree!' Nevertheless 1t has become, with
it's per cent grades, Is degree curves
costly tunnels, and extensive system OF
snowsheds, an important link in transcon
| tinental communication. 1t is standard
gauge line, built over the famous Ute
pass, which board Of eminent railway en-
gineers, twenty years ago, pronounced i'm
practicable for even narrow gauge road
Seventy-five foot cars in completely yes
tibuled trains now climb over it to the lof
tiest submits and glide down into tn,
deepest dells and plow their way through
passes which, when silver was first dis
covered at Leadville, were considered i'm
passable in winter for even men ant
burros!
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Having witnessed all of these achieve
ments, and many others as remarkable |
it strange I should be an optimist regard
ing the extension of railway lines into tn
Yukon, in this fin de steele era of elec
, tric1ty and compressed air? Americal
: energy, supplemented with America
money, will accomplish the feat and Il
the time predicted. The II wilp' spirit Q
this country assures 1t. MADURO.