The record-union., 1898-12-06
LAKE TAHOE WAGON ROAD.
WHAT COMMISSIONER vARoz-
IA SAYS OF TT.
About $4,000 is Required for
Necessary Work to be Done
the Next Two Years.

NAofcO fdrOZZa, commissioner OI the
Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, has filed his
report with the Governor, showing what
ha- been done in the way of improving
that important mountain highway, and
what will be required during the en-
suing two years. The report reads:
To His Excellency, James H. Budd,
Governor State of California-Sir: I
hereby transmit to you the report of the
Commissioner of the Lake Tahoe
Wagon Road, under Act of April l,
1877, entitled. IAN Act to create the
office of Lake Tahoe Wagon Road Com
missioner, providing the term of office
and compensation of such Commits
stoner, defining his duties, and making
an appropriation for the salary and ex-
perditures provided for and authorized
by this Act.'
The said road, extending from Smiths
Flat to California Nevada State line, is
oS miles in length, including 64 bridges
OF total length of 1,410 feet, and lao
culverts, all of which are necessary to
maintain for the purpose of properly
protecting said road from injury by
washouts, and many of them are en-
tirely too small.
There was expended out of the appro-
priation under said Act for the main
teEance of said road, prior to the be-
ginning of the forty-ninth fiscal year
50, 1S015, leaving for the forty ninth
and fiftieth fiscal years but $7,S1955,
out of which (there remaining but
Sl93.S5 at this date), the road, while
very narrow, has been kept in good
condition for light traffic One bridge
at the third crossing of the American
River has been entirely rebuilt of wood
and stone. and temporary repairs have
had to be made to a number of other
bridges and culvents.
beg to submit for your consideration
my estimate for the next two years,
which is:
For maintenance ......................$2 $40, ,0G.
Salary Commissioner ................ 1900
Expenses 300
New bridges and cuiverts. 45, 600
Fills and cuts, removing 5000 cubic
4Oldl 9o9,oVo
The embankments Of this highway
have in places slipped away, narrowing
the road until precipices extremely dan
gerous are many. The loose, rocky
condition of the country through which
the road passes has been a source of
annoyance, and in many places the
grade is almost taken or filled up by the
vast quantity of loose material, little
of which has been removed for years.
There are four bridges crossing the
American River-one crossing Truckee
River and one crossing Front Creek,
which will have to be rebuilt within the
next two years; and some idea can
be arrived at regarding their import
ance, when the maximum flow in any of
said streams can be easily estimated at
net less than 100, 900 miners inches of
water, and it will be difficult and costly,
at some of the locations, to find proper
upon which said bridges are
to be built.
The culyertS are fast decaying, and
on account of the dangerous condition
of thel different structures (of which are
from fifteen to thirty-five years old),
I have been compelled to serve notice
on teamsters not to attempt to cross the
bridges with total burden exceeding
10000 pounds, and upon examination.
after several vehicles loaded to that
had crossed the mountains, l
became convinced that even that load
was in excess of what would insure
safety to life ana property.
I desire to impress upon those who
will have the matter of this requested
in hand, that the condi-
tion of said structures are notoriously
known to be bad and indeed it is ques-
tionable whether or not some Of them
will stand this winter out and the high
water of the spring of 1899.
Unless something of an extensive ma
ture in the reconstruction of the bridges
and culverts can be considered, the
State will have to close this great inter- !
state highway to traffic, for even now it
is a matter of little doubt but that the |
State is grossly guilty of contributory
negligence, in permitting the heavier |
vehicles with their loads to cross some
os the bridges.
This road, if properly maintained for
heavy traffic, is source of immense
benefit to the two States, as we'll as one
afTording unlimited satisfaction to the |
thousands of pleasure seekers from the |
valleys, who annually visit the beauti-
full streams and lakes of the Sierras.
In closing this report I desire TO ex-
tend to your office my thanks for the
kind interest manifested in relation to |
the road, and I also wish to say as
much of the members of the Bureau of
for the assistance rendered
me, and who in the line of their own |
duties, have made careful examinations
OF the entire road. Respectfully sub
mitted, MARCO VERONA.
Lake Tahoe Wagon Road Commis- |
s<,1