The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-23
Big Task Finished by the Union
Pacific.
Great Improvements to Road
Between Cheyenne and Ogden
s15.OOO,OOO WAS SPENT.
Excursion Has Gone Out to In
spect the Work
Some Wonderful Specimens Of
Railroad Engineering.

a large party, made up Of civil engi-
neers. railroad officials and newspaper
men from various parts OF the country
left Denver Tuesday on a special tram
70 make q trip over the Union Pacific
lines between Cheyenne and Ogden
Within the last fifteen months the
Union Pacific management has expend-
ed nearly S15.09o.o00 on this stretch o1
track. which IS SO miles long, and the
improvements present several OF the
most difficult as well as the largest en-
Rtneering. problems ever solved in west
arm railroading The result of the inn
provements is 10 give The Union Pa
cffc a roadbed and track over the
mountains which is as nearly perfect
as modern engineering science can
make it Where there were grades OF
seventy-six feet to the mile there are
now grades Of forty-rnree feet max
tmum leading over mountains over ssOoO
feet high
In the prosecution of the work 1ss
miles Of the old main Inc wee a -lS-ll
doleds every bridge mas oeen elm
mated, tremendous deep canyons over
watch the rails go have been hlied, an
immense drainage area has been taken
care of by substantial concrete and
ron pipe cuiverts- Sherman Hill has
Been overcome By a TUNNEL 5000 feet
-Ong, and every obstacle NnlcA noun
tain eleva ton can present to successrul
a fairy's wand To WELD this wand,
however. has cost the Union Pacific a
vast sum Of money. which has been
spent chearfully, with the knowledge
that the work would reduce the cost
OF train operation by at least % per
cent and make mountain travel as safe
and pleasant as upon the rolling
prairies.
TO let the travelling public know the
exact character Of these improvements
IS the purpose OF the trip planned by
the officials OF the company. The new
line branches on from Burcrd. twenty
six miles west of Cheyenne. and ira
verses the country south OF the old line
for distance OF fourteen miles. where
IL crosses Tie Siding From this point
northwest to Laramie the new line
practically parallels the old 10 a dis
tance OF three miles
The former summit of the mountains
at Sherman is S,24z feet above sea level,
while the new summit three miles south
of Sherman is S.e01 feet high. thus saw
ing 24e feet Of grade in seven miles.
From constructive view point the line
IS chiefly remarkable for the amour of
material required in the building Of the
immense embellishments and a 3,O00-foot
tunnel just east Of Tie Siding
The construction has involved the ex-
cavation OF 5000. 600 cubic yards of ma
terlal. one-rhird of which was solid
rock This is exclusive Of the tunnel
excavations and is about $50 COO cubic
yards TO the mile of single track The
twenty steam shovels. with their &C
compartment of cars and locomotives,
were employed. together with several
thousand men and hundreds OF teams
Some Of the embellishments OF the new
roadbad are remarka BILE for their heighI
and large quantities Of material re-
quired for their construction over seem
ingly short distances. There are many
short embellishments on the line which
required from 100.0 900 70 GOO cubic
yards Of material
The most difficult entertainments con
Etructed were at Dale Creek. southwest I
Of Sherman. and the Sherman branch
Of the Lone Tree Creek southwest of
Sherman These nbankments are re-
znarkable for their height and the mac
feasibility of material for ma king them
Ihe Dale Creek enbankmen1 is 120 feet
high and 500 feet long and involved the
handling 81 over 100000 cubic yards of
material
The two entertainments adjacent to
the Dale Creek Ill required 25O.O cubic
yards or all told an excess of 80 900
cubic yards within a distance of one
mile Al the crossing Of the Sherman
branch of the Lone Tree Creek the en-
bankment IS 80 feet high and required
S50,voO cubic yards OF material
Union Pacific officials are exceeding
~ proud Of the new line, a. it places
them in position TO reduce time ma
terlaly between Chicago and the Pa
clflc coast whenever they see 1T to do
So In the party win be a number. OF
chicago folk who left for Denver Sun
day morning over the Northwestern.