Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-08-17
SANTA FE, N. M, SATURDAY AUGUST II, 1901
A CUTOFF THROUGH
SANTA FE CITY
Three Feasible Routes as Outlined by a
Practical Engineer That Would Avoid
the Glorieta Rill and the Calls
teo Washouts.
ALL PROPOSED GRADES ARE GRADUAL

| The New Mexican has been furnish
ed with the following data as to the
! feasibility of building cutoff Of the
Santa Fe railway to avoid the Glorieta
grade and the Galisteo river quick
sands which this year alone thus far
cost the Santa Fe railroad more in
cold cash, annoyance and prestige than
would the interest for several years on
the cost of construction of cutoff
| through Santa Fe.
! One of the two proposed cut-offs is
! from Glorieta to Thornton. The dis
/ tance from Santa Fe to Glorieta in an
, air line is II miles, the proposed CUTOFF
would make it 13 1-2 miles, while at
present it is 2S miles. The grade would
be an even one from Glorieta which
has an elevation of 1922 feet while that
Of Santa Fe is 1850. 1t would gradual
ly ascend from Santa Fe until a point
four and half miles from the city
where an altitude of 1900 feet would
be reached. This altitude would be
htpl lOl lOul dHu Ildll IIliltS W ItlO
de los Indios. one and half miles to
Apache and three miles to Glorieta, the
entire stretch being practically level.
From Santa Fe to Pena Blanca on the
Rio Grande is 27 miles and the altitude
falls from 1850 feet to 400 feet, the de-
scent being very gradual and no engi-
neering difficulties being in the way
This cutoff would not shorten the
main line.
THE SECOND PROJECT.
The other proposed cutoff is from
Las Vegas Hot Springs to Thornton. 1t
presents greater engineering difficult
ties but the grades would be easy and
the frequent and costly washouts would
b avoided; the main line would be
shortened sixteen miles, new coal fields
and timber, grazing, agricultural,
mineral and summer resort section
would be opened to development, plen-
'ty of water is found along the route and
the city of Santa Fe would be develop
ed into large business center, doub-
ling and tripling the traffic it furnishes
at present to the Santa Fe system The
proposed route would go up the Santa
Fe canon from Santa Fe to an eleva-
ton of nearly 5000 feet near Monument
Rock, where five-eighths of mile thE;
side of the rock, the proposed cutoff
would enter upon four and three-quar-
ters miles of tunnels and open cuts to
Dalton's creek at an elevation of $500
feet making the distance IL ga miles
from Santa Fe to that point. From
that point to the Pecos is miles while
the descent would be to an elevation of
1900 ft. From the Pecos to Cow Creek
divide is six miles. This has an altitude
of 100 feet. The distance across the
Cow Creek divide is three miles, the
a half miles further to Toro Creek at
an elevation of 1900 feet. Then there
would come 1-2 miles of tunnels and
open cuts to the west branch of the
Tecolote at an elevation of 7,400 feet.
Nine miles more would bring the rail-
road to the Gallinas river at an eieva-
tion of 100 feet and five miles further
to Las Vegas Hot Springs at an eleva-
ton of G,3S3 feet.
Engineer Wilson who has gone over
the proposed routes and knows the
character of the country they traverse
assures the New Mexican that the en-
gineering difficulties presented would
not be greater than those. of the pres
ent line between Las Vegas and Albu-
querque and that the cutoff would be
far more economical in the end. 1t is
to be hoped that the Santa Fe man.
agement will look into this matter
and, if it finds the proposed routes
practical and feasible as it is asserted
they are, and saving to them in op-
Grating expenses if one of them were
built, will take steps so that the cutoff
will be built by the time that the next
rains are due.
A THIRD PROJECT.
Tho New Mexican, however, has in
formation to the effect that the head
officials of the Atchison, Topeka & San
ta Fe railway are now discussing the
feasibility OF changing the line from
Glorieta westward so that it shall cut
around the head of Apache canon some
miles, north of the present route, and
occupy high ground all the way through
the Santa Fe range, entering the Santa
Fe valley through the Arroyo Hondo
gap, and uniting with the Lamy branch
about six miles south of Santa Fe 1t is
said also that, should this,plan be car
ried out, eventually all that part of the
main line between Glorieta and Cerrillos
will be abandoned, al.o that part of the
Lamy branch south OF the Arroyo Hon.
do, and that from the Hondo southwest
across the valley via San Marcos arroyo
a new cutoff line to Cerrillos will be
This seems to be feasible
and practicable proposition, and while
it would not help Santa Fe as much as
II the main line were pushed far enough
north to touch this city, still 1t would
unquestionably prove a great saving to
the railroad company In the long run.
1t would also serve to shorten by some
miles the existing route down the Calls
teo, and this. in these days of competi-
tion for transcOntinental traffic, Is an