The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-24
Union Pacific to Bridge Great
Salt Lake.
History of Wonderful Project
Soon to Be Carried Out.
so MILES OF TRESTLE.
Gigantic Feat of Spectacular
Bridge Building.
End of Bitter Struggle Between
Ogden and Salt Lake.

Work will soon begin on a much talked
of cut off of the Union Pacific railroad
from Ogden to Lucin. Utah, across the
Great Salt Lake, which will be spanned
by a bridge. This has been regarded as
one of the most extraordinary feats of en-
gineering proposed for many years, not
so much because of the difficulties that
beset the undertaking as by reason OF the
novelty of carrying railroad for 5O miles
across the most remarkable inland sea in
the world
Since the Southern Pacific and Union
Pacific lines began the use of Ogden as
the Utah gateway. shortly after the COM
pletion of the original line skirt1ng the
north end of the lake, that city has re-
manned the railway center of the Mormon
state, says an exchange.
: Within the past few years there niEe
been repeated surveys OF prospective
routes to shorten the distance between
chief object evasion OF the heaVy gIades
of the present line over Promontory Point.
After careful investigation there were
found to be but two routes feasible OF
construction One was around the south
the other by an air line across the inland
sea the connection at the west end IN
either case being at Lucin. The present
line is 146 miles from Ogden to Lucin, the
one around the southern end of the lake
line across the lake, I04 miles. The latter
was the more expensive construction, but
quite as practicable in every way as the
The route across the lake was original
approved by his assistant. MIR. Krutts-
chnitt, and his engineer, Mr.. Hood. and
summer of 1900 for Immediately putting
into execution the plan of building the
But one August day. back in the Adiron-
dack mountains. Mr.. Huntington died, and
head of a syndicate secured control not
only of the Southern Pacific. but the I'm
situation again uncertain Mr. Hartman
and his associates We're new and unfa-
q
Charles NJ Hayes and Mr. Kruttschnitt
both said at different times: 1.-The change
In ownership makes it necessary to sus-
pend the work, hold the plans in abey-
ance and consult new people. We have
to begin over again at the start
Then powerful influences We're set in mo-
ton in behalf of the route through the
vor of salt Lake We're that it possessed
P9erha Ps three rec times the population OF o.
industry, headquarters of the Mormon
for inter-mOuntain tourist travel. Other
things being equal the railroads would
certainly build through Salt Lake City.
was almost threatened.
the Importance OF the project They urged
the center of Utah transportation that for
Lake would be simply to go around the
south end of the lake instead of the north
end; that it had been using horseshoe
route for 40 years and to accept the Salt
Lake route would be to turn the horseshoe
over. The Weber club of that city began
to exert a potent influence to defeat the
ambitious designs of the larger. city to the
City and the Weber club of Ogden were
IS needless here to review in detail the
work they did, each in the interest of their
own city and both anxious to secure the
prestige of the great Southern Pacific syS-
tenn. The Salt Lake Herald has compiled
a comprehensive account of the details of
the contest and of how it proceeded at its
different stages.
ogden finally won a signal victory
Work Will soon be under way the Won
derful work that will afford a new attrac-
ton TO tranSeontInentaI travellers, without
parallel in the world and certainly SO ex-
traordinary as to receive attention in all
chimes and attract visitors from all coun-
tries
road straight west from ogden
GFeaf 5sh SAT- upper portion of the
once at the point point of ou the prom 1amd
tory that juts far down into the lake
from the north end From the east
shore over to the promontory the lake
is quite shallow being not over eight
feet deep most of the way. while much |
of the distance could be easily waded !
From the promontory over to the west
shore some deep water is to be encoun-
tered. there being places where the
depth is almost 40 feet. 1t is expected
that the shallow portion of the route
Will be filled in with earth and rock
ballast after the temporary bridge has
been constructed. but the deeper por-
tions will remain bridged. A great
scenic attraction will thus be afforded
the traveler-a ride of nearly so miles
directly across the most wonderful body
of water in the world. A big bathing re-
sort is to be built on the promontcry
point similar to the Saltair pavilion.
This resort will be within so minutes
ride of Oregon.
incidentally, too. the construction of
the line will bring the immense deposits
of guano on the islands within easv
reach of market. The enterprise at a
rough estimate will call for an average
expenditure of s75oOO0 per year in and