The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-26
Special to The Herald.l

Ogden, Nov. 25.-The successful COM
pletion of the Ogden Lucin cutoff
across the lake is a good example Of
the results of the faith that removes
mountains This is literally true. The
faith OF Coils p. Huntington, Chief
Engineer Hood, E. II. Hartman and
Julius Krutschnitt that the plan Of
bridging the great inland sea was not
only possible, but one of the greatest
Practicability. has resulted in the actual
moving of mountains. In yet another
sense mountains have been moved, in
that they are no longer TO be reckOned
with as obstacles to transportation.
But in a perfectly literal sense the
statement is true, for veritable noun
tains of ballast have been hauled from
the shores and dumped into the lake
around the piling or on the roadway
as bed for the crOss-ties.
Curves Eliminated.
The distance across the lake which
has been spanned is about twenty-five
miles. The distance from Lucin, where
the new line leaves the old. 20 Ogden. is
lO4 miles, and the distance saved is
fOrty-two miles. Furthermore, the road
over the new line is uniform and al
most gradeless, and without the nu-
merous curves that characterized the
other route, which has to mount the
high divide of the Promontory range.
Here, in another sense, is where the
ork has removed a mountain by elm
mating il as a factor in impeding
transportation.
From Ogden to the east shore of the
lake and from Lucin to the west shore
the lake presented no difficulties in the
matter of engineering. From the east
shore to the PrOmOntory the trestle
constructed was intended to be tempo
rary. The track was laid across 1t
and then thousands of carloads Of
rock. gravel and earth were hauled
from the shore and dumped around the
piling till il was imbedded in il. and
I a firm rOadbed was builded up from
the lakes bottom. OF the entire dis
tance from the east shore to the
PromOntory all but about 500 feet have
/ been filled in. and a roadway built
Up such as neither waves nor winds
can shake. From the west side Of the
Promontory out into the lake for a
distance of about two miles the same
method was employed. and from the
west side OF the lake the line has been
( built up from the dumping Of rock
and ballast into the waters for sew
/ eral miles. Less than sixteen miles Of
actual trestle unsupported by iU-in ex-
/ list OF this another four miles viii
/ eventually be built up. so that not
more than a dozen miles will be Of
/ trestIe.
Great Engineering Feat
The best and most scientific engi-
neering in the world was employed in
/ the construction of the great bridge.
With the beginning Of the construction
scows were used to float the pile driv-
/ ers and piles were driven on which to
/ erect camps or shanties for the housing
of wOrkmen while the construction
work was going on Twenty of
/ these camps were in Operations at one
time. Where it was expected that the
trestle would be merely temporary but
four piles were driven. Where it was
to be permanent a regular and sys-
tematie method of construction was
employed, a system which was COM
pUted with mathematical accuracy with
a view to having every part strengthen
every other part. Five big timbers
were sunk into the lake bottom to a
depth that insured stability. Where, as
In many instances, one timber was not
LONG e,TfcHH nd re