Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-06-27
OF RAILROAD INTEREST.
Some interesting Facts About Tho
Santa 70 Cutoff.
WORK PROGRESSING NICELY.

A trip along the line of the New
Mexico Eastern or Santa Fe cutoff
railroad, now in course of construc.
ton. from Belen on the Rio Grande
division of the Santa Fe. to Willard
where the two roads cross. revealed
greater part Of the grade work accom-
plished and the cut work well advanc.
ed.
Tracks are now being laid out from
Relen. eleven miles on the mesa The
grading is finished to the mouth of the
canyon, and material is now being
delivered to lay tracks to the end Of
the mesa grade.
Piers are being built for the first
bridge entering the canyon The piers
are constructed of a cement concrete.
which. although very expensive. is
considered the most substantial of
modern construction. A frame jacket
is built in the dimensions of the pier.
Into this the freshly mixed concrete is
dumped by steam hoist and left to
harden. The first bridge Is to rest on
FIVE piers sixty feet in height. built on
solid rock base.
The first pier of some twenty to be
built supporting the five large bridges
spanning Abo canyon-that is the can.
Won proper--was built last week and
the board mold had been removed. II
hardened nicely and Is power in
strength.
Work of all kinds everywhere along
the line Is being rushed. Camps are
scattered along through the canyon
and over the pass at intervals OF a few
miles apart Each camp Is n small
city OF tents, nesting close up TO the
canyon walls cropped close together
with one big tent and a little black
screened house; the mess tent. where
the laborers are fed. and the smoke
house. where meat Is kept in the cen
ter Obtaining fresh meat, which is
very essential to the working man, is
the hardest proposition the contract
ors experience.
None of the many rock cuts to be
made are as vet finished. The rocks
are loosened by powder and dynamite
blasting. Most of the blasting is done
in the early morning and afternoon.
At this time the shots occur IN differ
ent places and follow In rapid success.
sion. The roar can be heard for many
miles and resembles very much the
cannonading OF battle. SO much OF
this work is being done that travelling
| through the canyon is dangerous and
forbidden. The grade work Is very
pretty. The soil is of red clay; the
grades are very smooth and even and
symmetrical !r formation.
| About two miles OF grade will con
meet the cut of with the Santa Fe Cen
trail at Willard and track laying will
begin there shortly-the material be
ing brought in from the east over the
Rock Island and the Santa Fe Central
There is a significance in this lattel
occurrence. II might hin, that tho
Rock Island merger had gone through
and that the Santa Fe intended usinl
the Santa Fe Central tracks from vii
lard to Torrance. The Santa Fe ha!
let no contracts for work east of VII
lard and their engineers seem LYNN
; idle. No bids for the work have beef
asked for and there seems to be quit
mutual feeling between the roads in
terested.
Work has just begun on the az
proaches OF the big thirty foot dir
cut to terminate on Abo pass. Tn
major portion of The work in this GU
, viii be done by a steam shovel brough
in over the Santa Fe Central road.
Ties and piling for small bridge
are being delivered along the line fror
Willard to Mountainair and tracks wi
be laid on this part of the road first.