The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-19

the lake, going through this city Two
shortened The route considerably, and al
were over easy grades. Another survey
was directly across the Great Salt Lake
the present site of the Luein cutoff
Chief Engineer Hood was from the
start anxious TO build the unique AMI
difficult piece OF work across the lake,
strongly opposing any other proposition.
When E. H. Harmon assumed control
Of the road he was inclined 10 favor
the route around the southern end Of the
lake. His plan was TO make the terminus
of the road Salt axe City, and TO have
the Union Pacific build a cutoff from
Evanston. Wyo-. to the city, thereby
shortening the transcontinentaI distance
about one hundred miles.
Il was found that Union Pacific cut
of at first planned would encounter ve-y
heavy grades. which. while 10 greater
than many others now existing on west
ern railroads, were undesirable. An al
tentative proposition was considered 10
run the Union Pacific cutoff from the
mouth of Weber Canyon. This woul1
make the grades easy. although the saw
| ing in distance would be less-thirty TO
thirty-five miles.
Chief Engineer Hood won General Man
ager Julius Kruttschnitt 10 his side II is
understood that Chief Engineer J. 3. BeT-
ry of the Union Pacific. was one of those
who counseIled against the cutoff lie
took the ground. it is said that the en-
bankment across the lake would cost
much more than the estimates called fox,
that its construction would be dangerous
on account OF the shifting character Of
the bottom IN places. and that even when
constructed il was problemadcal whether
il would be safe for heavy trains at high
speed While he conceded that the cutoff
: was possible he took the ground that the
southern route would probably in the end
. be safer and more economical.
One Of the objections raised 10 the cu.-
of was the fact that the violent storms
that sometimes sweep the lake cause huge
waves OF the heavy water to rise in he
northern end, and that these would con-
tinualIy damage any trestle work or en-
bankment, especially where it was built
on qulcksand-
On the other hand. it was urged that
the lake cutoff was shorter than any
other. that the grades were easy, and that
the construction. while expensive, WAS
practicable and could be made safe.
Messrs. Kruttschnitt and Hood finally
won their point. and the cutoff was o.
dered built. The length was TO be 1ei5
miles. a saving of forty-five miles over
the present route. The maximum graae
was 70 be twenty one feet to the mile
AT present trains run over Promontory
I Hill at the rate of twelve miles an hour.
The new route was 10 permit a speed
of forty miles an hour and the saving
of six hours time on the transcontineutal
trip.
The cutoff extends from Ogden to LII
Gin. in the extreme western part Of Utah.
and. with the exception Of a few miles
east and west OF the terminal po.n.s.
makes almost a straight line across he
state Building was started about nire
months ago from both erds along the
way
The distance across the lake is abo 1t
twenty-eight miles. This work is now
completed. with the exception OF about
ten miles where the present great treu-
BILE is experienced. The northern shores Of
the lake are in the crude form of a heart.
This is the result OF the promontory,
mountainous, wedge shaped arm which
extends southwark into the water. The
road across the lake touches the extreme
southern Point OF the arm, which IS about
four miles across and very high, and has
forced the engineers TO remove part of
a mountain in order TO get grade Tas
eastern lobe of the lake is krown as
Bear River Bay and the western part Ct
the lake at the promontory is known as
/ North Arm.
/ The Lucin end of the new road reaches
the lake at Strong Point, as the shore
extends into the water there for some
distance. The roadbed is continued into
1 the lake for about four miles. and the
rest of the distance 10 the promontory
! is trestled. excepting for ten miles, where
the quagrnire has retarded the work one
'quag'' Is about half way between the
/ western shore and the promoutory-
From the ogden side the roadbed IS
built into the lake for about six miles.
/ and trestIe work extends for the rest OF
the distance 10 the promontory- That
SIDE Of The lake Is also a Quagmire, AMI
although the road Is completed and trains
rl.n across il. the trestle work keeps sinx-
ing rapidly and the road has to be re-
built regularly
There are consequently two auagmircs-