Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-11-26
and TO all intents and purposes straight.
MOUNTAINS MOVED.


MOUNTAINS MOVED.
In order 10 accomplish this feat
mountains have been removed and
dumped into the lake until today the
grade extends from shore to shore and
Is wide enough for the accommodation
Of double track II necessary. This
grade rises out OF the water to the
height Of from IA to l5 feet; below the
water there are from three inches to
80 feet hidden which slopes away easily
on either side TO the bottom For almost
the entire distance piles were driven
and temporary and permanent trestle
work erected,
HUGE PILES.
Modern engineering methods have
been revolutionized IN building this
wonderful cut off Huge piles 60 feet
long have been driven into the bed of
the lake, spliced four on top OF each
other In order to get through the false
bottom. The problems encountered have
been stupendOus. Places have been
struck in the lake where there seemed
TO be no bottom at all TO the ooze, and
no solid foundation on which 10 build
the grade,
THE "BoTTOMLESS PIT"
In one place great sinkhole was
encountered which has been named
1.-The bottomless pit" a iveritablc
mountain Of rock was dumped into the
lake at this point, then cribbing OF
sawn ties was tried but the quag-
mire swallowed IN 10000 ties ere this
scheme was abandoned for another.
The track naturally continues to set
tie, but the engineers believe that
they have mastered the problem.
WORK KEPT QUIET.
From time to time reports OF the
work have leaked out, but the South
ern Pacific has taken every precau-
ton to keep the outside world from
knowing just what has been going on
during the past IS months on the Great
salt Lake. Time and time again re-
porters in the guise Of laborers have
attempted to get on the work, but they
have been detected and turned back
Every boat, save Cambria IT, on the
lake was long since chartered by the
railroad company every precautIon has
been taken TO prevent the press from
publishing anything concerning the
work The reason for this was the un-
certainty of the ultimate success OF
the huge undertaking that has existed
IN the minds Of the promoters since
the first month after they began to
delVe into the mysteries OF the con
quest of the dead Sea Of America.
DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED.
To attempt to give figures OF the
cubic yards OF rock and feet Of tim
beers that go TO make up the grade Of
the Ogden-L ucin eut-off would be i'm
possible. Beneath the false bottom OF
the lake are hills, canyons and dales
that have been filled with the silt Of
ages from the Bear and Jordan rivers
that enter the lake. once the upper
crust is cracked a rock Weighing tons
slowly sinks, more follow until the
grade Is bullt to the required height
and then the rock train moves on and
repeats the operation while the grade
continues to steadily sink. Ii can be
readily seen that there Is not another
I'LL proposition anywhere of like mag
nltude. For IA miles It extends out
into the lake from the east shore until
the water reaches the depth of 90 feet
From the west shore the All extends
for some three miles, where the water
II OF depth too great to permit OF
further filling, The Intervening space
Is closed up with strongly built open
trestle work. In all 2S miles of plling
have been driven. Veritable forests
have been transplanted In the lake and
FOR over year past seven huge steam
shoNels, lifting each FIVE cubic yards
of dirt at dip, have been working
night and day loading up the grading
trains that dump their contents over
either side OF the temporary trestle.
hp Inn tal,s 9 AZ.
made II imperative that the temporary
trestle be well built in a manner that
would not permit It TO buckle under
the strain, This has all been filed in
so that the roadbed is absolutely solid.
SMALL NAVY REQUIRED.
A smball navy also was required for
the work and shipwrlghts were brought
from the lakes and the Pacific coast TO
build the necessary sternwheelers and
tugs for the towing of the huge RATS
of lumber and material. AT stated In
tervals storms would arise on the lake
which would wash the huge piles out OF
the booms setting them adrft and
turning them into huge battering rams
that played havoc with the work and
the floating bunk houses Of the men.
THREE THOUSAND EMPLOYED.
About 5000 men have been given CON
the work was first started. These men
earned on an average of $3.50 a day,
which means a monthly payroll Of $685.
COO They consumed daily two car
loads of provisions, The laborers earned
every dollar they made, for owing to the
excessive saline properties OF the water
in which they worked the slightest
scratch soon became fostering sore.
SMALL LOSS OF LIFE.
Despite the fact that a number Of en-
gines, cars and even several trains have
been dumped accidentally into the lake
during the progress OF the construction
of the cut-off the loss OF life has been
exceedingly small, The great engineer
ing feat has been an assured success
and viii b. n lasting monument to
General Manager Krutschnltt and
Chief Engineer Hood OF the Southern
Pacific, who first planned the huge un-
dertaking and then persuaded II, II.
Hartman to allow them TO go ahead
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