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

One is half way across Bear River Bay
and the other is in the middle of North
Arm, where the road crosses it. 1t -
in North Arm that most OF the trouble
has occurred Piles Of TO matter what
length driven into the lake bottom 30
down for about sixty feet and then. nav
ing apparently pierced some outer crust,
drop out of sight
The first accident that occurred was
last fall. when two gravel cars were lost
by the company. Roadbed after roadoed
disappeared, and other cars ard an engine
have been drawn into the place as the
result of sinking tracks
1t was in the eastern quaSmire That
the most recent serious accident occurred
a consuuction train was passing over
the temporary track when the roadbe1
sagged suddenly on one side. derailins the
engine and overturniag 1t into the water.
while several cars were dragged after IL
The fireman was killed and the engine
driver was badly injured
Several theories have been advanced a.
to the cause and extent of these quick
sands. 1t has been a current belief fc-
many years that the Great Salt Lake con-
tanned subterranean outlets Several NJ
ers pour into it. while the only apparent
outlet is through evaporation. Many per
sons are convinced that the cutoff IS BE-
ing built over two of these subterranean
outlets. which are covered a. the mouth
I b. the shifting quickssnd.
Southern Pacific engineers believe the
eastern quagmire is the result Of lie
= washing down for centuries of silt from
the Bear river. This has filled in a deep
canyon and they believe persistence VIII
result in finding the solid bottom. While
they do not offer 10 explain the other
: quagmire. they believe the same result
may be obtained there.
All this talk about abandoning the
cutoff IS foolish declared a Southern
Pacific official. I'VE Will keep a it until
we have a solid roadbed. no matter how
long it may take nor how much the cost.
It is only a question OF tine when the
bottom of these so-cal,ed qua gmires will
be reached. We are dumping trainloads OF
rock every day-fifty tons of rock TO the
car-and well dump in 4 whole noun
tain, ii necessary Were going 10 build
, the road across this lake. and that's all
there is to IL
The greatest difficulty is expected in
/ the western quagmire. which is now
giving the most trouble Here the wtrd
sweeps the entire length OF the lake, and
the waves are high. The water is thirty
feet deep. II is the intention to build ten
miles OF trestle across this portion hat
so far the foundation has not been Sc
cured.
The engineers have decided on an OK
pertinent which they hope will solve the
problem. They have started on the build
Ing of immense cradles OF timbr-.
which will be filed with stone and low
cred into the lake. By anchoring theze
carefully and binding them closely TO
gether:: It is hoped that these will stand
the strain
All manner Of expedents have beer
necessary 70 carry on the work Leaving
a beautiful farming country. but the res
the seven miles 10 the lake shore IS
across a desert This is all easy railroad
building At the edge of the lake is Lit
tie Mountain. which is cut through, the
steam shovels taking out the material.
which is used 10 I'LL in the embankmeEt-
Two miles in an artesian well furnishes
water for one thousand or more men and
the twenty-four donkey engines An ar
tesian well was sunk in the bottom of the
lake. under the salt water, and flow OF
fresh water was obtained. but it was 50
muddy that Il could not be used.
! Trouble began as soon as the lake was
entered Areas were encountered where
the salt and sand made an apparently
solid bottom Perhaps IL was solid, AMI
49, -,iIa driver gould sink only a couple
| of inches at a stroke. Again the pile
might 30 through the crust and sink OFT
I of sight at the second stroke In other
places the mud was so soft uuder the
crust that it would not bear the weight
/ of the construction train without some
device 10 aid in the support In such
case blanks were laid eight feet TO he
| south OF the permanent roadbed. ten
porary track laid and light cars of rock
| were sent out to be dumped over the sid :,
! forming the permanent rosdbed- 8
When the water was reached the teu,-
porary track was extended by sand bags.
/ These were loaded on RATS and poled oct
/ to the place desired. There they we're
piled into piers. and timber stringers were
placed across. the track being laid on
these. 1t was in this way that the first
| was reached
| In deeper water this method was una