The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1904-03-05

stupendous Engineering.

Stupend0us Engineering.
We have in times past been told much
81 wonderful feats in railroad building,
and much has been written of the en-.
xineering skill and daring that directed
the course of the iron horse across the
plains and mountains that lie between
the Missouri river and the Pacific Ocean.
I'm the grandeur and magnitude of the
undertaking, the Union Pacihc-Central
Pacific has never been equaled. The
energy and perseverance with which the
work was urged forward, and the ra-
pidity with which it was executed, are
without a parallel in history" were the
statements of the special government COM
mjssioners to the Secretary of the In
terior
Thirty-6ve years ago there was no time
to spend on work similar to that which
has Just been completed. Then the world
was watching while the builders of the
Union Pacific and Central Pacific raced
Tor supremacy. 1t was magnificent CON
test, but nowadays the owners OF the
road have been brought to consider other
problems. One of these necessItated the
solution of the grade question and the
Strengthening of the track.
One of the most interesting and diifl-
cult fears of railroad engineering ever
undertaken has Just been completed BY
the owners of ''The Overland Route"
UAion Pacific and Southern Pacific Rail
road-the building Of bridge across the
Great Salt Lake between Ogden, Utah,
and Lucin, Nevada.
The work being practically completed,
the new track was formally opened ON
Thanksgiving Day when Mr.. f. Fl. Har.
riman, head Of the Hartman Lines, and
big party of railroad magnates partook
OF Thanksgiving Day dinner in the mid
die of Great Salt Lake.
The Ogden-Lucin Cut OFF" is l02
miles in length, y miles on land and 30
miles on trestle work and films over the
waters of Great Salt Lake. 1t presents
practically level track except for short
distance on the west end near Lucin, Ne
vada, where a slight grade is encoun-
tered.
The use of this cut off will throw out
the trans-continental traffic over the old
line from Ogden to Lucin, Nevada, around
the Lake. This strip of track is ono
system, the maximum grade over the
long Promontory hill is l04 feet to the
mile and helper engines are always neces
sary. The elimination of the use of thess
engines will mean the saving of at least
81 10000 a day in operating expenses and
also saving of several hours in running
tine.
Active work was commenced in 1902
and thus the almost impossible task wa,
completed in about % months. The last
pile was driven during the last week o.
October. This great work has cost ovel
$4,000, 10000.
The cut off runs from Ogden west 1!
miles over level country before reaching
the lake proper, then across the east arm
of the Lake miles to Promontory. Ther
five miles of solid road bed and then =
miles west over the west arm of the LAX
toward Lucin and thence across the Grea
Salt Lake Desert to Lucin, Nevada
Across the east arm of the Lake, it vii
be almost a continuous film supported
BY trestle. Near Ne the middle Of this vii
be gap of 900 feet of open trestle worl
left for the waters of the Bear river whicl
flow into the arm of the Lake.
Across Promontory Point runs fiv
miles of solid road bed and here Difficult
work was encountered. A cut of 900
feet long in sand and rock of barrel
bluff being necessary. At this point, tn
veys have been made for an immense sum
mer resort.
Across the west arm of the Lake is l
miles of trestle work with a film ar
proach at each end of four miles. L
completing the work of spanning the Lake
one great difficulty was encountered acros
the east arm BY the settling Of films an
trestle work. This was caused by the sal
of the flow of the Bear river having CO.
lected for centuries over the bottom @
the Lake and having formed salt wa
of 100 feet. 1t took 900 tons of rock i
piles which appear to have reached tn
bottom of the Lake proper and which ha
resulted in firm and splendid road bed.
In speech which he made at the Alt
Club, Salt Lake City, on the eve of tn
opening of the "Cut OF" Mr.. Harrima
said:
THE completion of this undertaken
will reduce the distance between Sa
Francisco and Salt Lake by Al miles, an
will eventually bring the time betwee
the two cities down to % hours.
TT is intended to reduce the runnin
time from Salt Lake to Chicago to
hours, and put passengers into New Yor
in Sc hours from Salt Lake.
'These two railroads-Union Pacific an
Southern Pacifc-have spent in the La
three years somewhere near $4,000
10000 in repairs and improvements asic
from the expenses of operation or mail
tenance."