The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-01-29
BRIDGING AN INLAND SEA.
StupendOus Engineering.

We have in times past been told much
of wonderful feats in railroad building,
and much has been written of the en-
gineering 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.
in the grandeur and magnitude of the
undertaking. the Union Pacifc-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
missioners to the Secretary of the In
terror.
Thirty-fv 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
for supremacy. 1t was a 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 diff
cult feats of railroad engineering ever
undertaken has Just been completed by
the owners of "The Overland Route"
Union 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.. Z. H. Har-
riman, head of the Hartman Lines, and
a 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, p 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 a short
distance on the west end near Lucin, Ne
vada, where a slight grade is encoun-
| tered.
ko 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
| of the most expensive of the Hartman
! 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 these
engines will mean the saving of at least
| 81 $1,000 day in operating expenses and
also a saving of several hours i'll running
| time.
| Active work was commenced in 1902
] and thus the almost il-eossible task was
completed in about % months. The last
pile was driven during the last week OF
| October. This great work has cost over
| "A 20O, 10000.
The cut off runs from Ogden west IL
miles over level country before reaching
the lake proper, then across the east arm
of the Lake miles to Promontory Then
five miles of solid road bed and then n
miles west over the west arm Of the Lake
toward Lucin and thence across the Great
Salt Lake Desert to. Lucin, Nevada
Across the east arm of the Lake, it will
be almost continuous film supported
by trestle. Near the middle of this will
be a gap, of 600 feet of open trestle work
left for the waters of the Bear river which
flow into the arm of the Lake
Across Promontory Point runs five
miles of solid road bed and here difficult
work was encountered. A cut of 5000
bluff being necessary. At this point, the
most beautiful on this inland sea, sur
reys have been made for an immense sum
| mer resort.
Across the west arm of the Lake is IL
miles OF trestle work with film ap
proach at each end of four miles In
completing the work of spanning the Lake
the east arm by the settling of films and
trestle work. This was caused by the salt
| of the flow of the Bear river having col
| lected for centuries over the bottom OF
the Lake and having formed salt wal
of 100 feet 1t took l 900 tons of rock in
pAes which appear to have reached tho
bottom of the Lake proper and which has
resulted in firm and splendid road bed.
In speech which he made at the Alta
Club, Salt Lake City, on the eve of the
opening of the "Cut Off, Mr.. Hartman
said:
THE completion of this undertaking
will reduce the distance between San
Francisco and Salt Lake by Al miles, and
will eventually bring the time between
the two cities down to % hours.
ut is intended to reduce the running
time from Salt Lake to Chicago to 81
hours, and put passengers into New Yorl,
in So hours from Salt Lake.
These two railroads-Union Pacific and
Southern Paci6c-have spent in the last
three years somewhere near $3.50, 700,
| 10000 in repairs and improvements aside
from the expenses of operation or main
| tenance."