Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-26
NEW TERRITORY
ON MOfFAT LINE.
Something Regarding the Re-
sources on the Air Line Route
TO Salt Lake
70 Be FINISHED NEXT YEAR.
So Says the New York Commercial
The Organ Of the Standard
Oil Crowd

The New York Commercial the nm
anclol journal owned by the s'ana'il
on crowd, states that the year 1903 VIII
see the completion Of the Denver
Northwestern & Pacific railroad To
what is now known as the wilderness OF
northwestern Colorado and the deyel-
opmcnt OF an area OF country MS great
as New England. The year VIII also
see the completion OF the survey
through to Salt Lake and. In all prob
ability. contractors working from the
Salt Lake end as well as from the Dem
YER end Of the road
The Denver. Northwestern & Pacific
commonly known as the "Moffat line"
after David II. Moftat a Denver bank
er. and its builder crossed the Con-
tinental divide IN 1904. and thereby
gave the lie to capitalists and ran.
road mon who said that the road would
never accomplish this feat and to ongi.
neers who declared the route surveyed
was impossible for q railroad. The des-
tinatlon Of The line Us salt Lake, ana II
traycrscs as nearly as possible an alr
line from Denver penetrating the
wilds OF Colorado and opening a coun-
try tremendously rich In coal ana min
erals and agricultural possibilities.
The road was completed 10 Arrow
head, rs miles from Denver on oct /,
1908, and I'm the virgin forest the town
OF tents and log cabins was started.
The completion OF the road 10 this point
marked the crossing Of the Continental
divide and the accomplishment Of one
OF the most daring bits OF railroad en-
cheering IN the history OF ralroadlng
IL also marks the completion OF the
most difficult part Of the construction
OF the Denver, Salt Lake road.
Orman & Crook, the railroad CONTRACT
tors, the senior member being the for
mer governor of Colorado, James b. Or
man, are now pushing the line on from
Arrowhead to Hot Sulphur Springs %
miles Halt OF the grading Of this line
Is finished and the trains viii be run
ming into the town by May l. BY April
/. contracts viii be let for the build
Ing Of the road 50 miles beyond Hot
sulphur Springs. and then ANOTHER 30
miles VIII be ready for the contractors,
and So on until the road Is finished.
OBSTACLES sURMoUNTED.
Obstacles have been surmounted I'm
the construction OF the Moffat road 70
AFRO q that We're considered nsur-
noun, de. Scenlcaly II Is the most
wonderful standard gauge road IN the
world, II has gone over the mountains,
and not around them.
Leaving Denver It traverses the val
ley TO the foothills and then begins It's
climb TO cross the backbone OF the
American continent When II reaches
the front range OF the Rockies. or the
foothills Il creeps around the sides OF
the mountains, going higher and high
err In 20 miles there are 80 tunnels.
varying In length from 100 feet to 1900
feet. The road crosses something like
80 fills varying In length from 100
feet and In length from 100 feet 10 1000
feet. These fills are OF rock and are
as solid as the roadbed through the
granite. Every bridge has been plank
ed beneath and ballasted.
Views FOR 90 and 100 miles are fire.
Quently unfolded IN this line around the
foothills, and South Boulder creek Is
seen 800 feet below. There are open
parks dottlng here and there which
have already been bought up by Denver
people for summer homes.
An Idea Of the climb OF the Mohat
road can be gained from these figures:
| n "A "a oil Ia L..
sea level Of $40 feet, Il reaches an ele-
walton Of 7457 feet at Crescent 81 miles
from Denver. and an elevation OF $3.50
feet at Tolland, a miles from Denver.
Leaving Tolland the road begins lis
wonderful climb over the Continental
Divide From the Holland station four
tracks can be seen winding up over
the mountains Five miles from Tolland
the elevation Is 1905 feet. then Ave miles
more and the road has attained an ele-
walton OF $50 feet and four miles more
brings II TO the summit OF the Rocky
mountains at an elevation Of 1860 feet,
being the highest point In the world
reached by a standard gauge railroad.
From Summit the descent begins so
that In four miles the elevation Is TO-
pos, and at Arrowhead, 10 miles, the
elevation Is 1855, and at Hot Sulphur
Springs, 20 niles from Arrowhead, the
elevation is 1850 feet There are points
on the line across the divide whore one
may look down TO the valley 5000 feet
away and irpumerable places where
two, three, four or 1--WE tracks can be
seen at once, thus showing how the road
has crept over the spine Of the contl-
lent.