Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-01-28

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,
I'm the grandeur and magnitude Of the
undertaking, the Union Pacific-Central
Pacific has never been equaled. The
work was urged forward, and the ra-
pidity with which il was executed, ara,
without n parallel in history" were the
statements Of the special government COM
missioners to the Secretary Of the In
terror.
Thirty.ive 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. It was -. magnificent s con- on.
road have been brought to consider other
problems. One of these necessitated the
solution of the grade question and thss
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 1.-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 opa1ed ons
Thanksgiving Day when Mr.. i. H. 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 Of" il l0E
miles in length, Y miles on land and 30,
miles on trestle work and films over the,
waters Of Great Salt Lake. 1t presents.
Q practically level track except for short.
distance on the west end near Lucin. Ne
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
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 thess.
engines win mean the saving of at least.
81 10000 day IN operating expenses and.
also saving Of several hours III running
time.s
Active work was commenced in 1902,
and thus the almost impossible task was
completed in about % months. The last.
pile was driven during the last week Of
October. This great work has cost over
$4,000, 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 8 miles to Promonrory. Then
five miles of solid road bed and then ID
mi ha Is L. -.
toward Lucin and thence across the Great:
Salt Lake Desert to Lucin. Nevada.
Across the east arm of the Lake, it VIII
be almost a continuous film supported
by trestle. Near the middle of this wilk
be a gap Of 600 feet of open trestle wsrk:
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
feet long in sand and rock of barren
most baautifulson this inland sea, sur
veys have been made for an immense sum-
mer resort.
Across the west arm of the Lake is IL
miles of trcstle work with film ap-.
proach at each end of four miles. In.
completing the work of spanning the Lake,.
one great difficulty was encountered across,
tic cast arm by the settling OF fillins and
trestle work. This was caused by the salt:
OF the flow Of the Bear river having COZ
lected for centuries over the bottom Of
the Lake and having formed salt WALL
of 100 feet 1t took 900 tons of rock in
piles which appear to have reached tho
bottom of the Lake proper and which has.
resulted in n firm and splendid road bed.
In speech which he made ut 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 IL miles. and
will eventually bring the time between,
the two cities down to % hours.
1T is intended 10 reduce the running
time from Salt Lake to Chicago to 49,
hours, and put passengers into New York.
in So hours from Salt Lake.
"These two railroads-Union Pacific an,ll
Southern Paciiic-have spent in the last;
three years somewhere near $l3O,O00,--
10000 in repairs and improvements asides
from the. expenses of operation or main