The Newark journal., 1904-02-05
BRIDGING AS INLAND SEA.
stupemdous Engineering.

" nave III LiIllcS past been lOlU DiUEN of wonderful feats III railroad building, and much has been written of the en- glneering 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, "ln the grandeur and magnitude of the undertaking, the Union Pacitic-Ccntral Pacific has never been eauaied. The energy and perseverance with which the work was urged forward, and the ra- pldlty with which 1t was executed, are without parallel in history were the statements of the special government conl- msslGners to the Secretary Of the h. terior.
 Thrty-Gye 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 q magnificent con test, but nowadays the owners of the road have been brought to consider other problems. One of these necessttated the solution of the grade question and the straightenlng of the track.
 One of the most interesting and diff cult feats of railroad engineering ever undertaken has just been completed b the owners of 'The Overland Routc' Union Pacific and Southern Pacific Rai road the building of a bridge across the Great Salt Lake between 0gaeH, | tah, and Lucin, Nevada.
 The work bclng practically completed, the new track was formally opened on Thanksgiving Day when Mir. l.. II. Iar riman. head of the Hartman Lines. and q big party of railroad magnates p4rtool1 of Thanksgiving Day dinner in the mid de of Great Salt Lake.
 The 0eden-Lucn Cut of" is l02 miles ill length, 72 miles on land and 30 miles on trestle work and films over the waters of Great Salt Lake It presents a practically level track except for short distance on the west end near Luein, Ne vada, where slight grade Is encoun- tered
 The use of this cut off will throw out the transeontinental traffic over the old line from Ogden to Lucin, Nevada, around the Lake. This strip of track Is one 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 englnes WIll mean the savlng of at least Sl.59000 day in operating expenses and also a saving Of several hours il running time.
 Active work was commenced in 1902, and thus the almost impossible task was completed 1T about 22 months. The last pile was driven during the last week of October. This great work has cost over Sl poo 00009.
 The cut of runs from Ogden west l5 miles over level country before reaching the lake proper then across the east arm of the Lake miles to PromonJory. Then five miles of solid road bed and then D miles west over the west arm of the Lake toward Iuein and thence across the Great Salt Lake Desert to Luc.n Nevada Across the east arm of the Lake 1t will be almost a continuous film supported by trestle. Near the middle of this will be gap of @lo feet of open trestle work left for the Eaters of the Bear river which flow into the arm of the Lake
 Across PromoHt0ry 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 bluff hcnE necessary. At this point the most beautiful on this inland sea- sur veys have been made for an immense sum- mer resort.
 Across the west arm of the Lake Is II miles of trestle work with iilln ap- proaeh at each end of four niles In completing the work of spanning the Lake, one great difficulty was encountered across 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 coi- lectcd for centuries over the bottom of the Lake and having formed salt wall of loo feet. It took 0O0 tons of rock in piles which appear to have reached the 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, Mir Hartman sad:
 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 cites down to 9 hours
 1t is intended to reduce the running time from Salt Lake to Chicago to 36 hours, and put passengers into New York i'll 56 hours from Salt Lake.
 These two ralroads-Union Pacific and Southern Pacific have spent i'll the last three years somewhere near Sl30000,- G0O00 in repairs and improvements aside from the expenses of operation or main- tenance."