The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-02-05
;BRIDGING1AN INLAND SEE.
Stupendous Engindering.

we have in times past been told much
OF wonderful feats in railroad building,
and much has been written Of the len:
glneering skill and daring that directed
the course Of the iron horse across the
plains :'and mountains that lie between
t tn Missouri river and the Pacific Ocean.
Ia the grandeur and magnitude of the
undertaking. the Union Pacific Central
Racitic has never been, equaled: 4 The
energy and perseverance with which the
pldilty with which it was executed, are
without parallel in, history" were the
statements Of the special government com
missloners: to the Secretary Of the In
Thirty:ivee years ago there wa. j no time
to spend on work similar to that which
mas Just been completed. Then the world
Union Pacific and Central Pacific raced ICED
Tor supremacy, It was a magnificent con-
test; but nowadays the owners Of the
road have been brought to consider other
problems. One of these necessitated the
st1u;a11 Of the grade question and the
strengthening OF the track. T., H.
One of the most interesting and diff
cult featsI IF railroad engineering ever
the owners Of !The Overland Route
Union Pacific and Southern Pacific Rail
ad-the building of bridge across the
Great Salt Lake between Ogden, Utah,
and nd, Lucin, Nevada: t:;1
the tn new track was formally opened on
Thanksgiving Day when Mr.. E. H. Har-
rl1nan, 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 ::lo2
miles in length, z miles on land and 30
k1n
waters Of Great Salt Lake. 1t presents
Practically level track except for short
distance on the west end near Lucin, Ne
vadti where slight grade is encoun-
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 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
engines will mean the saving of at least
si,50O.0O a day in operating expenses and
also saving of several hours III running
time.
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
=. to6 This great work has cost over
The cut off runs from OGDEN west IS
miles over level country before reaching
the lake proper, then across the east arm
Ct the Lake 9 miles to Promontory. Then
i've miles of solid road bed and then ~
miles west over the west arm of the Lake
coward Luc'n and thence across the Great
Salt Lake Desert to Lucin,. Nevada.
Across the east arm of the Lake, it will
by trestle. Near the middle of this will
De gap, OF 800 feet Of open trest1e work
lett for the waters Of the Bear river which
flow into the arm of the Lake.
Across Promontory Point runs five
miles OF solid road Red and here difficult
feet long in sand and rock of barren
bluff being necessary. At this point, tho
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 film ap-
proaG3h At each end of four miles: In
one great difficulty was encountered across
tiestle work. This was caused bV n the salt salt
Of the flow of the Bear river having col.
!ected for centuries over the bottom of
the Lake and having formed salt wall
VI: Aoo AScC. ~ COOh IONS OF rock IN
paes which appear to have reached the
bottom Of the Lake proper and which has
resulted in a 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:
1.-The completion of this undertaking
VIII 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.
1T is intended to reduce the running
time from Salt Lake to Chicago to Sc
hours. and put passengers into New York
in Sc hours from Salt Lake.
Ihese two railroads-Union Pacific and
Southern Paclfic-have spent in the last
10000 in repairs and improvements aside
from the expenses of operation or main.
ASoft Heart.--Freddy- hoo! Sissy's
gone and killed that little fly on the win.