Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-01-31
SALT LAKE ROUTE
NOW CONNECTED UP
Last Rail Laid on the San Pedro,
Los Angeles and Salt
Lake Road.
PASSENGER SPECIAL ON SUNDAY
Vice President ], Ross Clark win Go
Over the New Liue---GOldcn
Spike Driven

AS previously outlined yesterday, the
last rail on the Salt Lake Route was
laid at 3.l5 p m, at siding No, 81, at a
point 20 miles north Of the California
state line,
Today the line is open from Salt
Lake to San Pedro, from the inland
saline sea to the Pacific tldewater.
FIRST TRAIN SUNDAY.
General Manager Il. Il. Wells this
morning stated that the first through
passenger train from Salt Lake would
be the special bearing Vice President
j. Ross Clark from Salt Lake homo,
Mr.. Clark leaves Chicago on Wednes-
day night and VIII arrive in Salt Lake
on Saturday morning over the Chicago
d Northwestern and Union Pacific. He
will I'm all probability leave Salt Lake
for California on Sunday.
SOLID TRACK RIGHT THROUGH.
Considerable has been said about the
'shoony" that has been built to tenn
porarily expedite matters. This piece
OF temporary track, says Mr. Wells, Is
not situated at the point where yester-
but comes in the form Of curve some
distance west Of there. To the layman
this "shooily" Is no different to the
main line. 1t is of solid construction
and laid with 75-lb steel. 1t has been
built so as TO expedite matters and as
soon as the cut and MI 90 feet deep
and extended for 800 feet is completed
II will be abandoned. The contract for
this piece Of work calls for completion
by May /, but II Is on the cards that
It will be cleaned up before that date
As II is now the track is solid right
through from Salt Lake TO San Pedro.
FIRST THROUGH FREIGHT.
The first through freight from Salt
Lake to Los Angeles over the San Pc
dro takes the form Of four oil-burning
Baldwin compounds which have been
received here from Philadelphia this
week. These big engines are Nos. 6l7,
GIG, $40 and 621 and they are splendid
examples Of what constitutes the mod
ern freight locomotive, As soon as
the new cars begin TO arrive there will
be a number Of trains shot through over
the line.
The fact that these heavy engines are
consigned right through today would
indicate that at no point on the 718
miles between the City Of the Saints
and the City of the Angels is the track
considered In any shape or form soft or
unsafe for heavy traffic.
THE CLOSING CEREMONY.
Yesterdays ceremonies were OF the
briefest. Chief Engineer Tilton was
present In person to witness the Join
ing of the east and west. Division iEn-
glneers Hoey and Jones together with
Track Foreman Conway and his husky
aids were also on the spot. But for one
incident the ceremonies would have
consisted Of the waving of hats and a
cosmopolitan American Grecian- Mexi-
can-lrlsh YELL
GOLD SPIKE DRIVEN.
Mrs. Wells. wife Of the general man
ager, had taken the precautlon to send
down TO the front a miniature gold
spike for lust such a contingency. As
the last spike was driven home by q
persplrlng Individual, Chief Engineer
Il. G. Tilton stepped 70 the front and
took the gold spike out of his vest
pocket and softly tapped It into the
wooden tie. For n few brief moments
the trinket was allowed to remain and
then II was withdrawn and replaced In
that now historic vest pocket.
SENATOR CLARK'S PROMISE.
The deed was done. Senator Clark
promised nj the Commercial club BAN
auet that the last spike would be driven
by Feb. 1, 1905; the engineering de-
partment in their enthusiasm went him
As hours better.
In about 30 days the engineering
department will be through with their
trials and fluctuations and It viii be up
to the operating and traffic men to take
of their coats and wade In.