The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-03
A BIG UNDERTAKING.
Some Details of the Magnitude
Of the Work Under Way.
New Route Goes Through Abo
Pass Rivals-Grand Canyon.

Albuquerque, n. NJ. June s.-The Cit
lien says.
It is 40 miles on the Santa Fe cutoff
from Belen to Mountainair on Ado
Pass, across valley, over mesa and
through a gorge, deep and rugged,
which rivals the famous Grand Canyon
of Arizona in splendor of colors and
picturesque beauty but not nearly so
great Twenty miles of this road has
a maxim grade of g. while 20 miles of
it is being constructed on grade of
.125. Trains viii traverse the sleeper
20 miles with a helper engine, which
brings the entire 40 miles to the maxim
grade with reference to locomotive
power. This is provided for on the plats
OF the road by helper engine stations
at Becker siding, three-quarters way
up on the mesa from the Rio Grande,
and at MOuntainair, on the crest.
1t viii be a year at least before the
sleeper 20 miles OF this road will be in
operations. The magnitude upon which
the Santa F'e is building through AbO
Canyon is great, and the skill and COM
pleteness with which it is being done
causes one to pause in wOnderment.
The ingenuity with which great cement
piers have been sunk deep into the bot
tom Of this gorge and sealed fast to
Ehe sol1ed rock, mountains of Portland
cement, sand and cracked granite, ex-
cite ones admiration to the point of en-
thusiasm. Seven bridges are to be con-
structed across this gorge at a cost of
several millions of dollars. They range
from three to five spans of 100 feet
each. Bridge NO. 1, the first bridge as
the mouth of the canyon is entered, is
well advanced toward completion. One
abutment and 40 feet of an 50 foot cen !
ter pier will place it in condition for
the girders. These Orders are now at
Belen. These girders are 100 feet long
and many of them are ten feet from
base to top.
The track over these bridges will be
placed upon ballast Just the same as
the track on the ordinary railway /
grade There will be no hollow sound /
in the passenger coach as the Santa F'e /
over and whizzes through Abo Canyon. /
There will be no sound to announce the
crossing of these seven bridges in AbO +
Canyon although the passenger viii /
doubtless be attracted by the sheer !
distance from the train to the bottom /
OF the canyon below. In some places /
the survey of the road climbs along a |
cliff of red rock $50 feet above the ar /
r0yo at the bottom of the gorge and /
sometimes it cuts through a granite /
ledge to exit upon one Of the ballasted Z
bridges. But always high and winding. |
Belen Dubbed CutOH Town.
Belen is justly dubbed the cutoff /
town. Since the cutoff was first talked |
of. Belen has been closely identified /
with it. In surmOunting the ManzanO /
range of mountains, the Santa. Fe &C [
complishes the key to the shortest of
transconhnental routes in the United /
States and in doing this, AbO canyon /
must be traversed. Belen is the near |
est point on the Santa F'e's southwest !
ern roads to AbO canyon, and this can /
yOn and pass is the most important /
part Of the cutoff.
In making the preliminary survey for /
the cutoff the engineers left the railroad /
at Belen. The Santa F'e officials were
rarFa~ fN E7ea
line. When 1t was finally decided to {
build the cutoff by the directors of the /
Santa Fe, the locating engineers we're /
sent out from Belen. The contractors /
began work from Belen, and now the /
work on the cutoff is being pushed out
from Belen.
To the Front From Belen.
Every train that comes to Belen |
brings fresh passengers and freight for |
the front The increase of business at /
the station has uecessitated the en- |
plOyment of an additional man to the
usual help of two men. A half dozen
sample trunks bundles of blankets and /
grips and a roulette layout and wheel, |
with other indescribable luggage was
unIoaded from the train which brought
the writer. A nondescript lot of pas
sengers unloaded from the same train
and nearly all were bound for the
front.
A mixed train backs up on the sid
ing, and those of the passengers that |
have permission get aboard. Some sit
on top and dangle their feet over the
sides of the car, while others crowd
into an open box car half loaded with
freight for the front. A dozen quar-
tiers of beef, a mutton, cases of mix
ed fruits, canned and dried, sugar, |
-four, fresh vegetables and other eat |
ables. with mattresses, brOOms, etc, !
is the conglomerated contents of the
car. Contractor Hayes of San Mar
cial is i'm charge of this train that
winds its way across the river through
the sand hills of the mesa and to the
wears no blue uniform, and he is
hardly distinguishable from the rest
of those aboard except for his author
itative administration of the train and |
crew.
Mr.. Hayes was an engineer on the |
Rio Grande division of the Santa Fe. /
but was given charge of the Belen /
cutoff special for the Lantry-Sharpe /
Construction company because the I
Santa Fe will not allow a train on /
the main line that is not in charge of I
q Santa Re man. The cutoff special I
has to do a great deal of switching on /
the main line and has to come out /
on the main line every day to get its I
freight.
The train to the front leaves the
station at Belen every morning be- T
tween and o'clock. 1t is three +
miles of practically level track from +
Belen to where the cutoff crosses the I
Rio Grande. On leaving the valley the /
road mounts a series of hills of white I
~Huuum Thousands have I