Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-26
SEA HAS REACHED
SOUTHERN PACIFIC TRACKS
OFFICIALS TO RESCUE ON SPECIAL TRAIN
Rising Waters Threaten Roadbed and 5000 Foot Jey Will
Be But-Hundreds Of Laborers Rushing
ass to Prevent Disaster

In the struggle for supremacy be-
tween the Southern Pacific railroad
kand the Safton sea the waters have
won, and the railroad company is now
hard at work building a wide detour
to keep its rails out of reach of the
flood.
Epes Randolph, president and general
manager of the California Develop
ment company; it's assistant general
manager, C. r. lockwood; District Su-
perintendent r. H. Ingram of the
Southern Pacific and Division Superin-
tendent H. v. Platt left Los Angeles
last night on special train for the
Salton district. Resident Engineer Ell
lison has been at Salton for the past
three days.
The fact that the head officials of the
Southern Pacific and of the develop
lllent company are hurrying post haste
to the scene is taken to mean that the
reports given out by the railroad Of
ficials during the past few days have
been far more optimistic than the real
conditions called for.
District Superintendent Ingram ad-
mitted yesterday afternoon that the
situation is grave and that heroic
measures must now be adopted to stop
the flow of water from the Colorado
river into the Salton sink, which in
many places lies $50 feet below the sea
level.
BY the construction OF jetty 5000
feet long, extending into the Colorado
river at a point mile above the in
take of the Colorado Development COM
pany's irrigation canal, Southern Pa
cific engineers will attempt to cut off
the flow of water which is now respon-
sible for the constantly increasing area
OF the Salton sea.
WorI<men Hurried to Salton
Section hands all along the south
ern division of the railroad, wherever
they can be spared are being sent to
Salton to assist in the work, and much
equipment has already been started on
it's way from Los Angeles.
The detour. or "shoo fiy," upon which
work was begun last night, commences
at Mortemer a station three miles
northeast of Salton, ana will form
junction with the main line seven miles
farther east. This will give roadbed
from eight to ten feet above the level
OF the present right of way.
After being stationary for almost a.
week, the Salton sea on Sunday rose an
inch in twelve hours. Monday 1t rose
another two inches, and yesterday the
engineers report was to the effect
that the waters were slowly attaining
o higher level. Men who have been
studying the conditions OF the sea for
the past four months are at loss to
account for the peculiar conditions.
It is the hope Of Southern Pacific Of
ficials that within the next FIVE days
the inflow from the Colorado river may
be stopped, in which case seven miles
of the "shoo fly probably Will not be
constructed. and short line, three
miles long. will be built to meet the
main line at Salton
In spite Of the miles OF six-foot em-I
bankments which have been thrown
up by the Southern Pacific to protect
its tracks in the vicinity OF salton,
the water is making steady encroach-
ment upon the right Of way and I'M
several places has almost reached the
rails. Owing to the exceeding porous
ness OF the soil the difnculties which