Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-10-06
WORK
| ON THE
| TUNNELS
Road From Drain Is Being
Rushed and Drain Is a
Busy Place

Mhe Drain TOdu' ~ E' AOSS W Noh
bany. the contractors, have grading
ramps every few miles from Drain to
Paradise creek. out about 25 miles
Work is going on at the three tun-
nels north of the Umpqua. Men are
Engaged in clearing the right of way
and excavating the approaches. Be-
fore the winter storms set in the
|Iswork will be under cover.
Compressed air plants are being
Established and work will be pushed
FROM both ends of the tunnels. How
long it will take to complete these
= tunnels? 1t depends on the length
i of course and the character of the
rock encountered.
n It is definitely determined that
nothing harder than sandstone will
be encountered anywhere on the
Il line This should make easy going.
4 The compressed air drill has made
II 10 feet day in hard rock.
. The fact that the rock is soft also
has its disadvantage, necessitating
heavy timbering. California red
wood will be used as timbers and
it is understood that this will soon
begin to arrive.
But has anyone thought to call
} the railroads attention to our Port
Oxford cedar? The lasting qualities
4 of this wood are uneXeclled and 1t
Il also has the strength. 1t should be
better even than redwood for build
) ing tunnels.
The longest tunnel is through
Paradise mountain, about 3400 feet.
Even giving the drills only half the
work in the above estimate this bore
should be completed in less than
year. The other two tunnels on Elk
creek are each but little over a thou
sand feet and will not delay the
work.
When will the Drain road reach
Coos Bay? That depends. 1t is the
Harbor's guess that it will be there
in a year from the coming Christ
mas. But should the Oregon Coast
& Eastern or the Burlington or
Gould get busy in this territory it
might hasten construction. 1t is
possible to have the road in here by
the first of next June. but improb-
able.
The contracts have not been let
on this end and there is no time limit
on the Loss contracts. The great
problem is to find laborers and this
makes the construction indefinite.
1t is said that it takes three crews
all the time. one coming, one on the
grade and one going. 1t is fact
that many of the men remain but a
day or two and they are coming and
going all the time.
The chief reason for this is the
dry precincts. Drain has a compact
with the state as long as 1t has the
normal school not to allow saloons.
Elkton voted prohibition last cleo
tion. The men will not stay unless
they can get whisky. They quit
work, go off on spree and many
never return.
There is much activity along the
Drain road. A dozen four-horse
teams are on the road hauling sup |
plies. The sawmill out from Drain |
is turning out lumber. The big yard |
at Drain is about completed and
soon two temporary bridges will be
pat in to give access to this yard.
The line has been located as far
south as Random and beyond. This
IS the coast road and will go on TO |
san Francisco. But the engineers
all the time are looking to improve
the route. The first location crossed
az Brandy bar halfway between
Scottsburg and Gardiner. But later |
survey crosses three miles above
seottsburg, saves two miles In dis
Anee, 100000 in money and a
orawbridge across the Umpqua.
VIII the road cross the bay at
North Bend or go around? 1t is the
sish OF the railroad to bridge the
nay. But objections have been filed
4" Washington against allowing a
arawbridge on Coos Bay. II the
+ road can not build a bridge it will |
90 on the east side.