Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-02-28
A TRIUMPH OF ENGINEERING.
Dream OF Road Across Great Salt
Lake at Last Realized.

Lake at Last Realized.
When the first survey of the Union
Pacific Railroad came out Of the
mouth Of Weber canyon, a little
southeast Of the present city Of Og-
den, 1t found the Great Salt Lake
lying across it's path westward to a
junction with the Central Pacific.
Even at that early date some idea
of the possibilities Of the later day
triumphs Of railroad construction
seems to have occurred to the engi-
neers of the survey, for they discussed
q little, though perhaps more jOcu-
larry than seriously, the feasibility of
driving straight across the lake, or at
least across it's eastern arm. OF
course they gave it up. The idea then
was almost chimerical. There was
neither the genius in finance bold
enough to undertake such a stupen-
dous work nor the traffic to warrant
such an expenditure. 1t may be doubt
ed, too, if there was engineering faith
| equal to the task. So the line was
built up through the hills around the
north end Of the lake.
But that light talk of the early six
ties was not without it's fruit The
idea remained the dream, the hope, the
faith, Of one Of the young men en-
ployed in building the Central Pa
cific. William Hood was Of that COM
| pany Of across the isthmus" pioneers
who have made their mark and their
fame In the development of Califor-
MIA and the Pacific slope. AS he work
ed his way up to the responsible post
Of chief engineer Of the Southern Pa
ctfic system, owner Of the old Central
Pacific, he never lost sight Of the pos
s1b1l1ty Of that line across Salt Lake.
Coils p. Huntington, the master of
the Pacific railroads, was inclined to
think that 1t might be done; but the
time was not yet ripe, the traffic was
not heavy enough to justify the ex-
| pense, and such enterprises were not
| easy to finance. But after Mr.. Hunt
| 1ngton's death there came to the head
| Of Southern Pacific affairs a man
| whose financial ability and boldness
matched the engineering skill and
| pluck Of Mr.. Hood. In Edward II.
Hartman Mr.. Hood found a man who
sympathized with and believed in his
plans, and who was able and willing
| to provide the money.
The times had changed. The day
Of great and bold enterprises had
come. The old era Of pinching and
often false economy, that let roadbed
and rolling stock run down in order
to squeeze out an unjustifed divi-
dend, was ended. The condition had
been reached where it was only neces-
sary for the engineer to show how
the interest on the investment could
be made to be told to go ahead Traf-
| fic had increased to such a point that
| operation over the steep and crooked
old line was becoming constantly more
| and more VeXatiouS and difficult. Re
| lief must be had. Financier agreed
with engineer as to how it could be
| obtained, and the result is the 'Lucin
| Cutoff" as it is called, the line that
runs from Ogden straight over Great
| Salt Lake, which it crosses on a tres
| tie nearly twelve miles long and on
| twenty miles of "fill' and over the
desert flats, 102 miles in all, to Lucin,
where it rejoins the old road. It is
"cutof" indeed. Forty-three miles
in distance are Topped off, heart-break-
ing grades avoided, curves eliminated.
| hours of time in transit saved, and
untold worry and vexation prevented,
at the same time that expenses of oper-
alton are reduced more than enough
to pay interest on the whole cost twice
over.-Century.