The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-01-03
4 TRIUMPH OF ENGINEERING.
Dream Of a Road Across Great Salt
Lake Realized at Last.

Lake ReaHZe0 at Last.
When the first survey Of the Union
Pacific railroad came out CT the
mouth Of Weber Canyon, a little
southeast Of the present city Of Ogoen,
it found the Great Salt Lake lying
across its path westward to a junction
with the Central Pacific. Even at that
early date some idea Of the possible
ties Of the later day triumphs of rail-
road construction. seems to have oc-
Cured to the engineers Of the sur
vey, for they discussed a little, though
perhaps more jocularly than serious
y. The feasibility Of driving straight
across the lake, or at least across it's
eastern arm. Of ceurse they gave it
up. The idea then was almost Chin
erical. There was neither the genius
in finance bold enough to undertake
a stupendous work nor the traffic to
warrant such an expenditure. It may
be doubted, too, if there was engi-
neering 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 SOS
was not without its fruit. The idea
remained the dream, the hope, the
faith. of one Of the young men m
ployed in building the Central Pacific.
William Hood was Of that company
of across the Isthmus pioneers who
have made their mark and their fame
in the development of California and
the Pacific slope. AS he worked his
way up to the responsible post Of chief
engineer Of the Southern Pacific sys-
TEN, owner Of the old Central Pacific,
he never lost sight Of the possibility
OF that line across Salt Lake. Coils
p. Huntington, the master Of the Pa
cific railroads, was inclined to think
that it might be done, but the time
was not yet ripe, the traffic was not
heavy enough to justify the expense,
and such enterprises were not easy
to finance. But after Mr.. Hunting
ton death there came to the head of
Southern Pacific affairs a man whose
financial ability and boldness matched
Mr.. Hood. In Mr.. Hartman Mr..
Hood found a man who sympathized
with and believed in his plans, and
who was able and willing to prove the
money.
The times had changed. The day OF
great and bold enterprises had come.
The old era OF pinchiag and often
false economy, that let roadbed and
stock u down in order to
squeeze out an unjustifed dividend,
ended. The condition had been
reached where it was only necessary
for the engineer to show how the inter-
est on the investment could be made
to be told to go ahead. Traffic had
increased to such a point that opera
ton over the steep and crooked old
line was becoming constantly more
and more vexations and difficult. Re-
lief must be had. Financier agreed
with engineer as 10 how it could be
obtained, and tho result is the "Lucin
Cutoff" as it is called, the line that
from Ogden straight over Great
Salt Lake, which crosses on a trestle
nearly twelve miles long and on TWEEN
ty miles of "fll," and over the desert
fats, 102 miles in all, to Lucin, where
it rejoins the Did road. It is a cut
off" indeed. Forty-three miles in dis
lance are Topped off, heart-breaking
grades avoided, curves eliminated,
hours Of time in transit saved, and
untold worry and vexation prevented,
at the same time that expenses Of
operation r reduced more than
enough to pay interest on the whole
cost twice over.LCentury.