Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1908-03-27

The distance, go miles, Is from the
Rio Grande Western depot at Salt Lake
to the Ferry building ut San Francisco.
The Ncvada.Utah line was crossed by
the Western Pacific tracks OH September
II, 1907.
There have been 100000 Yards Of
material moved.
There are 400 meC nov at work and
eco horses
There are 43 tunnels on the roud,
agg'cgating 49, 81 linear feet. Twelve
are Completed.
There are to be - steel bridges aggre-
eating 5000 fec. Seven are com.
pleted.
~Within u months the Western
Pacific railway will he in operation from
Sal. LAKE. City to San Francisco, pro.
vidCd nothing unforeseen occurs"
This If the statement OF Virgil C..
Boguc, chief engineer Of the wonderful
new "Gould line" that is sGou to epring
into the life and affairs Of three states,
Of some 100000 .nhabitants.
The completion OF this Dad will span
the nation from the Atlantic to the
Pacific with one more g%iisteniug ribbon
OF steel-the second iranscontiuen,nl
railroad to be wholly constructed by a
sinRle man. Hartman will stand CD an
equal footing with George Gould.
The Western Pacific practically
parallels the Southern Pacific from Salt
Lake to San Francisco. lie coustruc.
ton has been one OF the most daring
engineering featS Of recent years.
After George Gould had bought the
Denver Il Rio Grandc ha sci his heart
upon possessing a trancontimen:al rail-
read. AL he needed to rom pass was the
stretch from Salt Lake INTO San Fran
cisco. From Salt Lake east, his Den ser
II Rio Grande, his Missouri Pacific. his
Wabash, and his Western Mary land
railroads carried traffic To tide ut
Baltimore.
One day, with this desire strongly
tugginR at his heart, he called the
famous engineer, Virgil Bogur, into his
Office ana said: MIR. Bogue, can you
build me u line from Salt Lake to the
Pacific constr"
There nre physical conditions winch
made this question most dinicui, to
answer, but Bogue Ind been over the
route, and no nodded his head all RIM.
lively. In u few weeks OPERATIONS had
begun. Bugue declared that he would
cross the jagged SIerraa and carry the
line into SnD Francisco without using II
grade Of mote than | per ceui, Engin-
eers all over the country grinned. Some
called him crazy. Bugue's promise was
verified when the surveys were begun
on October 20, 1900.
Bogue nov declares that the SUCCESS
OF tho undertaking from mn engineering
point Of view ia assured.
Tho grade being hewed through the
Sierra Nevada m%ounlnins, according 10
engineers, is q Tea, eccond to more IN
tho world. While the Western Pacific
coueumG li3 miles morc than tho
Southern Pacific on crossing the MONT
tains, tho Central Pacific have a grade
in &c with many 10 degree ouryce.
while the maxim um grade on tho Gould
line will be ! per cent and the maximum
curvature 8 degrees. The Central
Pacific altitude at tho summit Ia 7,Ol9
feet, while the Weetern Pacific pier q, a
Beckwith Pass 1000 feet lover, elm.
mating. on account OF tho Chinook
winds, great depth oi tnoS aud the
necessity Of snowsheds. There are
10 miles Of sn%owshcds on The Southern
Pacific.
on tho IS tunnels On tho Inc the long
est is the Spring Garden tunnel, hnlf
way up the we,iern slope II The sterrw.
IL is 1896 feet long. The Brckwith pa~
bore In next with 5000 feet ~ under
ground track. Both Of these viii be
hDished within Il iow months.
! Seven steel bridges nre completed in