The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-17
Tale of the Western Pacific

ton of 5000 feet, with westbound gradi-
ent of a little more than q of l per cent
and eastbound of exactly 1 per cent. Pos
Sess1ng such an advantage TO start with,
further doubt concerning the feasibility
of the line was removed
A nucleus was established in two small
California roads, one with thirty-eight
miles of railroad and the other with fiftV-
six miles of valuable rights-of-way The
main undertaking provided for the con-
struction of 905 miles additional giving a
continuous line Of traffic from the Rio
Grande Western terminal at Salt Lake
City to Oakland. Cal, where the West
ern Pacific has its own proper facilities.
1t also has excellent traffic handling ar
rangements in San Francisco, Stockton
and Sacramento.
western Pacific construction began ac-
lively in 1895. after the financial plan had
been approved and S50,OOO.OO0 of thirty-year
per cent gold bonds sold. Ii was ex-
pected that the line would be Completed
and in operation by September. 1905 bl1t
tunnel delays have compelled the man
asement to set the GATE forward to April
or May of 1903. or about a year hence.
OF the total 905 miles. 800 are com
pleted; that is, graded, bridged, track laid
and ballasted. This includes Ie5 miles
west from Salt Lake City, which has been
opened some time and now could be
operated for local business, and l35 miles
IN California from Stockton to some dis
lance north Of Sacramento, and from
Oroville to Big Bend on the Feather river
ABOUT 90 miles OF right-of-way have been
graded and are ready for ties and rails.
OF the tunnel and excavation work 60
per cent was completed a few weeks ago
Rail laying this spring has progressed at
the rate OF about two miles a day. The
heaVy construction is in the Feather
river section, where the line goes through
almost solid rock. There extensive tun-
nelIng has been necessary Ten bores
from 20 TO zoo feet long were recently
H0mntATpn fEfa - 81,
average length are now under way, be-
sides several ranging from 1000 feet TO
1870 feet long. The cost per mile in these
parts OF the line frequently runs up to
100000.
The final cost of the Western Pacific
is placed at S60,000O00. This includes ter
mlnal property and an appropriation for
equipment. To date there has been ac-
tually expended $37.O00,0OO. The $50. 900 900
of per cent bonds realized to the com
pany A5.OOO.OGO. as they were rsyndicated
al 9z12. with bankers commission of %
per cent Provision was made for the
payment of interest to September of this
year from the cost of construction. an an
preparation amounting TO S7.500.OOO. The
funds already disbursed provide for ma
terial on good part of the unfinished
road. For instance. the entire bridging
is bought and paid for.
Like every other large project under
taken in the past five years the Western
they estimated, but the margin between
original appropriation and final expendi-
ture will not be nearly so great as for
example, in the case of the st. Paul ex-
tension to the coast or the New York
terminals of the Pennsylvania and the
New York Central systems.
Within the past few days $4,000, 600 of
Denver * Rio Grande five-year per
cent convertible notes have been placed
with bankers. This provides for suffi-
Gent new capital to complete Western
Pacific construction. The operation of
the property within Il year is now an as
sured fact Furthermore, the writer UNI
derStands that some strong banking
houses have pledged their support TO what
may eventually work up into cOmDre-
henslYe scheme for financing the Western
Paclttc or the future as we'll as provid-
ing Tor the growth and increased traffic
moving necessities of the Denver & Rio
Grande Although the surplus of the lat
ter the past fiscal year was 81 100 900 above
fixed charges there is an almost imme-
date demand for extensive capital outlaws
on the property. for it has outgrown its
trackage capacity, its shops and its ter
minals. lnasmuch as the operating rela-
ton between Denver q Rio Grande and
the Western Pacific will be extremely in
innate. an extensive capital readjustment
to meet this contingency will have to en-
gage the attention of Gould interests with
in two years time.
x
Between terminal points the Western
Pacific will be seventy-five miles longer
than the Central Pacific. This disadvan-
tage is overcome and compensated by the
difference In speed and transportation
charge allowed in the low gradient 1t
will be surprising to the general public
to know that rs of the total of 925 miles
of road is at grade; as level as the Lake
Shore or the eastern division of the Penn
sylvania, circumstance that country
of such high attitudes would not appear
capable of producing, On the remaining
200 miles the maximum over the Sierra
Nevadas, as has been remarked is
per cent eastward. while. on the Coast
range. il is per cent. both east and west
bound. In every respect the highest ideals