The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1909-12-16

AIO"totoh recently from w h1te |
BIRD. He was accompanied by
Robert NJ. Smith, who was tran
sit man with Engineer Canoe S
crew.
Both Mr.. Smith and Mr..
Dwyer cOrrOborated information
previously given out that the
survey made is of the most per-
manent character definite To-
cation survey. Over the firts 40
miles Of the line below Salmon
there was race with the Short
Line crews, who were defeated.
There is suggestion that this sur
vey, due to the haste of the op-
erations, is not exactly what is
desired, and recently one of the
crews was sent back to Salmon
to revise it where necessary. The
survey has shown the distance
from Salmon City to White Bird
to be between 1914 and 1875 miles.
The maximum grade secured does
not exceed 25 feet to the mile.
Frequent crossings of the river
are made, the bridges to be erect
ed numbering about fifteen. Two
of these bridges will be located
along that stretch of the river
known as black canyon, one is
near Goff. The maximum curv-
ature of the line is about eight
degrees. Two ten degree curves
are encountered. Eighteen tun-
nels will be constructed, the long
est, 5000 feet, to be put in Red
Butte on the first section of the
line out of Salmon. In all details
the work is so thorough that
with slight revision the line can
be put in readiness for the con-
tractors. While initial construc-
tiOn cost might be classed as
heavy; the roadbed will be prac-
tically the entire distance in rock
assuring permanency and mini
mum cost of maintenance.
Estimate as to the distance
from White Bird to- Lewiston
varies from S5 to 100 miles, but
accepting the greater distance as
being correct, less than 300 miles
of line brings the road from Sal
mon to Lewiston. All estimates
prior to the surveyors taking the
field, were that the line would
be much longer. The heaviest
work on the entire line will be
encountered a short distance
above the mouth of the Salmon
river. The point is known to the
surveyors as Blue canyon.
MIR. Dwyer will return TO
White Bird to take charge of
the boats and work with the crew
of surveyors who will run the
line down to Lewiston. This crew
is now engaged in perfecting
three miles of location survey in
the vicinity of White Bird The
second crew is engaged in run
ming a line up White Bird creek
to Grangeville. Over stretch
of about sixty miles of the coun-
try through which the line was
run, there is not a single trail
Suggesting the wildness of the
country and the isolation of the
surveyors when in that district,
the instance is cited that a man
engaged in carrying mail to the
crews, was employed seventeen
days in futile effort to locate
them. George Stonebreaker and
son Allen, packed the supplies
to the surveyors camps, fire.
quently penetrating districts that
only the most skillful mountain
GERS could overcome. Those
Stonebreakers are captains, said
Mr.. Smith. referring to the work
of the packers. -
Tracklaying Completed.
The. latest direct news of the
new road s., work, the authentic
ity of which is unquestioned, was
received last night by Judge H.
c.. Chadwick in a personal letter
from his brother-in-law, Leslie
Robbins. Mr.. Robbins has had
charge of a portion of the work
from Armstead to the Idaho
state line since active operations
began. He. reports that tracklay
ing was completed through the
big 7OO-foot tunnel on December
9th and that he expects to be
transferred to the Idaho side in