Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-24
ENGINEER TALKS
OF THE SURVEYS
Saws Both Phoebe and St. George
Could Easily be Provided
With Good Service.
REASONS FOR BOTH LINES
Coal, Oil and Agricultural Products
For One-Orcs for Phoebe Branch
And Fruit From Moapa.

There Is no occasion for rivalry be-
tween Phoebe and St George In rela-
ton to the probable change of route
OF the San Pedro road" said a
prominent locating engineer, who spent
some time going over the territory bo-
low the Meadow Valley wash country
just before the great flood came which
destroyed more than so miles of the
railroad track. Railroads are built and
operated to make money. Both the
Pioche mining region and the ST
George agricultural and mining coun-
try are capable of furnishing large
amount OF freight and passenger busl-
ness for any railroad that may reach
them. Some road is certain to pene-
trate these districts before long. WHY
should not the Salt Lake Route he
the first to build and secure the bust
ness of both st. George and Phoebe.
one lying south and the north north of
the Iron Mountain and Pine Valley
range of mountains?
"a glace at railroad man will show
that the original lines are In good con-
dition from Lund to Barclay, and from
near Caltente to Phoebe, and that ONLY
snort piece OF line between Barclay
and Calientc was DESTROYED by the
recent flood. Reconstructing this
destroyed Stretch on higher ground
between Barclay or Crestline and
some safe point in the Phoebe branch
would enable Phoebe people to con-
tinue shipping ore to the smelters
and getting their supplies from Salt
Lake City as before the washout. 1t
must be borne In mind that no part
Of the Phoebe district has ever been on
the main line of the Salt Lake Route.
and that its people will be as we'll off
on branch line from Lund as on
q main line from Caliente.
THE ST. GEORGE LINE.
with the northern country thus
provided with transportation facilities,
the through line could Gas it ought TO
have been in the first placc,) be built
from Lund or thereabouts to the east
end OF the Iron mountain thence pass
ing near the Kanara coal fields and
the Virgin Oil field to st. George.
thence down the Virgin or across the
spur lying west of Santa Clara creek
TO near Bunkerville on the Virgin
river, and thence down that stream to
st. Thomas near the mouth of the
Muddy.
This would quadruple the local traf-
f1c of 1909 and bring the road in con-
tact with both coal and fuel oil, neith-
er of which is found on or near the
line originally built.
From st. Thomas to a connection
with the Salt Lake Route track the
route would be determined by surveys
and good Judgment,
"Some critics object to following up
the Muddy on the ground that the
waters OF Meadow Valley Wash find
their outlet through that drainage and
that a railroad on the Muddy creek
would be In danger of floods like the
recent one. There Is little In that
criticism. for the Muddy valley. being
wide. would afford ample room for
nearly any amount Of water to pass of
without noticeable effect on the rail-
road.
WHY MOAPA?
"A line could be built to Moapa
on either side of Muddy creek on
ground high enough to insure absolute
safety. But is II necessary to build to
Moapa? That station is of little i'm
portance aside from being n shipping
point for the products OF the Muddy
valley, and some other station, say at
the crossing of the Muddy valley, at or
near st. Thomas would be even pre-
ferable as a shipping station for the
truck farming region up and down the
Virgin and Muddy valleys,
Surveys will probably show that it
Is not necessary to connect the new
line with the old at Moapa. for there
is a strong presumption that there are
advantages in crossing the Muddy val
ley near ST Thomas and running
thence westerly to a connection with
the present line of the Salt Lake Route
somewhere between Moapa and Las
Vegas. at a point where the topo-
graphy invites