Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-11
BRISTOL PASS
SAFEST ROUTE
Proposition to Build Salt Lake
Route Main Line Through
Different Section.
CUTTING OUT MEADOW VALLEY
Old Timers Affirm That Floods other
wise VIII Always Menace the
Railroad 10 Los Angeles.

The question of whether the Salt
Lake Route viii again construct its
line through the Meadow Valley coun-
try. through which the second disas-
trous food has just wiped out property
valued In the millions. has apparently
not been decided in the minds Of the
railway officials At least Gen. Man
ageT Wells has not given any intima-
tlon OF decision on this point. But
that the abandonment of the old and
costly line through the wash has been
considered, there can be no reason for
doubt
Discussing this question, and sug-
gesting the feasibility of another route
extending from Modena via Ploche and
the Bristol pass through to Las Vegas,
the Pioche Record, under date OF Jan.
has the following under the caption
of The Bristol Way"
The terrible catastrophe which has
occurred within the past week In the
Meadow Valley wash, cntailing q loss
of many millions of dollars. again en-
phasizes the fact that the San Pedro.
Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad
company made n most serious mistake
when it chose the route down the mar
now canyon between Callente and
Moapa for its transcontinental line OF
track.
This was pointed out to Senator Clark
and his associates by an engineer en-
ployed on the work of selecting route
Tor the Salt Lake road across New
ada to southern California. This en-
gineer, who was a man of many years
experience in railroad work. in his re-
port TO Senator Clark. laid particular
stress upon the inevitability of wash
outs in the Meadow VALLEY canyon; as
well as tho probability of a recurrence
of them season after season- The con-
clusion was based upon the fact that
the canyon being narrow, could not af
ford drainage for the tremendous area
of country which it does. on either side.
without entailing great danger TO
railroad II built that way. He claim
ed, at least that IL would mean the ex-
pendlture of enormous sums to make
the roadway absolutely immune from
the raVages of the spring frcshets, or
the floods following erratic cloud
bursts.
But other engineers employed on the
location surveys favored Meadow Val
ley and that route had the preference
ANSWER TO CONUNDRUM.
True, there are few difficulties which
engineering skill cannot surmount. But
IN the iace OF all the misfortunes which
have befallen the Salt Lake Route. will
Its officials have the courage to re-
build the road through the wash
again?
There is another way to look at the
proposition
For nearly 100 mlIas, the railroad fol-
lows canyon tromNyhlch no traffic of
Consequence Is derived Railroads
usually look into the matter OF local
traffic when they build lines of steel
rails into a new country
I7tnf fh..r. Gall
Lincoln county. or through what Is
now Lincoln county, this feature was
not given the serious consideration,
perhaps. that IT should have been given.
Had the line followed the survey run
from point near Modena or Crestline,
thence to Panaca, Plochc and Bristol
pass. into the broad Dry Lake and Pah-
valleys and on to Las Vegas
IN almost a straight line, Il would BIO
deriving Income from a country i'm
rich In mineral agricultural,
fruit growing and other resources.
With the main line at our very doors,
the effect would be TO greatly stimu-
late Interest in mining here at P.oche.
The result would be the same in the
Highland and Stampede Gap districts:
while Bristol, camp which only needs
the hand OF capital TO make II greater
than either Bingham or Tintic. would
soon become Il beehive OF mining actlvi-
ty
Old Delamar would be revived The
new gold camp Of Atlanta would be
brought within easy reach (and 1t Is
worth reaching out for by any railroad
IN Nevada), Hiko. Tcmpiute, Silver King
and a score OF other good mining dis.
tricts. whose prosperity ,s being held
In allegiance only because they lack
transportation facilities. would become
steady contributors OF revenue
CLOSE TO ELY-GoLDFIELD.
Here is something else for the man-
a cement OF the railroad to take into
By choosing the Bristol
pass way for change of route, the
proposed Ely-Goldheld line would not
be to exceed 40 or rs miles away Pos
slbly 1t might work TO the advantage
Of the Salt Lake Route to build u con-
nectlon with this road. making an ex-
cellent cross-state route-to east and
west. as well as north and south.
The patronage that would be derived
from Spring. Tempiutc and other val
Ieys; also from that vast region which
comprises tho Oneota irrigation project.
Is difficult to calculate But it would
be tremendous In a few years
1t seems to US that the reasons set
forth why the Salt Lake road should
build across Bristol pass are unanswer-
able. Possibly tEe mileage would be a
little longer. But the difference would
not amount to much. Anyway, accord
Ing to the opinion of men competent
10 judge. this could be more than COM
for by the making of better
running time and a corresponding re-
duction In operating expenses. There
would be no chance for serious wash
outs and the traffic that soon would be
developed along the Bristol survey
would. before the management could
scarcely realize it, pay the cost of con-
structlon.