Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-14
NEW RAILROAD
RUNSFIRST TRAIN
BONDS OF STEEL NOW UNITE
TWO REPUBLICS
BIG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Ex-
cuRsloN MAKES THE FIRST
TRIP TO OLD MEXICO

the completion of the San Diego &
Arizona railway, linking San Diego to
Southern California with Yuma on the
Colorado river, will provide the most
direct transcontinentaI railroad route
to the Pacific coast, with q terminus at
the first port of call in the United
States north of the Panama canal. AS
a development enterprise, this cut off
will give access to the vast arid region
now in process of reclamation east and
west of the Colorado river, south OF
the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and
along the Mexican border In Southeast
ern California, generally designated as
the Imperial valley region.
The survey of the San Diego & Ari-
zona railway provides primarily for
line $50 miles long, extending from the
shores of san Diego bay to the interior
OF the Imperial valley. Beyond that
point the road will be extended to
Yuma, where junction will be made
with the Southern Pacific, as soon as
traffic is established to the initial point
in the valley, which 1t is believed will
be reached some time in 1911.
The road Is financed by John D.
Spreckels, a California millionaire VINO
has extensive commercial interests in
San Diego, and whose faith in the fu-
ture of this section has been unswerv-
ing and unvarying' The road has al
ready been built across the information
al boundary line southwark along the
coast to Tia Juana, distance of six
teen miles, Thence it extends south
easterly ten miles, at which point it is
seven miles south of the boundary line
in Mexican territory. Entering Mata-
nuco canyon, the road runs northeast
erly thirty-two miles to point near
the end of the Tecata valley, where 1t
recrosses the international line fifty
miles from San Diego. Thence the road
parallels the international boundary In
California until 1t reaches the Jucumba
valley, ninety-five miles east of san
Diego. Here the survey Is north for
about twelve miles, down the Carriso
canyon, and thence easterly to lmperi-
al valley, through a tunnel on the
eastern slope of the Carriso bridge
From the tunnel entrance to the I'M
peral valley is forty-five miles.
The Southern Pacific crosses two
surveys through the Imperial valley
and at one of these points a junction
probably will be made One of these
functions is near El Centro and the
other close to Calexico.
Considerable money has been added
to the construction cost in the effort
to eliminate heavy grades and sharp
curves, as for example in the crossing
of the Sweetwater valley and the Otay
valley where the maximum grade for
tWenty-four miles out of San Diego
has been reduced to 4 per cent. To
maintain this grade 1t was necessary 10
make a fill of 81 900 yards in the Otay
valley and another of los, 900 yards in
the SWeetwater valley. Heavy noun
tain work will make this section of the
road one of the most expensive in the
country. The tunnels are not numer-
Gus, but some of them are very long
and the bridges, which are many, VIII
add to the cost of avoiding curVatures.
The track of this railroad is laid as
far as the first crossing of the Tia
Juana river, seventeen miles from san
Diego The steel of the rails is seven
ty-five pounds laid on seven by nine
by eight split redwood ties connected
with the continuous rail joint resting
on the plates. In. track construction
and rolling stock all is of the latest
modern type.
mountains extends $4,000 feet. The
first bfidge beyond National City a
few miles south OF San Diego is $50
feet long Between San Diego and
the international line are seven bridges
from 100 to 800 feet long. On the Mex
ican side the longest bridge is at the
first crossing on the Tia Juana river
now building. This bridge is to be
1850 feet with a ballasted deck struc-
ture on creosoted piling. At the sec
ond crossing there will be steel VIA
duct with concrete piers 5lO rect long
and sixty feet above the river bed at
SSNSN
yiaduct is to be constructed another OF
the same material 180 feet long, and
i'm that vicinity are to be bored two
tunnels, one of which is to be 200 feet
long and the' other S25 feet.
The surveys for this road nave cost
5000 OOO and more than $1,O00,OOO was
expended in purchasing the right OF
wav. It is estimated that the total
cost of the road will be $780, 900.
The length of the road from San
Diego to Yuma will be 220 miles. This
will bring San Diego and the south,
western Pacific coast of the United
states within 1870 miles of Kansas
City the pivotal railroad point of the
southwest The distance at present
from Kansas City to Los Angeles Is
175S miles. Thus shippers to and from
the orient and South America will
save about 1876 miles over the present
routing to the point on the Pacific
coast nearest the great circle over
which the commerce of the Panama
canal must pass; and at least twelve
hours will be saved from Yuma to san
Diego owing to the low percentage OF
The grade, When the San Diego &
Arizona railway is completed Chicago
will be $50 miles nearer the Pacific
coast by this route than at present by
the lines with terminals at San Fran
CISCO The distance to San Diego will
be 400 miles shorter than between chi
cago and Portland or Seattle.
It is expected that when the road is
finished all the tourist traffic now
centering in Los Angeles as the OBJ
iective point in Southern California
will make it's first stop at San Diego,
which offers advantages of climate and
location on the sea superior to those
hitherto monopolized by the metropo-
lis of this tion of the state. The
road will be completed in 1913, and in
1915 San Diego will hold an exposi-
tion in commemoration of the COM
nletion of the Panama canal, interna-
tional in it's scope so far as the coun-
tries of Mexico, Central America, South
America and Western Asia are in
cluded, but specifically for the purpose
of exploiting the achievement and pos
sibilities of the great and growing
southwest On this basis of direct
shin and railroad commerce melted by
the new developments brought about
by the opening and operation of the
Panama canal there is bright prospect
that the port of San Diego on the only
nracticable landIocked harbor, except
that of San Francisco, between Alaska
and Chilli will rise to prominence as
one of the great seaports and most
important shipping points on the Pa
cific coast.
CUT 1T SHORT
"J take it," said the man who had
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