The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-23
TIE WESTERN PACIFIC.

cifc Railroad to Salt Lake City is GER
probation OF it in yesterday morning S
Tribune, very great. The Tribune has
heretofore paid much attention TO this
far-reaching and immensely costly and
servIceable railroad: it printed scenes
along the route while il was building,
and has never failed to give every pos
siblc encouragement that it could give
to the enterprise. And when the road
was opened, The Tribune sent "A special
representative along to let the people
know of the merits of the new road,
and of the enthusiasm with WHICH the
initial train was welcomed all along
the line, the arrival in Oakland being
an ovation, and The Tribune represen-
lutIvc receiving special honors
Mr. JackliDg, who has Just made his
initial trip over the road, is fun of ad.
IMITATION for the work done; and there
IS no question but that admiration is
due for IT This is especially true of
| the l5O miles of canyon work in the
upper waters of the Feather River. The
pass leading TO this canyon is one of
the lowest of the Serras. Tho Western
facihc gets into the canyon through
tunnel little moro than a mile long,
the roadbcd being ut an elevation 200
feet less than mile above sea level.
| The engineers who laid out the route
we're instructed to keep the grades down
TO maximum Of ] per cent. They
bavc done so: but 10 accomplish this
work, the roadbcd has been cut out
from the solid rock hundreds Of feet
above the river, ihc tracks being well
l above the possibility Of submcrsion un-
der the great frcshcts that occur when
the snow mclts suddenly, or in severe
storms. where The river rises in the
narrow gorgcs sometimes as much as
fifty feet in few hours. At many
points on the line. solid walls OF ma.
Sonry have been built because there
was not room enough in the narrow
places for the track AZ other points
the sharp curves in the narrow canyon
compelled the placing of the track back
and forth from side 10 side on high
bridges and trcstlc work. Tho same
sort of work that was done in the
Black Canyon OF the Gunnison had to
be done in some places in this canyon
work; the engineers had 10 be let down
with ropes. and all the worlmcn who
did the first digging on some portions
Of tho walls OF the canyon had also to
be let down the same way
There is no question in regard TO the
wonderful scenic attractions of this
line, especially along that 100 miles of
canyon and river bed. And there is
no doubt but the road will become
popular one when its attractive features
arc thoroughly understood.
Up TO July lst of the present year
the cost of the construction of this road
was $40, ,43s.302, as given by II. J.
Carr in Leslie IS Weekly. The funds
from which these payments were made
were derived from the sale of $50
100000 first mortgage per cent. SO
year bonds, yielding net fiS,00S, I4lS2
Then there WAS SlS,7S4 ,333.40 with iu-
terest from the sale Of $25,000,000 sec
ond mortgage ) per cent. gold bonds,
taken by the Denver & Rio Grandc
Company, and $4,6O6, ,4l2.0l advanced by
the same company. The road has been
built under the eye of Mr., ,Icffery, its
President, without subsidies, land
grants, or any sort of donation; even
the common local aid often extended
by cities has been wanting IN the fnanc-
ing and construction of this road. When
one thinks of the great subsidies which
were available in the building of the
original Central Pacific Railroad, the
financing and rapid, continuous con
struction of the Western Pacific in the
face of all the difficulties of financing,
Of getting terminal on San Francisco
Bay, and of the natural obstacles in
the way. one cannot refrain from cX-
pressions of admiration, and, in be-
half of this city, of satisfaction at the
triumph OF this construction. The road
will be an ever increasing factor in
building up and developing the facili
ties and the trade opportunities of Salt
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