The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1916-02-10
REPORT or NORTH AND SoCTE
RAILROAD COMMISSION FILED
WITH G0VERNoR-LINE
II FEASIBLE

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To Honorable Moses Alexander,
Governor of the State Of Idaho,
Boise, Idaho.
The undersigned, appointed by you
70 investigate the possibility OF the
construction Of q north and south rail-
road as provided for by house concur
rent resolution No. 3 Of the 1915 ses-
Eion Of tbs legislature, respectfully re-
port as follows:
In the latter part Of August, 1915 the
commission, in company with yourself
and j. H Smith, state engineer, tray-
eied over the road between New Mead
ows and Grangeville, Idaho, holding
meetings and making diligent inquiries
&c various points to prospective cut
khe table lands Of the Camas and Nez
Perez prairies, and also as to the con-
dikions along the Salmon river between
Whitebird to Lewiston
We have eorresponded with various
railroad Officials for the purpose Of OBJ
tanning data, which in most cases has
been cheerfuIly furnished, while in
some cases our requests for inf0rma-
ton have not received the courtesy of
acknowledgment
After eanvassing the entire situation
from many angles with such informa-
eSoa as is available, we recommend the
construction of . standard grade rail
road bed by the state Of Idaho, be-
tween New Meadows 1.-THE northern
terminus Of the Pacific & Idaho North
exn railroadl via the Little Salmon and
main Salmon rivers TO Whitebird, and
ehence ascending via Whitebird and
Chapman creeks to q connection with
the Camas Prairie railroad which
serves the great productive regions be-
tween Grangevills and Lewiston
For the proper understanding Of the
maSure of the region to be traversed. /
we give herewith the distances between i
various points.
New Meadows to Higgins.
ID From New Meadows to Round /
valley, Is miles. This stretch runs on
practically level grade through
pxaixie country, where the greater por
tion Of the work can be done by teams
and scrnpers-
(2) From Round valley to Fan creek,
On the Little Salmon river, IL miles
This distance covers the heaviest and
most costly stretch on the entire length
Of the proposed grsde- The descent
through the Little Salmon canyon to q
point short distance below Fan creek,
runs through q narrow canyon on q
grade which exceeds the maximum for ,
railroad purposes, thus requiring .
route through the hills west Of the riv-
on 60 obtain the distance necessary to I
get suitable grsde-
(3) From Fall creek to higgins, Is !
miles This stretch follows the west
bank Of the Little Salmon river, with ]
probably three-fOurth of the entire dis !
tance covered by gravel bars and flat !
L-Aa
bluffs entailing heavy work II
For this distance from New Meadows '
to higgins (the mileage OF which by I
wagon road Is 40 miles), we have been I
furnished By Colonel E. M. Hsigho Of '
the Pacific & Idaho Northern railroad a
with profile and alignment maps, COW
ering q line located on a maximum a
gradient Of per cent, and recommend I,
ID by his former chief engineer, Mr.. r,
Lee NJ. HighIey. This line was never -
:Ross-seetioned, and cost estimates can +,
1nly be approximate, but its eonstrue- te
ion would be enormously expensive. Al
Since our interview with Colonel N
1eigho in August, he has sent another TO
ngineer over q portion Of the route, "
nd this engineer suggests the wisdom te
abandoning the original location for ii,
distance Of three or four miles on an
seping the nne closer to the river and Al,
fminafinR much of the cost. If this -,
lggesti0n Is adopted, 10 is estimated AZ
lat the IS railroad miles between New n
Ieadows and higgins by the proposed ~,
lilroad can be built at an approx ~,
ate cost Of &l,420 600, although a re- NJ
lrvey would be necessary TO arrive at Al
TACT figures. This estimate includes riv
10 use Of 75-pound steel rails, and Of vwr
eel and concrete bridges where need vi
!, and Of ballasting the entire IS miles Iat
ady for service a0l
Higgins to Whdtsbfrd. Nc
higgins is located at the junction Of on
le Little Salmon and main Salmon cor
vers. The latter stream, after ira yes
,rsing the heart Of the state from east
west, here takes n direct northerly
'uKse- For the purposes Of this re- by
Ut, we conf1ne our observations to mo
at portion Of the river between Rig Cit
ms and Whitebird creek, distance OF yer
miles on q grade of approximately Mr.
ght feet per mile, which for conven- Orr
nee we have divided into sections as sur
lows: WI
"a higgins to Lucille, II miles. For let
. first two miles, the wagon road fha
to New MeadowB) iie8 on gra
9 west side Of the main Salmon riv- win
to where the stream IL crossed by d eon
eel bridge, and thence continues on eos
Q east side Of the river TO Whitebird. rfvl
10 first six miles north Of higgins Is WI
avy rock work, with occasional bars, Ora
Fiddle creek. From Fiddle creek Y
rth to Lucile, the formation IL most ave
heavy gravel, with long stretches Of a p
w. construction Big
'&g Lueflesko John nay, miles. This NOT
, runs almost exclusively through stee
ela1 debris, at one point for shout isfo
~ fourths of q mile forming an 81 twe
X perpendiculax gravel bank rs fit esfi
We The river. eIud
- jean Day 20 Slate creek, miles stat
wagon road over this gap lies I'm rolf