The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1916-02-03
SPECIAL SESSION SUGGESTED
BY COMMISSION ON NORTH
AND SOUTH RAILROAD
Commission Appointed by Governor Makes Report Propo
ed Raroad-Sates That Idaho has Much to
Gain and Nothing to Lose

expensive. Since our interview with
Colonel Heigho in August, he has sent
another engineer over a portion of the
route, and this engineer suggests the
wisdom of abandoning the original
location for distance of three or four
miles on an approximate three per
cent grade, thus keeping the line closer
to the river and eliminating much
of the cost. If this suggestion is
adopted 1t is estimated that the 80
railroad miles between New Meadows
and higgins by the proposed railroad
can be built at the approximate cost
of $1,420,000, although a re-survey
would be necessary to arrive at exact
figures. This estimate includes the use
of 75pound steel rails, and of steel
and concrete bridges where needed,
and of ballasting the entire 35 miles
ready for service.
higgins to Whitebird.
higgins is located at the junction of
the Little Salmon and main Salmon
rivers. The latter stream, after ira
versing the heart of the state from
east to west, here takes a direct
northerly course. For the purposes of
this report, we confine our observa-
" pOIIiOL VI Tie river De-
tween higgins and Whitebird creek,
distance of 81 miles on a grade of
approximately eight feet per mile,
which for convenience we have divid-
ed into sections as follows:
"a higgins to Lucille, IL miles
For the first two miles, the wagon
road (Grangeville to New Meadows)
lies on the west side Of the main
Salmon river to where the stream is
crossed by a steel bridge, and thence
continues on the east side of the river
to Whitebird. The first six miles
north of higgins is heavy rock work
with occasional bars, to Fiddle creek
From Fiddle creek north to Lucille
the formation is mostly heavy gravel
with long stretches of easy construc
ton.
| 90 Lucille to John Day, 3 miles
This gap runs almost exclusively thru
glacial debris, at one point for about
three-fourths of a mile forming an al
most perpendicular gravel bank x
feet above the river.
81 John Day to Slate Creek, {
miles. The wagon road over this gaI
lies in places about 75 feet above tht
river. The river bank is mostly grav
ell. At point two and one-half miles
below John Day creek, the wagon roaC
climbs on a very stiff grade through
Long Gulch over a saddle and theme,
drops down to Slate creek. From
both ends of this grade the canyon ap
pears very forbidding, but it is no
nearly so bad as it looks, there beinj
a bar about three-fourths of a mill
along the meander of the river, whicl
Is occupied as a farm, where grain
clover and alfalfa are raised. Their,
! are also other benches elevated 8
feet above high water mark, wher
easy construction can be obtained. A
the end of the LYDIA ranch, however
there is about third of a mile o
what is probably the heaviest roc
work along the river, probably requir
ing a tunnel.
"a Slate creek to Whitebird,
miles. On this stretch are long bar
where construction is comparativel
easy, with occasional basaltic out
crops. We estimate that fully on,
half of this stretch can be built wit
teams and scrapers The grade aroun
l the toe of Horseshoe Bend will involy