Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1916-02-03
EPEC|AL SESSION OF THE STATE
LEGISLATURE is RECOMMENDED

eoni hisSioh, III company with yourself
and ). ID. Smith, state engineer, trav-
eled over the road between New Mead
ows and Grangeville, Idaho, holding
meetings and making diligent inquiries
at various points to prospective out
lets and grades from Salmon river to
the table lands of the Camas and Nez
Perce prairies, and also as to the con-
ditions along the Salmon river between
Whitebird to Lewiston.
We have corresponded with various
railroad officials for the purpose of OBJ
tanning data, which in most cases has
been cheerfully furnished, while in
some cases our requests for informa-
ton have not received the courtesy of
acknowledgement.
After canvassing the entire situation
from many angles with such informa-
tion as is available, we recommend the
construction of standard grade rail
road bed by the state of Idaho, be-
tween New Meadows (the northern
terminus of the Pacific & Idaho North
ern railroad) via the Little Salmon and
main Salmon rivers to Whitebird, and
thence ascending via Whitebird and
Chapman creeks to connection with
the Camas Prairie railroad which
serves the great productive regions be-
tween Grangeville and Lewiston.
For the proper understanding of the
nature of the region to be traversed
we give herewith the distances between
various points.
New Meadows to higgins.
() From New Meadows to Round
valley, Is miles. This stretch runs on
practically level grade through a
prairie country, where the greater por
tion of the work can be done by teams
and scrapers.
(2) From Round valley to Fall creek,
on the Little Salmon river, IL miles.
This distance covers the heaviest and
most costly stretch on the entire length
of the proposed grade. The descent
through the Little Salmon canyon to a
point short distance below Fall creek,
runs through q narrow canyon on a
grade which exceeds the maximum for
railroad purposes, thus requiring a
route through the hills west of the riv-
er to obtain the distance necessary to
get suitable grade.
(3) From Fall creek to higgins, 13
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
river bottoms, with occasional rocky
bluffs entailing heavy work.
| For this distance from New Meadows
to higgins (the mileage Oh which by
wagon road is 40 miles,, we have been
furnished by Colonel E. M. Heigho of
the Pacific & Idaho Northern railroad
with profile and alignment maps, COW
ering line located on maximum
gradient of per cent, and recommend
ed by his former chief engineer, Mr.,
Lee M. Highley. This line was never
cross seetioned, and cost estimates can
only be approximate, but its construc-
ton would be enormously 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 fol
a distance of three or four miles on an
approximate three per cent grade, thus
keeping the ilne closer to the river and
eliminating much of the cost. 1t this
suggestion is adopted, it is estimated
that the 35 railroad miles between New
Meadows and higgins by the proposed
railroad can be built at an approx.
mate cost of $1,420,000, although re,
survey would be necessary to arrive at
exact figures. This estimate includes
the use of 75-pound steel rails, and OF
steel and concrete bridges where need
ed, and of ballasting the entire 80 miles
ready for service.
higgins to Whitebird.
,aft tat, ~