The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1921-03-12
through or over the Emigrant Can

through or over the Cdh-
Won summit. Considering the first
route, Carlin is distant not too en-
coed 90 miles. After crossing the
river at Beowawe and passing along
the Horse Shoe ranch for a distance
of about one and one-half miles. the
road turns to the east and In the gen.
eral direction Of Emigrant Canyon.
This is an old road and 1t Is a fact
that 1t covers a section of rolling
hills for a distance Of some five or
six miles before II enters Emigrant
Canyon, and 1t appears that 1t is on
this road that the Commission has
based its unfavorable report of the
Emigrant Canyon route; however,
we call attention to the fact that a
gradual slope extends from the Horse
Shoe ranch to within two or three
miles of the summit of Emigrant
Canyon. This is a natural roadway
and the cost of construction would be
nominal-the maximum grade being
less than FIVE per cent. The last
three miles of construction to the top
of the summit, which would include
a few hundred feet of grading on the
side hill to drop down into Emigrant
Canyon, would be the only heavy
construction on this route and none
of 1t would be as heavy as that In
welche's Canyon. The distance from
Beowawe to Carlin by this route
would not exceed twenty miles.
Considering the second route from
Beowawe, the road would stay on the
south side of the tracks and river,
passing through Beowawe and con-
~tinuing on the old railroad grade for
a distance of about five miles to a
point opposite what is known as
Gravelly Ford Crossing of the Hum
boldt River. Open crossings on both
railroads could be maintained here
as there are no fields to bother. A
bridge would have to be constructed
over the river at this point, but the
river here moves faster, does not
overflow it's banks, and consequently
there are no mud bottoms to contend
with. There are no unusual condi-
tions to contend with here for the
construction of a bridge-in fact the
conditions are ideal and there would
be no doubt about the bridge stay
ing there in case of high water.
The road could be run right up to
the river at the point where the
bridge was to be constructed. AS to
the comparison of costs of construct
ing a bridge at this point and at Sho-
shone Point, remember hat at the
former place the river is compare
lively narrow and well confined and
about all to be done is to construct
the bridge, while at Shoshone Point,
Is miles further down the stream, the
river has spread out so that during
any normal year the whole river bot
tom for a half mile to a mile wide is
saturated and inundated with water,
considerable sections of 1t being un-
der water to a depth Of several feet.
The river bottom as any one knows
is a mixture of sod, sandy loam-can
you imagine an ordinary fill being
built to stand on this kind of a base
We do not believe that a fill con
structed here will withstand the ordi-
nary flood waters of the Humboldt
and an unusual amount of water
would be certain to destroy 1t.
1t seems that this bridge is con
| structed in the e ratio. AS 9
| general thing a bridge is constructed
when the road can go no further al
the end Of the road as 1t were, but IN
this instance the bridge was con.
structed a half mile or more out In
the river bottom and now the ques
ton is how are we going to get &
road to 1t?
From the Gravelly Ford the ole
Emigrant road passes up to a gradua
| slope for three of four miles, or to {
point to within three or possibly foul
miles of the summit, the construction
up to this point being light and {
good grade. and from this point OF
the construction for the first mil,
possibly would be canyon work in {
loose rock and dirt formation and fol
the remaining distance the worl
would be identical with that de
scribed in the first mentioned route
from Beowawe to Carlin-the two
routes merging at a point less thar
three miles from the summit on the
Beowawe side.
| Starting from Farrell and keeDfnc