, 1922-10-27
RAPID PROGRESS
ON WIND RIVER
ROAD REPORTED
Secretary of Casper Chamber
of Commerce Reviews Ac-
tivities After Re-
cent Trip.
BY CHARLES r. STAFFORD.
Secretary Chamber OF Commerce.


The construction work being done
by the Utah Construction company on
the Wind River Canyon road is prog
resssng SO rapidly that few people
realize the TRANSFORMATION that is tax
ing place. The construction company
has between 200 n 500 men IN the
canyon at the present time. they have
three huge steam shovels going con
tinuously and several crews blasting
rock IN the open stretches to make
way for the steam shovels while a
crew OF expert powder and rock men
are busy with air drills and giant
powder blasting nut the o tunnels
near. the Boysen dam entrance to the
canyon. The foreman In charge Of
this rock work IS considered one OF the
best tunnel men in the United States:
he received his training in the building
OF the St. Cotthard tunnel which i,
nine and a quarter miles long and
tho countries of Italy and
Switzerland. At the time this tunnel
was quilt 1t was the longest tunnel in
h world.
The first tunnel in the canyos is
being built at the rate OF from s to 10
feet per day and on Tuesday. October
"a. one charge of giant powder broke
out 10 cubic yards OF the hardest kind
OF rock The first tunnel wheu COM
pleted VIII be about SIS feet in length
and the hole as It extends into ths
mountain now IS about 40 feet or
about one-third tho length. The pow
dor holes are drilled with steel tools
that literally chew their why into the
rock 70 a depth of ten feet. When n
~sGfficieut number OF holes have been
drilled they are filled with giant pow
der and set off with fuses. The report
from the charge can be heard for
miles and breaks down n ppiie OF rock
that VIII I'll an average zized freight
car.
On the eide hin dirt stretches S-ther
down the canyon between three and
four miles OF the highway Is practical
ly completed and there are several
other stretches OF one-quarter mile in
length that are practically completed
but for the ~surfacing. When Mr..
Christensen who Is in charge OF the
work for the Utah Construct on com.
pany was asked when he expected TO
have the work finished. he said bar
ring unexpected delays we shcild have
the work completed by April 1. 1898.
Tho construction company has the
most complete equipment for the
camps and for the actual construction
that Il is possible 10 secure The
camps are models of cleanliness, every
precaution being taken to keep the
food stuffs clean and sanitary. So
complete are the arrangements that
h company keeps a drove OF regis
tered Duroc Jerseys tina viii be
slaughtered later on for met to sup
ply the comps. The porkers were
shipped direct from the construction
company's ranch where they keep al
all times hundreds Of head Of all kinds
of livestock
In order to get machinery onto the
works It was necessary for the com
pany to construct wagon bridges and
foot bridges are now strung along the
canyon at intervals OF from one TO two
miles. Box c%onveyors with windlasses
are used for sending tools back anc
forth across the river. blacksmith
shops are located al convenient place,
along che canyon and very little tint
is consumed in sharpening tools anc
sending them back to the drills.
When the road is completed which
has practically a water grade. with g
maximum grade at one point of only
81 per cent. the driving time OF ar
automobile between Casper and Their
mopolis will be cut at least two hour
ard II will be possible for a Casper
motorist to drive from Casper to Cod,
in one day. Nature has provided ar
abundant supply Of spzing water a
many of the camping sites through
the canyon. One spring being utflizel
by tho construction camps runs a two
inch stream Of very cold water.
Casper good roads enthusiasts ar,
urged to make a trip to the canyer
yet this fall because after this winter
has passed It will be so transformed
by the hand OF mar that IT. will never
look the same again. By the way
the pike are biting fine above tn,
dam