USA > California > Nevada County > History of Nevada County, California; with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and manufactories > Part 31
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Mr. Judah returned to California in 1860, and set about making a more thorough survey of the Sierras for a pass and approach thereto. He was accompanied on this survey by Dr. D. W. Strong, of Dutch Flat, who contributed largely from his private means to pay the expenses of the trip, in addition to assisting very materially the progress of the work by his inti- mate knowledge of the mountains.
Dr. Strong was one of the first Directors of the Central Pacific Railroad Company when formed. After completing these surveys, which were made with a barometer, Mr. Judah went to San Francisco, to lay his plan before the capitalists of that place and induce them, if possible, to form a company to take hold of the work and push it forward. His ideas were received very coldly, and he failed in getting any financial support in San Francisco.
Returning to his hotel one evening, convinced of the futility of any further trials in San Francisco, Mr. Judah remarked: " The capitalists of San Francisco have refused this night to make an investment, for which, in less than three years, they shall have ample cause to blame their want of foresight. I shall return to Sacramento to-morrow, to interest merchants and others of that place in this great work, and this shall be my only other effort on this side of the continent."
Prior to this time Mr. Judah had placed his plans and estimates before a friend, Mr. James Bailey, of Sacramento. Mr. Bailey, struck by the force of these calculations, introduced Mr. Judah to Governor Stanford, Mark Hopkins and the two Crockers; Mr. Huntington he knew before. A meeting of the business men of Sacramento was called and the preliminary steps were taken to organize a company. This organization was perfected and articles of incorporation filed with the Secretary of State, June 28, 1861. The company was named
RESIDENCE OF JOHN POLGLASE, GRASS VALLEY, NEVADA CO CAL.
PUBLISHED BY THOMPSON & WEST.
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HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
The Central Pacific Railroad Company of (uden - following oficer were detel land of | Podat C P. Huntington, Vies Prenant, Jak Il Tr r Theodore D Judah, Chief Engineer La vid Sudal Cun Crocker, James Bailey, Therefore D Jula LA CP Huntington, Mark Hopkins, I W String of Pata Fix ar Charles Which of Nevada City, Dne tor maimed were reilout of Sacramento showing car lessly that to, Sacramenta and lar citizen In longs the le mor of inagu the mid outrying to n succe fol campdetion the Pacific K nul for land not. Judah Spent hi the uil talent or ji wing that such nu undertaking was pos ich, it is en ogen question if today the Pacific Railroad would be in of dance 11 condjutors, named in the forming let of officer, and in of whom are still the owners and allits of the road, dass. Full credit for their faith in the enterprise and the masters manner in which they umnaged the financial difficulties che aunt cred in the yours that changed between the organization of the company and the completion of the road ; last we cannot forget. that for three or four years presions to the organization of the company, Mr. dolab had spent all of his time, money and energy in collecting data, without which no prudent non would las inclined to invest a dollar in the project which was so generally believed to do chimerical.
After the organization of the Company, Mr. Judah was instructed to make a thorough instrumental survey of the monte neroas the Sierras, which he did The previous surveys on reconnaissances had included three different routes, one through El Dorado county ; ria Bionorgetown, another ri Illinoistown und Dutch Flat, and the third ria Nevada and Hennes Pas. These observations had proved the existence of a route acros the Sierras by which the summit could be reached with maximmu grades of 105 feet per mile.
The instrumental survey developed a line with lighter grades, les distance and fewer obstacks than the previous observations had shown. The first report of the Chief Engineer to the officers of the Company gave the following as the topograph- ical features of the Sierra Nevadas, which rendered them so formidable For railroad operations.
" First -The grent elevation to be overcome in crossing its ummit, and the want of uniformity in its western slope." The average length of the western slope of the Sierras is about seventy miles, and in this distance the altitude increases seven thousand feet, making it necessary to maintain an even grade on the ascent to avoid creating some sections with excessive grades.
" Secondly- From the impracticability of the river crossings." These rivers run through gorges in many places over one thousand feet deep, with the banks of varying slopes from perpendicular to 45°. A railroad line, therefore, must avoid
-- Thelin as estalash i ty te
. R . l That Mr T D Anth the Chief Engineer of th >
d'avanth Detoler instant, as the accredito lag ut of the t'entrul Pacific Railroad Company of California for the purpose of procuring appropriations of land and I' & Rouds from the first - "intent, to all in the construction of this road." Mr. Julib
went East on this mission, and this time accomplished his . East, with full power of attorney to do any acts he might purpure, as was evidence Is the lall which passed Congress in July. 199
This bill granted a free right of way to the roads of fun hundred feet wide over all Government lands on their inte The Government also agreed to extinguish the In an title to all the lands donated to the Company either for right of way or to the granted lands. The hands on either side of the route were to be withdrawn from settlement by preemption, or otherwise for a distance of fifteen miles, until the final location of the road should be made and the U. S. surveys had deter- mined the location of the section lines. This map of the route was made by Mr. Judah, tiled in the office of the Secretary of the Interior, and the lands withdrawn in accordance with the terms of the bill. This bill also provided for the issue to the. Company of U. S. thirty-year six per cent. bonds, to he joined to the Company as each forty mile section of the road wa- completed, at the rate of $10,000 per mile for the line west of the western base of the Sierra Nevadas, and at the rate of ×48,000 per mile from the western base east to the eastern base of the Sierras, the later subsidy to be paid on the completion of each twenty-mile section.
To secure the Government from loss, and insure the repay- ment of these bonds, they were made a first lien on the road. This was subsequently modified by an Act passel July, 1864. allowing the Company to issue first mortgage bonds, the United States assuming the position of second mortgage. The land grant in the first bill was every alternate section for ten miles each side of the track. This allowance was subsequently doubled, making twenty sections per mile. The State of Cal. ifornia also douated $10,000 per mile to the road, by an Act approved April 25, 1963. The engineering difficulties were great, and had been considered insurmountable, but the finan- | cial difficulties were also great, and, undoubtedly, required more
aber all the ht than the engineering, though of a diff rent kinh That the difficulties were surmounted, and the orig- intro of t ett sell retain the ownership and control of there andin addition to the original line, have built over Quele han Imi of nel in California and Ari ma proses the atales of the leaders in this movement
The> un wary merchants in what cannot be classe I among the Lie cies and con pants not lange's known to the tumul world, they haln ver ban engaged in the railroad lines, and were, suppesally, ignorant of the immens under - taking m which they lolembarki ! Aside from the natural difficulty of the situation, they encountered opposition from the ngan sol men of San Francisco mod other places, who gave the enterprise the not very pleasant name of the . Dutch Flat Swindle "
e' P' Huntington, Vice President of the Company, was sent
think best for the interest of the t'engminy One of the main objects of this vist was to see that the hill which was then Fotore Congre should and oldige the Company to pay interest. in the lon Is received of the thevernment for ten years at least. from the date of their issue
After the passage of the hill, the lonky were opened for stock subscriptions to the amount of eight and one- half millions of dollars. Of this amount, six hundred dollars were sub criled at the first ruch, and for a long time the stock was di part of very lowly.
Huntington, on endeavoring to dispose of the bonds of the Company in New York, was informed that they had no marketable value until some part of the road was built. Before he could dispose of them, he was oldiget to give the personal guarantees of himself and four partners Hopkin. Stamford and the Crocker's for the money, until such times as they could be exchanged for United States bonds. The Fonds, so obtained, $1,500,000, built thirty one mile of the road.
In 1862 the Company was granted the right of way into the city of Sacramento, and also granted the Slough or Sutter lake. The first shovelful of dirt thrown in the cusstraction of the Central Pacific Railroad was in Sacramento, on the 22d of February, 1863. This was ut the foot of K street, on the lovee. The contract for building the road from this point to Grider's, on the California Central Railroad, was It to C. Crocker & Co., December 22, 1802. C. Crocker & l'a, sub let the contract to different parties. Twenty miles of road cach year were completed in 1863, 1864 and 1865, thirty miles in 1866, forty-six miles in 1867, three hundred and sixty four miles in INGS, one hundred and ninety and one-half miles in 1869; making six hundred and ninety and one-half miles from Sacramento to Promontory, where the roads met, Slay 10, 1869. All of the material,, except the cross-ties, for constructing
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HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY. CALIFORNIA.
this road, including a large portion of the men eny lal stand and report to the Board of Direct is of the to be brought from the Fat, in Cap. Hon low Cost to quality of the work and the latter end of the work veral then ol Chien igen filteren not then built Mr thay's employed In uldition to the, it wa wi the insurances was very high, ion 'un tai road i ti of a kinds were held at enormon figure and the price of the ub sidy honda was very low All of them facts tolead to make the cost of the road large.
The State of t'alifornia agreed to pay the interaction $150 000 of bonds for twenty years, in exchange for which the Rail- road Company gave a saludo tono quarry. Sever lef th counties along the line of the road guided fond of the room ties in exchange for work Sacramento county gave her land to the nmonnt of $300,000. The . Fonds were exchangel for money, und the work for hed forward There was delas in oltuining the Coveriment suleidy, and the money ran shot. When Mr. Huntington returned from New York le found the treasury almost depleted of coin, and the meer ity of making more means of stopping the work was evident. " Huntington und Hopkins chn, out of their own means, pay 200 men during a your, how many can euch of your keep on the line" was the characteristic way in which this man get the emer- gerry. Before the meeting adjourned ther five men Ind resolvel that they would maintain 800 men on the roul during the your out of their own private fortunes About this time (1863) Mr. Judah had sold out his interest in the Cropany and gue Kust. On the way he was stricken with the Panama fever, of which he died shortly after his arrival in New York Dr. Strong of Dutch Flat, thenigh a sincere believer in the enterprise, was tubb to furnish what was considered his share of the expenses necessarily advanced, and retired from the Board of Directors. Mr. Builey and Mr. Marsh nud Mr. Booth We hear nothing of after the enterprise was fairly under way, though we know they were all three carnet workers at the commencement.
8. S. Montague succeeded Mr. Judah as Chief Engineer of the road, which position he still hobbs. The Mention surveys were mnde under Mr. Montagne's directions, The road from Sacramento to Colfax, or lower Illinoistown Cap, was located on the line run by Mr. Judah, in ING1; from Colfax to Long Ravine the line was changed materially : from Long Ravine to Alta the line run on Judah's survey, and from AAlta to the Sun. Engineer in charge of second division from Colfax to the Sam- mit. This final location gave a better grade line, and one more free from snow in the winter. two very desirable objects. The value of these changes is plainly shown by the report of George E. Gray, formerly Chief Engineer of the New York Central Railroad. Mr. Grny was requested by Leland Stanford, in a letter dated July 10, 1865, to inspect the line of road and sur-
r| _ 15 q'nin thet the road nlreally constructed we do far relly with any real in the United States. Of tatt it on tructed, he reported that Mr. Judah's Ine lad l nt tayin ly alten 1, causing a saving in distance of nearly tive that no feet and also reducing the aggregate length of us think about tive th man fret, a saving in cost of construction of over tour lighed thousand dollars, at least.
I read progre al, as we have stated alwar, slowly at first, Int mor rapidy towards the close, until. on the 10th day of May 1800, the last spike was driven, which completed the railroad connection letwon the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. A large party were gathered on Promontory Point to see this coronauy. Telegraph wir had been connected with the different large cities of the Union, so that the exact inmoment of driving the last spike could be known in all at the sann time. The hour designated having arrived, Leland Stanford, Prosi- dont of the t'eutral Pacitic, and other officers of the Company, cate forward. T. C. Durant, Vice-President of the I'nion Pneitie, accompanied by General Dodge and others of the same Company, met them at the end of the rail, where they paused, wbile Res. Dr. Tinld, of Massachusetts, gave a short prayer. The last tie, made of California laurel, with silver plates lwaring suitable inscriptions, was put in place, and the last connecting rails were laid by parties from each Company. The Inst spikes were made one of gold from California, one of silver from Nevada, aml one of gold and silver from Arizona. Presi- dent Stanford then took the hammer of solil silver, to the handle of which were attached the telegraph wires, by which, at the first tap on the head of the gold spike, at twelve M., the news of the event was flashed over the American Continent.
The Jupiter, a locomotive of the t'entral Pacific Railroad Company, and locomotive No. 116, of the Union Pacific Rail- pilots together, while bottles of champagne were passed from one to the other.
During the building of this road, the track-laying force of the C'entral Pacific laid ten miles and two hundred feet of track in one day. This herculean feat was performed on the 20th of April, 1869, when only fourteen miles of track remained mit on an entirely new line, located lo Mr. L. M. Clement, to be laid to connect with the Union Pacific Railroad, and was
retirely tinished by seven P. M. By mutual agreement between the two roads, Ogden was made the terminus of cach; by this arrangement the Union Pacific sold fifty-three miles of road to the C'entral, making the length of road owned by the Central Pacific proper seven hundred and forty-three miles and a half, from Sacramento to Ogden.
In August, 1865, the Central Pacific Company purchased
the Sacramento Valley road. The purchase was made by George F. Bragg on behalf of himself and others of the entire stock held by L. L. Robinson and Pioche and Bayerque. The price paid for this stock was $800,000. Bragg, soon after com- ing into possession, transferred the stock to the owners of the Central Pacific. The latter Company was forced to do this in order to secure the whole of the Washoe trade, which at this time was immense, amounting to several million dollars per annum. The short line of the Sacramento Valley road alone declared an annual protit of nearly half a million dollars the year previous to its purchase, most of which came from the freights going to the Washoe and other mining districts.
On August 20, 1870, the Western Pacific, San Joaquin Val- lev, California and Oregon, and San Francisco, Dakland all Alameda Railroads were all consolidated under the name of the Central Pacific Railroad.
From 1869 to 1871 the California Pacifie road running from Sacramento and Marysville to San Francisco rio Vallejo was a strong competitor of the Central Pacific. In August, 1871, these roads were consolidated, since which time, with the excep- tion of competition by river, the Central Pacific Railroad Company has had a monopoly of the carrying trade of northern t'alifornia. The California Pacific gave the Vallejo route to San Francisco. The trip was made to Vallejo by rail, and from thence to San Francisco by boat. This was a very popular route and monopolized the majority of the travel between Sacramento and San Francisco.
On the 28th of December, 1879, the new route wie Benicia was opened, and the trains were run through to San Francisco, and the Vallejo route as a line of travel to San Francisco was abandoned. Trains still run to Vallejo, and passengers going that way are transferred across the bay to the railroad at the point opposite the entrance to Carquinez Straits. This change in route shortens the time from San Francisco about one hour.
rond Company, approached from each way, and rubbed their ; through which the road winds its tortuous course over the
The immense snow sheds forming ahnost a continuous tunnel, snow clad Sierras, form not an uninteresting feature of this monster railroad. Were it not for these the road coukl not be operated for nearly three months of the year, so heavy and continuous are the falls of snow, lying in immense drifts in the passes and sliding down the mountain side in terrible ava- lanches. The deep snow belt extends for ninety miles along the road and for one half of this distance the track is inclosed in snow sheds, costing originally $10,000 per milc. A stretch of shedding one and one-half miles long near Donner lake cost $75,000, and is the most substantial on the line. Twenty inch timbers are set up four feet apart and sustained by braces. Cross beams rest upon these, over which the roof is built. These are supported also by two inch iron rods cemented into the solid rock. While the train glides securely through these tun-
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PUBLISHED BY THOMPSON & WEST.
RESIDENCE OF JAMES BENNALLACK, GRASS VALLEY, NEVADA CO, CAL.
127
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
ils, the comfortable ja non li ral the name M \ fn ank a minute dashing the show fifty feet in
mountain The hed have to be carefully merkel from fre and the effects of atom reveal the trittis the having round the engine are kept at trocke selthat ready to go to the none of a rostla gratin at a Finest
During stormy weather the now in cleared from the track piled to give in tout warning of danger
work day and night to keep the track clear, and occasionally a blockade of a day occurs in spite of their utment exertionis To keep the ninety notes of track char the company employs sentimos five hundred men, twenty or more ton-wheel low- motivos and fior giant snow plows, annetiones running roll- stantly for seventy hours. Generally live or six engines are pdneed behind one poss, But occasionally as high as cheven are used. Six engines, with every pand of steam that they can carry plange the plow for into the eqqaring wall of show, while. going at a speed of seventy miles an hour. The snow flies in immense musses in all directions, and the progres of the plow is not stiggad until it is literally forriad in the bank. It is then show led out, the train backs up and takes another phong; time after time is this repeated until a passage is looken through the drift, the captain and crew of the plow riding on topped the planging ginnt This is the most dangerous branch of the railroad service: accidents are frequent ; scaredly a train gor ant without getting off the track several times; but the un who are engaged in it seem to enjoy the excitement and danger, and many u man, and woman alsu, has ridden on the plunging plow to experience a sensation and witness a scene nowhere else to be found. The following nemnt of an exeit- ing snow plowing incident is taken from the Truckee Republican of March 30, 1874.
" Drep as were the drifts they seemed as naught in our path until we passed the second snow shed and reached a point nenr Miller's mill, about. four miles from Truckee, when we struck a drift of very heavy snow. Our speed slackened, the wheels slipped upon the track and stopped. The order to reverse nund back out was quickly given, but it could not le done. The snow had fallen between the wheels, and the engines had not the power to move either way. Our train was ' stuck,' and it seemed that that was the end of our trip until assistance reached us. But Conductor Clark, comprehending the situa- tion, gave orders to shovel out, uncomple and run back each one separately. This was successfully accomplished, and then all were coupled up, the snow-plow withdrawn and the train backed down through the snow-shed. All steamed np to une
- revered and to sign of all the tan wa che ful with drawn ar I start I again This was repat d for the with time each making no more than the length of the tan In the seventh trial proel a vers and we passed on the the Wow-short at C'estren sis miles from Trucker After taking wool the train was run lack for mother start The show at this point was much lighter and when the plow struck it. threw it in a great volume all over the plow . we started. About car half mile beyond, it was the pleasure of all on the snow-flow to witness one of the most beautiful Mens that can be imagined The snow was light and how. und, when the plow struck it, rose like spray in two perfect ares of a circle to the light of twenty feet, and the sun shin ing upon it, produced an effect at once grand, beautiful and indescribable "
Only a few days before one of the most daring feats of snow flowing was successfully accomplished between Emigrant Cap. and Rine Canon. While the flow, propelled by tive engines. was within twee and three-fourths miles of Blue Conon the four rear engines ran off the track as did also the tender of No. The the forward locomotive. "It was storming at a fearful rate and the snow lay on the track to the depth of fran two to three feet. No help could be expected from the passenger engines at Bhe Cañon to pull the ditched engines on the truck again, unless the snow plow could be forced through first and clear the track. The only ray of hope to speedily rain the blockade was in getting the tender of locomotive No. 75 on the rails again, and using the full power of the single engine in making an opening to Blue t'aiun and getting the assistance" of the three passenger engines. By dint of ahnost superhuman exertions, and a crew of nearly one hundred men, Nate Wohl, Superintendent of the snow plow department, soon had the unlucky tender on the rails again. Steam ou the engine had bæen nursed up in the meantime, until the pressure indicated 130 pounds to the square inch. When all was ready for the trial, Webb told engineer Thomas Forsythe that he must make Blue ('añon or land his snow plow, engine and tender at the bottom of the American river canon. The throttle valve was thrown wide open, and the engine and the 40 ton plow in front started forward on the step down grade as if impelled by gun- powder. Fortunately immediately in front of the plow, for a hundred yards or so, the track was comparatively free from snow, and the locomotive was under complete headway when it struck the first drifts. Un it flew with irresistible force at the
- track changed whiletheland swept with full head of steam and crowded artedel and carrying than at the light it well to it- dienst spel Superintendent Weld had telegraphed to Bu ttan advance to have the switch turned so to throw the pin on a skle track, and thus avoid a collision with the passer train The result of the trial was watched with Fatal Breath by the force of men who were with the ditched
of what was son. All wemed to understand the extreme paral of the ride, and that if the engine or snow plow jumped th track certoun denth at the Initom of a canon uwaited the during then on board In just three minutes from the time Fors the raised the command to the' a dispatch came back to Welt No. it has arrived all right ' The distance it will te remembered was two and three fourths miles Well comm. niented the glad tidings to his men, and all united in three tuning cheers for Forsy the and the daring font he had been disbed. The enthusiasm of the moment was w catching, that "sen the seventy five solid Mongolian laborers prosent mingled their shrill sells in the general chorus of chess. Walter Kolde, During that lightning ride of three minutes, was at his port un the snow plass in front But it made little difference where a mon rode on that train. It was certain death in front or rear in case of areilent."
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