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AND PACIFIC COAST GUIDE.

In the cars belonging to each line, a
2 gh repast was served up to the in-
vi ests. Then, as the sun sank low
tow the western summit of Promontory
Point, the long trains moved away with
parting salutes from the locomotives, and
the celebration was ended, the participants
speeding away to their far distant homes,
and so closed the eventful day on Prom-
ontory Point.

For sketch of Great Salt Lake, see
Annex No. 21.

For Hudaut’s Survey of route to Oregon,
see ANNEX No, 28.

‘We now resume our westward journey
from Promontory. Four miles west (near
a gravel track on the north side) can be

seen close to the road, on the south side, a|

sign-board, which reads,

“TEN MILES OF TRACK IN ONE Day.”
Again, on the same side, ten miles fur-
ther west, another with the same inscrip-
tion will appear. These boards mark the
track which was laid by the track layers of
the Central Pacific company in one day,
under the immediate charge of J. H.
Strowbridge, Superintendent of Construc-
tion, H. H. Minkler, track layer, and James
Campbell, Superintendent of Division.
This undoubtedly is the most extraordinary

| feat of the kind ever accomplished in this

or any other country.

Way Ir was ponE—During the build-
ing of the road, a great rivalry existed be-
tween the two companies as to which could
lay the most track in one day. This ri-
valry commenced early in the year 1868.
The “ Union ” laying six miles; soon after
the “Central” laid seven miles, and then
again the “ Union” seven-and a half miles.

e “ Central” men, not to be outdone, an-
nounced that they could lay ten miles in
one day. Mr. Durant, Vice-President of

the “ Union” offered to bet $10,000 that it

could not be done, and the “Central”? re-

_ solved it should be done. Consequently, on

the 29th day of April, 1869, when only

. fourteen miles of track remained to be laid

to meet the “Union” at Promontory Point,
and in the presence of Governor Eiatond
and many prominent men from the East
and West, and a committee from the
“Union” to note the progress, the work
commenced.

How rr was DONE—-When the car
loaded with rails came to the end of the
track, the two outer rails on either side
were seized with iron nippers, hauled for-

147

ward off the car, and laid on the ties by four
men who attended exclusively to this. Over
these rails the car was pushed forward, and
the process repeated. Behind these men
came a gang of men who half-drove the
spikes and screwed on the fish-plates. At
a short interval behind these came a gang
of Chinamen, who drove home the spikes
already inserted and added the rest. Be-
hind these came a second squad of Ghina-
men, two deep on each side of the track.
The inner men had shovels, the outer ones
picks. Together, they ballasted the ttack.
The average rate of speed at which all
these processes were carried on was one
minute and 474¢ seconds to every 240 feet
of track laid down.

MaTertaL RequrrEeD——Those unac-
quainted with the enormous amount of ma-
terial required to build ten miles of rail-
road can learn something from the follow-
ing figures: It requires 25,800 cross ties,
3,520 iron rails, 55,000 spikes, 7,040 fish-
plates, and 14,080 bolts, the whole weigh-
ing 4,362,0001lbs. This material is required
for a single track, exclusive of “ turnouts.”

To bring this material forward and place
it in position, ofer 4,000 men, and hun-
dreds of cars and wagons were employed. |
The discipline acquired in the four years
since the commencement of the road en-
abled the force to begin at the usual time
inthe morning, calm and unexcited, and
march steadily on to “Victory,” as the
place where they rested at 1:30 P. M. was
called, having laid eight miles of track in
stvhours. Here this great Central” army
must be fed, but Campbell was equal to the
requirements. The camp and water train
was brought up atthe proper moment, and
the whole force took dinner, including
many distinguished guests. After the
“hour nooning,” the army was again on
the march, and at precisely 7 p. ma. 10 miles
and 200 feet had been completed.

When this was done, the “ Union * Com-
mittee expressed their satisfaction and re-
turned to theircamp, and Campbell sprang
upon the engine and ran it over the ten
miles of track in forty minutes, thus dem-
onstrating that the work was well done.

Soon after leaving Promontory, the grade
of the road descends, and 7.93 miles we
reach

Rosel—situated almost on the edge of |-
Salt Lake. It is an unimportant station, |
where passenger trains never stop, unless
signaled. A few miles further, and we
pass the sign-board where commenced the