Collection: Books and Periodicals

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Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

216 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. Previously Mr. Judah had placed his plans and estimates before a friend, James Bailey, of Sacramento, who, struck by the force of these calculations, introduced Mr. Judah to Governor Stanford, Mark Hopkins and E. B. and CharlesCrocker; C. P. Huntington he knew befure. 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 the Central Pacific Railroad Company of California, and the following officers were elected: Leland Stanford, President; UC. P. Huntington, VicePresident; Mark Hopkins, Treasurer; Theodore D. Judah, Chief Engineer; Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, James Bailey, Theodore D. Judah, L. A. Booth, C. P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, D. W. Strong, of Dutch Flat, and Charles Marsh, of Nevada, Directors. _ All but the two last named were residents of Sacramento, showing conclusively that to Sacramento and her citizens belongs the honor of inaugurating and carrying to a successful completion the Pacitic railroads; for had not Judah spent his time and talents in proving that such an undertaking were possible, it is an open question if’ to-day the Pacific railroads would be in existence. His coadjutors, named in the foregoing list of officers, and some of whom are still the owners and officers of the road, deserve full credit for their faith in the enterprise and the masterly manner in which they managed the financial difficulties encountered in the years that elapsed between the organization of the company and the completion of the road; but we cannot forget that ior three or four years previous to the organization of the company Mr. Judah had spent all his time, money and energy in collecting data. without which no prudent man would be inclined to invest a dollar in the project which was so generally believed to be chimerical. Atter the organization of the company, Mr. Judah was instructed to make a thorough instrumental survey of the route across the Sierras, which he did. The previous surveys or reconnoissances had inelnded three routes, one throngh El! Dorado County, via Georgetown, another via IIlinoistown and Dutch Flat, and the third via Nevada and Henness Pass. The observations had proved the existence of a route across the Sierras by which the summit could be reached with maximum grades of 105 feet per mile. The instrumental survey developed a line with lighter grades, less distance and fewer obstacles than the previous observations had shown. The first report of the chief engineer to the officers of the company gave the following as the topographical features of the Sierra Nevadas, which renderd them so for nidable for railroad operations: 1. «The great elevation to be overcome in crossing its summit, 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 7,000 feet, making it necessary to maintain an even grade on the ascent to avoid creating some sections with excessive grades. 2. “From the impracticability of the river crossings.” These rivers run through gorges in many places over 1,000 teet deep, with the banks of varying slopes from perpendicular to 45°. A railroad line, therefore, must avoid crossing these cafions. The line, as established by the surveys of 1861, pursued its course along an unbroken ridge from the base to the summit of the Sierras, the only river crossing in the mountains being that of Little Bear River, about three miles above Duteh Flat. Another prominent feature of the location is the fact that it entirely avoids the second summit of the Sierras. The estimated cost of the road from Sacramento tu the State Line was $88,000 per mile. October 9, 1861, the Board of Directors of the Central Pacifie Railroad Company passed a resolution directing Mr. Judah, the chief en-gineer of the company, to immediately proceed