Selections From The Splinters - Volume 14

CHARACTER OF THE WORK

On the "Southern Line" from the Rio Grande there will be some tolerable heavy work in crossing the divide on the Puerco, this ridge being of volcanic formation, though covered in many places with sand, the cuts will probably show more or less lava. Across the Puerco and avoiding Apache canon, the line lies in the valley of San Jose and shows very little work until about five miles above the village of El Rito where the valley narrows to a canon, involving several bridges and rock cuts. I am inclined to think 200 feet waterway ample for the bridges, though Mr. Hodges puts them at 400, the formation here is sandstone. After emerging from the canon above the Indian Village of Laguna, the work is very light until reaching McCarty's ranch, above which begins an eruption of lava, filling the valley and continuing for four miles; here will be heavy work though the line can probably be kept above the lava in the sandstone which forms the hillside slopes.

Thence to the summit nearly forty miles, there need be no cuts of fills exceeding six or eight feet, and on two thirds of this distance they would not exceed half of that.

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On the "Northern or San Mateo Line" is heavier work, the stretches of smooth ground are not so long, and the volcanic formation where met with extends further. At the Jemez is two or three miles of heavy work lava cutting, thence however it is light until half way up the Rio Salinas, whence there is exceedingly heavy work over the summit and down to the Puerco. West of this stream the line lies in a tortuous canon, where either sharp curves or very heavy work will be encountered. The 53 feet grade to ascend San Mateo Summit will cause seven and a half miles of heavy work.

On both of these lines, however, building materials in convenient sandstone and limestone are found close to them, while fine pine timber cover the slopes of San Mateo Mountain and some to the ridges south of Agua Azul.

From the point of junction of these two lines until reaching the foot of San Francisco Mountain the only places where heavy work will be encountered are at Quivina Canon about forty five miles west of summit at Puerco Canon nineteen miles further and at crossing of Little Colorado where it is joined by the Puerco of the west. But few volcanic eruptions are encountered in this distance and they are either not prominent or may be avoided. The Little Colorado may be crossed by a span of 150 feet with perpendicular rock banks, ten to fifteen feet high.

Even after the ascent of the mountain begins, some twenty five miles below Sunset Crossing, the work is comparatively light, soft sandstone being the formation for four or five miles beyond canon Diablo. This can be spanned by a truss of 160 feet resting upon natural abutments. At the distance just mentioned the line enters the volcanic formation of San Francisco Mountain and here comes occasionally a mile of heavy work followed by three, four and five miles of exceedingly smooth surface. This lave formation extends to the head of Partridge creek, where the sandstone and undurated gravel appear.

At Laja Gap, lava is again met and continues within a mile of Mesa Gap, here however, it appears more broken and friable, neither in as large masses as elsewhere. The change of line east of Laja Gap will lighten the work very much, otherwise a tunnel 2000 feet long will be required.

At Mesa Gap a distance of six miles, until reaching Aubrey valley, has very heavy work, including another tunnel 2000 feet long, but the material is soft sandstone and calcareous rock. There is very light work across Aubrey Valley and Yampa canon, here is a mile of heavy work, but the material is of easy excavation.

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The Little Yampa Canon, west of Youngs Springs and at the beginning of the third hundred miles from Sunset Crossing, presents some lava points 4 degree curves however will make the cuts through them quite shallow.

Truxton canon has two short cuts in lava, the tunnel and rest of the work will be in red granite. Very light work from the mouth of Truxton canon to Wallapi Pass; here is some very heavy work for two or three miles and there are a few masses of lava but the general formation is granite. Thence to the river the work is light, sand and gravel invariable form the cuttings, no rock shows itself.

WATER, WOOD AND TIMBER

From the Rio Grande no running water is met with on the southern line, until beyond Apache Canon, where the Rio San Jose has water, which starts a short distance above the Indian Village of Laguna. On the Puerco, water is only found in pools, many of them artificial, excepting after heavy rains and as there is a fall of 30 to 35 feet per mile must at such periods pour down very rapidly.

At Covero, a Mexican village, two miles to right of line, is a large spring, which in the dry season being used for irrigation; little or none of the water finds its way to the course of the San Jose.

At the head of the Remances, that immense bed of lava, which fills the valley for several miles above McCartys, a fine stream rises and runs through the lava; it is three or four feet wide and six inches deep, but in one or two miles is lost.

In a gorge of the mountains two or three miles south of Agua Azul, a large spring is found and from there the water used as at the ranches near the line was hauled last summer; a well was being sunk there but with what success, I have not learned.

On the San Mateo Line, the Rio Jemez has running water, very alkaline however, and one or two springs of the same kind are met before reaching the Puerco, which here as well as below has running water only in the wet season.

Between the Puerco and San Mateo summit, Willow Springs Creek has running water in several places.

At the Mexican Village of San Mateo and close to the foot of that mountain, a fine spring breaks out, but as usual is all consumed in dry weather for irrigating.

Between this and Agua Azul there is no water on this line.

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"Stinking Spring" (the water being impregnated with sulfur) is an insignificant pool, ten or twelve miles east of the summit, barely furnishing water enough for a small camping party. The surroundings show that at no time is there much water running away.

Bacon Springs, a few miles west of the summit and close to the line, furnishes a large amount (several hundred gallons per hour) of excellent water.

Neither wood for fuel nor timber for building purposes are found near the line, form the Rio Grande to El Rito, but there the hills and ridges bounding the valley begin to have a heavy growth of Cedar with some Pinon, the latter increasing as we go west.

San Mateo Mountain has good yellow pine for building purposes; this timber is also found a few miles south of the line and approaching closer and closer until at Campbells Pass, we go through it. On the San Mateo line, some cedar and pinon is found between the Rio Grande and the Puerco, otherwise it bears the same features as the southern line.

West of the summit the pine timber occurs until a few miles beyond Ft. Wingate, the larger body of it being south of the line. At the military post, just mentioned, there are several large springs, one or two miles south of the line.

The next water (ten miles further) is another "Stinking Spring," also sulphurous, the supply of which might be seventy to eighty gallons per hour in the dry season.

The yellow pine timber has almost entirely disappeared, but pinons of sufficient size for cross ties, abounds within a mile or two as also cedar.

The "Puerco of the West" is dry and continues so, excepting a few pools in its bed at "Quirina Canon" and at the "Bend of Puerco" a mile or two above Puerco Canon.

The pinion and cedar continues on the slopes of the valley and near the summits of the ridges (some five miles distant) some tall pines are seen. The next water, excepting El Magra or Emigrant Springs, which lie four miles to left of line, is Navajo Springs; these are reservoirs of alkaline water with no apparent outlet, though higher than the ground around them, excepting of course the rims of the basin, they are very miry and cattle are often lost in them. It is difficult to estimate the amount of water they would supply, probably three or four hundred gallons per hour; they lie over a mile to left of line.

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The nearest wood of any kind is a few small cedars on the ridges several miles distant. During a great portion of the year the Puerco continues dry to its mouth, the streams entering it from the north and which are crossed by the wagon road, have sometime pools of muddy water and occasionally some running but always very muddy.

On reaching the Little Colorado we find constant water and the banks lined in many places with cottonwood; other timber there is none within fifteen or sixteen miles.

Leroux Forks and Cottonwood Creek, tributaries on the north have occasionally water, but only after heavy rains. Opposite the mouth of Canon Diablo, the Little Colorado was almost dry in August last.

Where the line begins to ascent of San Francisco Mountain, it is five or six miles south of the river, and from this point to San Francisco Springs no water is met with excepting in natural tanks in the lava rock at Cosninos Canon and which is the result of surface drainage. A few miles before reaching Cosnios Caves the famous timber of this region is entered, cedars, pinon and yellow pine.

San Francisco Springs (sixteen miles further on) lie half a mile south of the line, one down in the canon, the other higher up the ridge; they are never failing and would supply one hundred gallons per hour.

Here the cedar and pinion have almost disappeared but the yellow pine continues in the greatest abundance and most excellent quality. Four or five miles beyond this is Leroux Spring, about a mile north of the line, breaking out of the granite at the foot of the mountain.

It is a fine rivulet at the head of a grassy meadow in which it sinks. Supply some two hundred gallons per hour. The pine timber still continues as large and abundant as ever, with an occasional small white oak and patches of aspen. The abandoned line west of Leroux Summit, passed Park Spring which does not always overflow, though there is permanent water and New Year called also Winter Springs, two miles beyond lying half a mile to left of line. Here there are several running streams of water supply in all 150 to 200 gallons per hour; they are about 19 miles from Leroux Springs.

These are the last signs of living water in that direction and n Beales wagon road, but they are followed by "Laws Spring" (a pool of rainwater in fact) Cradlebaugh"s tank and several other tanks in the lava canons of Lava Park and Cedar Creeks.

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On the new line south of Mt. Sitgreaves, are found several springs, two on the south side of the line at foot of Bill Williams Mountain and one on north at foot of Mt. Sitgreaves, and these are the last springs in this direction. The waters on Partridge creek being in tank or pools that have collected in the beds of water course.

The springs proper, about San Francisco Mountain and even throughout this part of Arizona, will always be found where the Granite approaches near to or above the surface and once beyond that limit they cease to appear.

In upper Chino Valley are found several water tanks in small canons; our line passes between Laja and Mesa Gaps, which I think have more or less water in them constantly.

Beales road, lying here some miles south of us, also passes several "Kerline Well" among them. In this vicinity we found no body of constantly running water or spring, through two are mentioned, viz, Pearl Spring and Picacho Spring.

At the head of Partridge creek we leave the region of yellow pine, but contiune to have abundance cedar, pinon and now juniper as far as Mesa Gap.

Crossing Aubrey valley there is neither timber nor water. On the divide between Aubrey and Yampa is a great deal of scrubby cedar. No water, even in tank until we reach Youngs Springs two small pools half a mile apart and as far to left of line, which together will not supply over fifty gallons per hour in dry weather. Timber here is more abundant, being mostly pinion with some yellow pine and is found close to line. From this to Truxton Canon is another stretch of thirteen or fourteen miles without wood or water; in the canon, there is a fine Spring, the latter flowing four hundred gallons per hour and the former one hundred.

There is very little growth of any kind in this vicinity, excepting on Music Mountain, five or six miles north, and on the spurs of Aquarius range some distance to southeast.

Seven or eight miles beyond Truxton Spring and about a mile south of line, in a gorge of peacock Mountain is "Live Oak" Spring, running out of the granite, as is in the case with those mentioned, it furnishes about fifty gallons per hour. Peacock Mountain was dry in October last.

There is considerable Cedar and some pinon in the mountain as well as in that north of Yampa Valley.

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In the Wallapi walley there is no water, Cedar and pine are found in the Cerbat range lying west of it and in the Wallapi Springs is a running stream six miles to the left of the line and little south of the toll road.

Four and a half miles to the left of the line at Wallapi Pass, is Beales Spring, a fine body of water discharging several hundred gallons per hour.

There is no water or wood in Sacramento valley. At Mojave Gap a mile to the right of line, is a small spring of warm water, and there is some cedar and juniper near the line. From here to the Colorado river there is no water; cedar in considerable quantities is found to the left of line, extending to the Needles. Along the banks of the river there is considerable cottonwood and mesquite, the latter affords an excellent fuel. The water of the Colorado river is always muddy and very salty, the stream is navigable for light draught steamboats at all seasons of the year, up to Hardyville, last fall trips from Ft. Yuma about once per month, the steamer which has accommodations for a few passengers carries little or no freight but tows one or more barges according to stage of water.

I have been told by parties of experience in navigating this river that this system of barges is the only successful way to accommodate heavy freight.

DISTANCE GRADES AND CURVATURES

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