Selections From The Splinters - Volume 14

The ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY did not actually build any railroads in Missouri, but there was a Missouri Division which had been acquired by purchase from predecessor companies. The Act of July 27, 1866 makes Springfield the eastern terminus. The construction from Springfield to Pierce City was completed by South Pacific RR Co, but from Pierce City to Seneca only the grading had been done. Upon these last 38.4 miles the track was laid by ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY. The track reached state-line, near Seneca, on April 1, 1871.*

The Central Division was to extend from Missouri State-Line, near Seneca, to the Rio Grande near Albuquerque. Eventually only 112 miles were built from the state-line to Sapulpa. Vinita was reached on Sept. 1, 1871; Tulsa in the year 1882 and Sapulpa on October 12, 1886.*

The California Division was never built. The work was stopped at the Colorado River through financial pressure brought upon the company by the Southern and Central Pacific railroads. This will be understood when we come to consider this division.*

It should be remembered that the four sub-divisions mentioned above are those of the whole line from Springfield, Mo., to San Francisco, Calif. After the Western Division had been turned over to the Operating department, and contract for the purchase of the Needles-Mojave lines of the Southern Pacific was consummated, the following were the Operating Divisions of the ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC RAILROAD in New Mexico, Arizona and California:

                   First Division, Albuquerque to Coolidge
                   Second   "    , Coolidge to Winslow
                   Third    "    , Winslow to Williams
                   Fourth   "    , Williams to Peach Springs
                   Fifth    "    , Peach Springs to Needles
                   Sixth    "    , Needles to Mojave.

With three of the Divisions out of the way we now come to the Western Division. Which is of real interest in connection with the SANTA FE. This division extends from Isleta on the Rio Grande to the Colorado, just east of the Needles. As can be seen from the following tabulation it represents the largest single section the Santa Fe ever dealt with under a single construction program:

*Splinters will be found in separate chapters elsewhere.

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From the foregoing excerpts of proceedings of the directors it is noted that the Chief Engineer and Superintendent were not appointed until July 6, 1880; yet we know that work started much earlier in the year.

It is known that grading was started some 180 miles west of Albuquerque by the middle of March 1880. These forces, both engineers and contractors, were diverted from grading the main line of the NM&SP from Las Vegas southward through Albuquerque. We must remember that operation south to Albuquerque did not begin until April 14th of that year.

We also know that orders for ties, rails, track fastenings and bridge timber were placed during April and May. This work devolved principally upon A. A. Robinson, the then Chief Engineer of the Atchison, and who was then in over the ears with the extending and preparing to extend Santa Fe rails towards El Paso, Deming and Guaymas and now this Atlantic & Pacific work was also thrown into his lap.

The first thing to do was to get the graders to work in Quirino Canon near the Arizona line. He sent Holbrook out to get that under way. The next thing he was to find out was whether the Atlantic should build west from San Felipe or from Isleta. There were these two ways of going west from the Rio Grande. He put Engineers Kingman and Earl to test out the merits of each line. Robinson decided upon the line west from Isleta. Of course, the whole line from the Rio Grande to the Colorado needed to be located. Mr. Robinson got that under way too.

Perhaps the best thing to to will be to let Mr. Robinson's report of August 31, 1880 to Thomas Nickerson tell the story. The following is his report in full:-

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Albuquerque, NM, Aug. 31, 1880.

TO Thomas Nickerson, Esq,
President, A&P RR. Co.
#87 Milk St - Boston, Mass.

Dear Sir:

During my connection with the A&P RR I have, by frequent letters, kept you informed as to the work being done; but in closing my connection with the enterprise I think it proper that I make to you a general report of what has been done, for your more convenient reference.

The first instructions as to work on the A&P were received while in Denver. They were sent by wire, were received on or about February 20th, 1880 and were to the effect that I must at once put a grading force at work in Quirino Canon about 180 miles west of Albuquerque and on the line of the A&P west of Fort Wingate - and do sufficient grading to hold the canon. Not having any notes of the A&P line and not knowing the character of the canon I did not know just what kind of a force would be needed. I immediately telegraphed to New Mexico and arranged to send a grading force from the N.M. & S. P. and also dispatched Mr. Holbrook, who happened to be with me in Denver on legal business, to locate and make ready a few miles in Quirino Canon for the graders. By outfitting Mr. Holbrook from N.M.& S.P. Supplies and giving him men from the engineer Corps I was able to put him in the field very quickly. In about twenty days from the date of notice I had a line located and the graders at work.

This canon was found to be an easy one and not difficult for two lines therefore on consulting with you after about one and one-half miles had been graded the force was withdrawn owing to the great cost of doing the work so far from the base of supplies. On or about the 10th of March I received instructions from you by letter to survey and decide on the route for the A&P westward from the Rio Grande and soon afterwards I received a part of the notes of the surveys made by the A&P in 1869.

From an examination of these notes I found there had been two surveys for the first one hundred miles westward from the river and that a problem of no small importance as to route had to be decided before any work of construction could be intelligibly undertaken. To decide this question I immediately organized two additional surveying parties - one under Lewis Kingman, the other under Mr. J. E. Early --to survey westward from the river on the above mentioned routes, one from Albuquerque and Isleta and one from near Algodines via Jemoz Canon, leaving the Rio Grande 35 miles above Isleta.

In addition to this I recalled Mr. Holbrook from the west to work eastward to meet these parties and placed all of the work under the supervision of Mr. Holbrook.

The result of these surveys revealed the fact that although the Isleta line was about 29 miles the longer, including NM&SP track, heavier grades would have to be adopted on the

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northern line and that it would be a more difficult line to build. A careful comparison showed that to operate there was very little to chose between the two routes. It was therefore decided to adopt the southern line mainly for the following:

1st. The Southern route followed the route of the A&P charter to deviate form which would raise legal questions that might lead to serious results.

2nd. In case of future development of the A&P route by an independent eastern connection the route eastward from Albuquerque gave a line preferable to one eastward from Algodonez,

3rd. The line from Albuquerque westward would consume considerable less time in construction as a considerable portion of the heavy work in the northern line was near the east end of and of such a character as to require several months to prepare it for the track. This question settled the only one remaining was to decide which of the two lines by the southern route should be adopted. Two practicable routes were located - one leaving the river at Albuquerque, the other at Isleta meeting on the Rio Puerco 25 miles westward from Albuquerque.

The Isleta line is 1-69/100 miles longer than the Albuquerque line but it was found to be much cheaper to build and freer from drifting sand which I found from personal observation would be a serious obstacle to the operation of the Albuquerque line. These considerations together with the fact that the Isleta line gave 11 miles of constructed road belonging to the NM&SP RR Co and including a bridge over the Rio Grande 1245 feet long finally decided the question in favor of the Isleta Line. It was also supposed that some arrangement could be made for the joint use of the 11 miles between Isleta and Albuquerque and thus save an expenditure of about $160000.

This question decided the line was located as rapidly as possible to Sunset Crossing of the Little Colorado 290 miles from the Rio Grande. The first division from Albuquerque is located on maximum grades of 52-8/10 feet per mile in both directions. This division crosses the main continental divide and ends near Fort Wingate, N.M. 136 miles from Albuquerque.

This is probably the lowest grade line by which the main Continental divide can at any place be crossed.

The allowance for friction of curves is made at the rate of .05' per degree per 100' or 2-63/100 feet per mile per degree. Curvature has been allowed for at the rate of $7,50 per degree, distance at the rate of $10 per foot and elevation rise and fall at $70 per foot.

From the end of the first division to Sunset Crossing and for 30 miles beyond - 185 miles - the line has been located on 31-6/10' maximum grades in both directions, with an allowance of .06' per degree per 100 feet for curvature - 3-16/100 feet per mile per degree.

Early in May orders were given to Mr. Lewis Kingman on the completion of his preliminary survey to a point 30 miles beyond

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Sunset Crossing to proceed with his party to make reconnaissance of the A&P route to the Crossing of the Rio Colorado, then to locate the crossing of the river and then to survey eastward to meet a party under the direction of T. W. Sterritt working westward.

To this time Mr. Kingman has located two crossings of the Colorado and continued a preliminary survey eastward to a point north of Prescott about 120 miles from the Rio Colorado. He has succeeded in locating at better grades than was found upon the original surveys, the maximum to the point where he is now at work being 90 feet per mile.

Between the two parties named there was 150 miles of the route to be examined when the work was turned over to my successor Mr. H. R. Holbrook. This part comprises the roughest and most difficult part of the whole route to select a line through and I think will require the constant work of two or three parties for the next six months to make sure that you have secured the best and most economical line. Several lines must be run over the greater portion of this section, the several lines carefully mapped and estimated before it can be said with certainty what route should be followed.

I may say as to the engineering work that it is well under way and that I do not think there will now be any trouble in keeping it well in advance of all requirements for construction from the east or the west end of the route.

The route followed is practically the route surveyed by the A&P Crossing the divide from the Rio Grande to the Rio Puerco, thence up the last named stream for about 6 miles to the mouth of the Rio El Rito, thence up that stream to its source in Campbells Pass in the Continental divide, thence down the Rio Puerco of the west to its junction with the Little Colorado, thence along the Little Colorado to Sunset Crossing, thence crossing to the south side and following the Colorado Plateau the high divide between the drainage of the Rio Colorado and the tributary waters of the Rio Gila and descending on the west slope of this plateau by a series of washes or ravines to the Colorado River.

The country along this route so far as known or developed, except in the vicinity of Prescott, is stock country with narrow belts of ariable land along such streams as the Rio El Rito, the Rio Puerco of the west and the Little Colorado.

There is considerable fine timber along the line near the crossing of the continental divide, in the San Francisco mountains and on the Colorado Plateau. Enough timber can be secured for the construction of the road after the first one hundred miles are passed. The water supply on this route is exceedingly limited and will be one of the drawbacks in construction. Some of the water at the east end of the route is not good and to supply the first tank form the junction with the NM&SP a deep well may have to be sunk. West of the Continental divide it is doubtful if a supply for locomotive service can be had for the whole distance except by a system of tanks more or less expensive. I think, however, this system can be relied on for a ggod and sufficient supply of water. This section of country is visited by copious

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snowfalls in winter, sometimes to a depth of three or four feet and probably is visited by rains in summer so I think that tanks can be relied on to furnish an abundant supply of pure water.

The settlements along the line consist of a few ranch men and Mexican herders - three tribes of Pueblo Indians, Lagunas, Moquis and Zuni, and the military settlement at Fort Wingate in New Mexico and the Mormon's in Arizona along the Rio Puerco and Little Colorado. These later people have gone there with the evident intention of making the country their home and are succeeding well with their crops and stock. Mr. J. W. Young - one of the sons of Brigham - is one of the leaders of this enterprise and seems confident that his people will make their settlement permanent and develop the country.

The Navajo Indians occupy a large reservation in the vicinity of Fort Wingate to the north of the line. They are considerably jealous of the intrusion of the whites and may cause some trouble by petty outrages upon unprotected people, if not by open outbreak.

To the west of Sunset on the Colorado Plateau the country is uninhabited except by an occasional stock man where there is water enough to warrant a location.

The line will pass from 60 to 80 miles north of Prescott, which is one of the richest and most attractive towns in Arizona. Prescott is the capital of the Territory and will give to your road considerable business from the development of the mineral resources in that vicinity.

There is a coal field underlying the road west of the Continental divide which I think can be worked with a profit. I may add that I had the country to the south of the A&P examimed for the NM&SP RR Co. in 1879 and that I am confident there is no other available route for an east and west road south of the one herein described. The examinations above referred to cover instrumental surveys through two passes to the south of Campbells Pass to St Johns on the Little Colorado and a reconnoissance from a favorable point on the Zuni Pass line westward t Prescott and Yuma south of the A&P route. In regard to matters of construction I received orders late in Aprilt or early in May to put grading under contract and later to plrepare for the vigorous construction of this road. Immediately upon receipt of these orders I made requisitions upon you for the variois supplies required and which at the time of my service for your company officially ceased (July 29th) were beginning to come forward. At that time, However, we hand received no boasrding cars nor cars for use in building the road. We had three locomotives, #1, #76 and #77, quite a large quantity of rails and other supplies as shown by statements rendered to you.

At the time of the delivery of the road to Mr. F. W. Smith, Supt, there had been laid a little over three miles of main track from the junction westward and form two to two and a half miles of good track kin Albuquerque Yard.

Respectfully yours,

A. A. Robinson

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(Note at end of proceeding letter)

The first division crosses the main continental divide and ends near Fort Wingate, 136 miles from Albuquerque. There is coal under the Continental divide say 125 miles west of Rio Grande. Sunset Crossing is 290 miles from Albuquerque. Timber near the Continental Divide about 100 miles west of the Rio Grande, at the San Francisco Mountain and on the Colorado Plateau. The line passes 60 to 80 miles north of Prescott.

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