P 178
The surveys of FINAL location must not be confused with the surveys of DEFINITE location. The latter were those made under the direction of J Blickesnderfer, Jr., during the year 1871. They were the basis for establishing the route of the railroad and the Land-Grant zone. They lay at the bottom of the Maps of definite location required by the Act of July 27, 1866.
The FINAL location, of which we now come to speak, is the last step before construction is begun. While several different engineers took some part in this work it remained for Lewis Kingman to play the leading role. He had for years been employed by the Atchison as a locating and construction engineer. Many of the reconnaissances and surveys through New Mexico and Arizona for the line from Colorado to El Paso, Deming and Tucson had been made by him. He was a veteran in that line of work.
From his reminiscences we know that on January 16, 1880, he left Yuma headed towards Picacho, where he found the tracklaying gangs fo the Southern Pacific working towards Tucson, where he arrived on February 5th. From there he went to Silver City and on to Santa Fe where A A Robinson then had his headquarters.
Mr. A A Robinson's letter of August 31, 1880 to Mr Thomas Nickerson, elsewhewre reproduced in this historical abstract, is a very informative paper. From it, and other available data, it is learned that the first instructions received by him concerning the work on the Atlantic & Pacific Railraod came by wire while he was at Denver. This telegram was dated February 20, 1880, and was to the effect that he was to at once put a grading outfit to work in Quirino Canon about 180 miles west of Albuquerque. This is noted at this point to fix the date from which he first took an active part in A&P matters.
page 179
On about March 10, 1880, he was instructed by Mr Nickerson, by letter dated February 14th, to survey and decide on the route westward from the Rio Grande. On April 22, 1880, Mr. Robinson wrote Mr Kingman to the following effect:
"I wrote to you on 17th.
"The plats and profiles then referred to are now ready and go to you by U.S. mail on same day with this."I find in looking up the old notes that we can probably continue with 5 or 6 tenths maximum from end of first division from Rio Grande near Ft. Wingate to point at about station 1320 west of Sunset 313 miles from Albuquerque.
"But the 1st. Division will be about 130 miles of this distance leaving 183 miles of the light grades which is too long for one operating and too short for two. I think therefore that our plan should be to select good ground for terminus of the 2nd Division in the valley of the Little Colorado where water can be had, making the 2nd. Division a pretty long one say 130 to 145 miles; There locate the third division with view of using helper from point where we strike the heavier grade making this division say 115 to 125 miles long depending on where we can get water supply and good grounds.
"The west end of the 3rd. Division should be located on a double maximum if possible so as to save special class of motive power for helpers. The change from .6 Maximum to the double maximum, should if possible be where there is water and ground for yard room as it will have to be used as an intermediate division terminus and will be, supposing distances I have given to be correct, about 60 to 70 miles from the west end of this 3rd Division.
"Beyond this point, end of 3rd Division, there is so little regularity in the grades that I can give you no definite instructions. Of course it is important to get one Division termini settled before we locate so as to adopt a maximum for each division.
"This is an important problem and needs careful study - at the end of each division, we have of course to secure a water supply in some manner, otherwise the division terminus could not be maintained.
"I think you will find the remainder of the route to the Colorado River a series of light and heavy grades, i.e., a few miles of heavy grades in passing from one valley to another, then comparatively light grades along the valley; if this is the case then I think where the valleys of light grades are of any considerable length say 30 to 50 miles, that we should locate on the light grades through these valleys with a view of using helpers for the heavy grades.
Page 180
"This would not work if the changes are too frequent, but if the stretches are long and happen to come near the regular termini of Divisions, I have no doubt the principal here mentioned, should be observed to secure the most economical location.
"I think you had better survey to the end of the 3rd division before you go to the Colorado - Send in your maps, profiles, estimates and report to the end of the 3rd Division. I would not spend very much time on the 3rd Division as your work beyond may require you to revise the last portion - double maximum portion of the 3rd Division.
"On the second Division use nothing sharper than 6 degree curves. In the mountainous country use 10 degree curves, where it will reduce cost materially. We wish to build just about such a road as we built for the N.M.&S.P.
"I wish you to give the question of water supply special attention, measure the quantity of water where you can, also keep full notes on timber so that when you reach the Colorado River you can give me a good idea of where we will get our timber and tie supply.
"I think you should keep a good guard nights - all the time.
"On the A.M. of 20th, some Indian depredations were reported near Ehrenburg Arizona, which I believe is about 100 miles south of the Needles on the Colorado.
P.S. Is there telegraph line to Prescott?
Enclosures -
1 - Map - 3 sheets Sunset Crossing to first Summit west of Colorado River - scale 2000'=1"
2 - Map - 1 sheet eastern to western boundry of Arizona scale 2000'=1".
3 - Profile - 6 sheets Sunset Crossing to first Summit west of Colorado River in California.
(A A Robinson to Lewis Kingman, 4/22/80).
About March 10, 1880, Mr Robinson was instructed by Mr Nickerson to survey and decide upon the location of the line from the Rio Grande westward and shortly thereafter he received the A&P field notes for the Blickensderfer survey for Definite location. It developed that there were two possible routes: one from Isleta and the other from near Algodones to the same common point at Bluewater. He instructed Mr Holbrook to locate eastward from Campbells Pass to connect with the survey he had ordered to be made westward by J E Earley and Lewis Kingman. As a result Mr Robinson decided in favor of the route via Isleta because:
page 181
1st: This line followed the route of the A7P charter, deviate from which 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 Algodonis (San Felipe).
3rd: The line from Albuquerque westward would consume considerably less time in construction, as a considerable portion of the work on the northern line was near the east end and of such a character as to require several months to prepare it for 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 was 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 he 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 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 $160,000.00. This question decided, the line was located, as rapidly as possible, to Sunset Crossing (Winslow) of the Little Colorado 290 miles from the Rio Grande. The preliminary location between Campbell's Pass and Canon Diablo was made by Lewis Kingman.
Before August 31, 1880 the line had been definitely located from Isleta to Canon Diablo, about 27 miles west of Sunset Crossing. Early in May 1880 Kingman, who had run the preliminary location from Campbell's Pass to Canon Diablo, was ordered by Mr Robinson to proceed with his party to make a reconnaissance of the A&P route to the Colorado River crossing and to locate the crossing of this river. From the Colorado River crossing thus located he was to locate the line eastward to meet another locating party under the direction of T W Sterritt, working from Canon Diablo westward. Up until August 31, 1880 Mr Kingman had located two possible crossings of the Colorado River and had run a preliminary location survey eastward to a point north of Prescott (Peach Springs) about 120 miles east of the Colorado.
Between Sterritt at Canon Diablo, and Kingman at Peach Springs, there were 150 miles remaining to be examined and located when Mr Robinson turned the further engineering work over to Mr Holbrook. These 150 miles of the line, in the opinion of Mr Robinson, comprised the roughest and most difficult part of the whole route to select a line through and would require the constant work of several engineering parties for a number of months. Mr Robinson felt that the engineering work was well organized and sufficiently advanced by the last of August, 1880, that he did not think there would be any difficulty in keeping the engineering well in advanced of construction from either the east of the west end of the route.
page 182
Mr Rbinson's connection with the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad ceased, officially, on July 29, 1880. Mr Holbrook had been appointed Chief Engineer by Mr Thomas Nickerson, on July 6, 1880.
There now follows the report by Lewis Kingman to H R Holbrook, dated August 17, 1880, telling what he did under the instructions received from Mr Robinson when his preliminary location work from Campbell's Pass had progressed to Canon Diablo; as well as other letters dated respectively August 31, September 11, October 20, and October 24, 1880.
The letter of August 31st was Mr Robinson's swan-song of his connection with the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. He was Chief Engineer of the Atchison at that time and only temporarily connected with the A&P while the latter was in course of being organized.
Mr Holbrook's letter of September 11th was evidently written after he had read Mr Kingman's of August 17th. Here are the letters; they speak for themselves:-
Lewis Kingman
Locating and Chief Engineer
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
1880-83
A. A. Robinson
Chief Engineer
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad
1876-1882
Pages 178 - 182 Volume 14 Splinters transcribed in altered form for the Web by Russell Crump
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