Salt Lake Tribune | 1904-05-20 | Page 8 | That Big Tunnel on Moffat's Road

THAT BIG TUNNEL ON MOFFAT'S ROAD AS a colossal addition to the number of great engineering feats In the West the tunnjl. nine miles in. length, with which it is proposed to pierce tho Mosquito range in Colorado Colo-rado Is one of the most ambitious enterprises en-terprises ever heard of. The Denver Post is most enthusiastic over the project: Taking rank in magnitude and importance im-portance as a railwuy enterprise with the Moffat road is the project to bring Leadvllle within 100 miles of Denver. This can be done by driving a tunnel about nine miles long through tho Mosquito range. Starting from near Alma, on the Park county side and on the same level with the city of Leadvllle, Lead-vllle, it would not only reduce the distance dis-tance between the two cities. by more than half and form a link in a transcontinental trans-continental line shorter than any now in operation, but it would also cut out the heaviest grades on the present routes and give an easy down grade practically all the way from Leadvllle to Denver. Arrangements are now being made to push the work upon this tunnel as rapidlv as possible, and it is believed that sufficient backing will Insure its progress toward completion without further delay. Surveys, plats and maps for the tunnel have been completed and the cost estimated. According to the opinion of competent railroad and mining mi-ning men the project Is not only feasible but certain to yield large returns upon the capital Invested. For Drainage Purposes. As a railroad tunnel It will be certain cer-tain to have a Marge earning capacity, and as a development, drainage and tranrportation tunnel for -the mines of Park and Lake counties, which it will intersect at great depth, it Is assured of big revenue lor an Indefinite period. The ore tralllc from mines along the course of the tunnel will alone be enough to jay the operating expenses of the South Park division of the Colorado Colo-rado & Southern. Leadvllle now Is off the route of trans-continental traffic, the main line of the road leaving the city several miles to one side, and a spur is used by travelers going to LeadvlIle,on the main line of the shortest transcontinental route. It would reduce freight rates between be-tween Denver and Leadville to fractions frac-tions of those on the present schedule. The saving would be accomplished not only by the shorter distance, but by avoiding tho deep snows of the range and the expense of operation over thousands thou-sands of feet of heavy grade.