Show Moffat Tunnel Bill Passes Senate Lester D D. Freed Salt Lake Commercial Commercial Commercial Com Com- mercial club member and director Salt Lake and Denver Railway Co who went to Denver to confer with leading citizens of that city with reference reference reference ref ref- to building the Moffat road and to tell them that Salt Lake and Utah will operate co-operate in every way has returned home confident that work will sure be under way within six months The Moffat tunnel billand bill billand billand and the Pueblo flood conservation bill nil passed the Colorado senate on Saturday of last week The bill has been before the house since Monday and is sure to pass though nothing definite had been heard at Press time this afternoon William G. G Evans who for many years has worked much of the time alone for the Moffat tunnel said The passage of the tunnel bill is isone isone isone one of or the greatest greate t forward taking steps step that has been taKen in a generation generation generation gen gen- In Colorado The measure measure measure-is is the most constructive measure that Colorado has known almost in the memory of or man There is no other movement now before the people of the entire west that means so much for Tor and development as I Ithe the Moffat tunnel I I believe the people of the state realize the vast importance of this tunnel Not only does it mean menn the building up of a section of the state that is larger than a h half dozen eastern eastern eastern east east- ern states and of or Denver but it means an impetus to the entire state of Colorado and to the west The pa passage of this bill means that i Colorado will take its place by the I Iside side of other progressive states To the south north east and on the Pacific coast states are moving forward in the matter of ot trans transportation transportation por- por tation and the passage of the bill means that Colorado has taken its place in this procession I believe belleve I this tunnel would mean more to I Colorado than any single project we I could devise The following able and interesting I editorial appeared in last Mondays Monday's Salt Lake Tribune 1 The gigantic tunnel l project to pierce the backbone of the continent some thirty-five thirty miles mUes west of Denver Denver Denver Den Den- ver is of much more Interest and concern to the public generally I Ithan than may appear In the the news dis dis- i patches Conceived many years I ago its enormity has prevented its accomplishment and even today I without the aid of or all the people most directly benefited including the railroad company the project I would not be practicable i The original plan of or course was to bore only a railroad tunnel but with the entire northwestern portion portion portion por por- tion of the state quite effectually put fut oft off from communication with the capital city much of the year the plans for the enterprise have grown so as to cover a combination railroad and ami automobile tunnel flanked tanked by at each end for some miles making of it an alleur alleur all- all year eur eur route available for all forms forms' of travel An An accurate map map of the tho so-called so Moffat road over the Continental divide at Corona Colo elevation feet above sea level leyel resemble blew ble the unfolding form of a lariat just flung from a cowpunchers cowpuncher's hand I From Tolland Colo elevation feet the road heads westerly directly direct direct- ly In the broadside of the country's backbone In South Boulder Creek defile which ends quite abruptly against the divide just north of James peak Here it was aas that the original construction engineers paused and pondered long and hopefully only to tobe he be told finally by the financiers to double the line back on the slope to the right Thus the railroad writhes in many figures and contortions through dense forests and picturesque picturesque picturesque esque alpine vales Into the barren land above timber line and makes its way over the top sheltered Inmany in inmany inmany I many miles mUes of Even on Independence day Corona has been known to have ten feet of snow remaining remaining re rc re- re though certain windswept areas are always bare The altitude of the tunnel above sea level Is to be about feet teet or 2460 feet below the pass at Corona for Cor many years the highest standard gauge railroad track In the world Directly west of ot the great divide as viewed from the end of ot the defile defile defile de de- de- de file near Tolland the beautiful Fraser river canyon dives downward downward downward down down- ward from the James peak country country country coun coun- try and forms the picturesque route of the Midland automobile trail I This road from Denver has been boon thrown over the divide just south of James peak at Berthoud pass for summer use only though the rest of its route across the Uintah basin and into Utah valley Is open much more of the year Both the Midland trail and Corona routes Corona routes will contribute contribute contribute con con- tribute heavily to the tunnel traffic The law which the Colorado has passed provides t that hat h a t the counties of Denver Grand Moffat Routt and parts of Rio Grande Eagle Gilpin Boulder Adams and Jefferson comprise the Moffat tunnel improvement district for the purpose of issuing construction construction construction tion bonds in a sum not to exceed The tunnel Is to be owned perpetually perpetually perpetually per per- by the improvement district district district dis dis- thus created and it Is to re remain remain remain re- re main forever a public improvement for tor public transportation and communication communication communication com com- free from monopoly by bj any corporation A board of five fire commissioners is to be created under under under un un- un- un der gubernatorial appointment whose duty it will wUl be to build and operate the tunnel Most of the year all-year communication tion from western estern Colorado points across the mountains and to Denver is by way of the Royal Gorge region and the more southerly routes A great deal of summer tourist travel travel travel trav trav- el however crosses the mountains in the neighborhood of Colorado Springs and Pikes Pike's peak peale and Denver I and the James peak section Thus the effect of ot the tho tunnel will be to toI I form a sort ort of or perennial cornucopia I through the business of the western slope elope ma may be discharged Denver and through which Inthe in inthe inthe the opposite direction a very large share of ot the summer tourists and all all- year industrial travel westbound ma may flow toward Salt Lake City Ity |