Historical Essay

The Last Spikes Everlasting Steam Last Spike Site Reading List Essay	All In A Days Work
On April 28, 1869, a truly remarkable milestone in railroad construction was accomplished just three miles west of Promontory Summit. Using only the tools and technology of the time, the Central Pacific Railroad construction crews laid ten miles of track in one twelve-hour work day. This record has never been bested, not even with the high-tech machines and track laying equipment of modern times. Track laying rivalry between the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific began in early 1868 when the Central Pacific completed its line through the Sierra Nevada Mountains and began working in the flat desert. They were laying up to four miles of track per day, slightly more than the Union Pacific was able to achieve. As the two companies drew ever nearer to one another, it became obvious that whoever reached the city of Ogden first would control trade in and out of the territory as well as throughout the west. The race was on. Through rugged mountain territory the progress was painfully slow, but along flat stretches of land, each company gained expertise and speed at track laying. Until the middle part of 1868 the most track laid by either company was four miles in a single day. The Union Pacific finally broke the stalemate with a four and a half mile day. Central Pacific struck back with a six mile effort on the flat desert floor of Nevada. Not to be outdone, Union Pacific’s hard driving construction boss, Jack Casement, pushed his crews to an unparalleled seven and a half mile day . This record breaking day was the result of fifteen long hours of hard physical labor by the workers, many of whom were Irish. Thomas Durant, Vice-President of the Union pacific was confident that the Chinese workers of the Central Pacific could not beat his railroad’s record. So confident, that he bet Central Pacific’s Charles Crocker $10,000 that it couldn’t be done. Each railroad was rapidly approaching Utah. After years of surveying and scouting, each company determined to take the route north of the Great Salt Lake. By the spring of 1869 the Union Pacific had won the race by reaching Ogden first, and the two companies were only about fifty miles apart. In April, the Union Pacific was ascending the eastern slope of the Promontory Mountains while the Central Pacific was working on the west slope of the same range. On the morning of April 28, 1869 with 3,000 workers, nearly 100 horses, and countless mule teams, the Central Pacific began laying track. The effort was spearheaded by eight Irish rail layers. They worked side-by-side in teams of four, and when relief workers offered them a rest, they refused. The Herculean effort of these eight men resulted in the placing of a rail onto the cross ties every eleven seconds for twelve hours with only a half hour break for lunch. Each man hefted nearly a quarter of a million pounds, and a total of two million pounds of iron rail were laid that day. In addition to the rails, over 21,100 ties were laid, more that 84,500 spikes were driven, and 14,088 nuts and bolts were put through 3,522 fishplates. Behind the rail layers came the spike setters and the spike drivers, the tampers, the rail straighteners, and a host of other workers. Teamsters were needed to drive the wagons and supply carts. It took many men to care for the animals. Mechanics were on hand to keep all equipment working and in good repair. Water boys supplied the men with cool drinks to keep them from getting too hot and thirsty. Foremen and crew bosses coordinated work efforts. The entire scene was one of organized chaos. At the end of the day the total distance of track laid was ten miles and 56 feet. The Central Pacific ran one of its largest engines over the new track at forty miles per hour. The track held up just fine, but was by no means considered a first class railroad. Notwithstanding the rough looking construction job, no railroad company in the history of the world has ever matched this record; it is doubtful anyone ever will.