Stop 3-Cuts and Fills

3-Cuts and Fills

NPS Photo

Rock cuts and fills had to be constructed along the route to bring it within the required grade of 2% or less. When possible, material from the cuts was used to create fill. To make the cuts, a two-man team called "double-jackers" drilled holes in solid rock using a long, narrow drill bit, which was repeatedly struck with a heavy sledge hammer or double jack. After the hole was drilled, a worker called a "powder monkey" would fill it with black powder, carefully tamp and fuse the powder, and set off the charge. A successful blast would reduce the rock to a size that could be shoveled into mule-drawn dump carts and taken to an area that needed to be filled.