While CPRR did employ some Irish emigrants and Americans as well, the majority of the CPRR workforce on the Transcontinental Railroad was Chinese. The Chinese manual laborers proved to be quick learners and hard working. As a result, the CPRR looked to using Chinese emigrants who came to California to flee the Taiping Rebellion in China. The landscape wasn't as imposing as the CPRR route, but Native American tribes hostile to the invading iron horses and the men who came with them posed a different threat by attacking and killing grading scouts. Completing this railway called for significant fleets of manpower. Given the lack of accessiblility to the West Coast at that time, the labor supply in California was not plentiful, adding to this, most men in that area prefered mining work. From Sacremento to Donner Summit, an elevation of 7,000 feet was reached in just 90 miles. The UPRR's 1,087 miles started in Omaha, Nebraska and worked west through relatively smooth plains. The CPRR's 690 miles started in Sacramento, California and worked east, facing the most difficult terrain through the rugged Sierra Nevada mountain range. While the CPRR began work in early 1863, the Union Pacific didn’t start laying track until 1865. The Pacific Railway Act, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on July 1, 1862, both enacted the UPRR and ensured that the CPRR would would receive the same subsidy of government bonds and land grants as the UPRR. This railway was completed by two companies, the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) and the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR). The CPRR began in Sacramento, California on June 28, 1861, but work didn’t begin until Janudue to waiting on Congress to pass laws to subsidize part of the construction costs. The First Transcontinental Railroad was a 1,912 mile continuous stretch of track, connecting the San Francisco wharf to Omaha, Nebraska. Russell captures crowd at driving of Golden Spike ceremony, Promontory Summit.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |