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Being Awarded
The Central Pacific Railroad Corporation headed by the big four was awarded the contract to lay tracks estward from Sacremento, while its rival the Union Pacific was awarded the path westward from Omaha Nebraska which was already connected to the east through existing rail lines. -
First 50
First fifty Chinese workers were hired by the Central Pacific Railroad Company. Soon the company would hire thousands of Chinese laborers. -
First Winter
The men faced their first winter working to shovel out snow in order to clear space to continue working. This winter brought along 35 foot tall snow drifts which continually covered the tracks. -
Nitroglycerin
The Central Pacific Railroad Company brought in nitroglycerin, they put the Chinese in charge of it because only they had enough experience with it. Nitroglycerin was used in making fireworks. Many died from the explosions, however these deaths were never recorded because they did not matter in the eyes of the white men. -
Laborious Summer
Men were worked until exhaustion while cutting through rock in order to lay the railroad. They worked all day and night usually progressing a few inches in a day. -
More Chinese to be lost.
Dutch flat enquirer announced that a gang of Chinese men employed by the railroad were covered up by a snowside and 4 or 5 died before they could be dug out. -
Homeric Winter
Homeric Winter was one of the most brutal winters ever recorded which dropped 40 feet of snow on the crew and whipped up drifts more than 80 feet high. Powered snow plows were driven forward by 12 locomotives could scarcely budge the dense snow drifts. -
Rebellion ends
Chinese rebellion ended because of starvation from the overseers. This rebellion did get them a $2 raise per month. -
Chinese Rebellion
Chinese rebelled againt the railroad company by simply walking of the job. Somewhere around 2,000 Chinese peacefully continued on like the days were going by on an average Saturday. This was a very peaceful rebellion. -
Change in Extremes
Once the men were throught the mountains and winters, the extremes of weather changed and now they faced extremely cold nights and extremely hot days. -
Burlingame Treaty
China and the U.S. signed the Burlingame treaty. This treaty allows the Chinese to freely immigrate to the U.S. -
Competition
The two major companies competed to see who could get their side of the railroad finished first. -
Completion
On this date the railways from eat to west were completed and now there was access from sea to shining sea. You could ridea train in 6 days across the United States. When these two railroads met, a golden spike was driven into the ground.
