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The Great Land-Slides on the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia.(Includes Plate and Appendix)

1898; Thomas Telford Ltd.; Volume: 132; Issue: 1898 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1680/imotp.1898.19167

2054-0477

R B Stanton,

Landslides and related hazards

THE great land-slides which have caused so much trouble and expense i n working the Canadian Pacific Railway, since the opening of the line in 1885, occur on the banks of the Thompson River, about 41 miles above its junctioh with the Fraser River and 197 miles east from Vancouver, the western terminus of the railway, Fig. 1, Plate 1. Within a distance of somewhat over 5 miles there are seven large land-slides, all of the same nature, and six crossing the railway line, as well as smaller slips, Fig. 2 .About 20 miles further down the river, at a point opposite Spence's Bridge, there is a similar large slide.The railway occupies the east and south-east bank of the river, at an elevation between 50 feet and 80 feet above low-water level, and follows closely, with one exception, the contour of the river bank.At about 200 miles from Vancouver the railway passes through the Black Caiion Tunnel.This portion of the Thompson River, for a distance of about 20 miles, traverses a gorge about 5 miles wide at the top, and about 2,000 feet deep, with hills and higher ranges rising back on each side to elevations between 5,000 feet and 7,000 feet.In the middle of this gorge the river runs in an inner gorge, with sides between 50 feet and 150 feet above low-water level and close to the river.There is but little bottom land near the river.The surface rises from the water's edge in benches and terraces, varying in height between 30 feet and 200 feet, and extending to a general altitude of about 1,800 feet, or about 1,000 feet above the river.The land