March 30, 1938
Merced Sun-Star

Gas Tax Funds Come To Aid Of Park Traffic
Y. V. Expects To Get Rails To Briceburg Thursday Night

XXXXX The Yosemite All-year highway will be repaired with funds made available today by the state highway commission, according to the United Press. In an assignment of $4,413,241 in previous budgeted gas tax funds the state allotted the the All-year route $714,380.

XXXXX This is the largest single item for highway repair of any section in California. In its official designation of funds the department of public works was notified the money is to be used "for restoration of Briceburg - Yosemite National park roadbed."

XXXXX This is the section of highway between Briceburg and Indian flat, washed out by a disastrous flood Dec. 11 which swept the railbed of the Yosemite Valley railroad away and crumpled miles of track like so much matchwood, and undermined and washed away this section of the heavily-travelled two-lane highway.


More text about the highway.
Fix Road Bed

XXXXX A report of progress in the reconstruction of the Yosemite Valley railroad was released today by W. L. White, general manager of the short-line system.

XXXXX Delayed considerably the passed two weeks by adverse weather conditions which have caused several major slides, work nevertheless is proceeding rapidly, White said.

XXXXX "Considering the weather, we are making satisfactory progress, and expect to have completed the rehabilitation of the railroad into Briceburg - including ballasting - by Thursday night," White declared.

XXXXX He explained the ballasting is the final track work which is done along the railbed, and is the permanent bearing for the track. Service is expected to be resumed to Emory, location of the Yosemite Portland Cement quarry, by April 10, and the remainder of the way into El Portal, the end of the line, by May 1.

XXXXX From Briceburg to Emory is a distance of seven miles. From Emory to El Portal is still 10 miles further. Work which was held up by slides between Bagby and Briceburg is now in its final stages.

XXXXX A crew of 150 men has been working on the railroad reconstruction since repairs first were begun. The work is running slightly under the preliminary estimates for repair, White said. Engineers of the system have estimated reconstruction work would be $150,000.


April 1, 1938
Merced Sun-Star

Cement Plant To Rehire Men

XXXXX Prospect of return to work of approximately 100 persons who have been idle as the result of the Dec. 11 washout of the Yosemite All-year highway and Yosemite Valley railroad was voiced here today. The 100 will be employes of the Yosemite Portland Cement company who are expected to resume their jobs between April 10 and April 15, according to W. A. McCanless, manager.

XXXXX "We expect the Yosemite Valley railroad to be restored about that time and within 48 hours after the time we take rock out of the quarry at Emory and load it onto cars we can have it in the form of cement at the plant here.

XXXXX "There are only between 20 and 25 persons at work at the plant and 10 others at the quarry. We now are finishing grinding the clinkers were had in store and estimate we have enough stock to last until the new rock comes in," McCanless said.

XXXXX When the cement company is running to capacity it employs about 130 persons. They will probably work the remainder of the summer catching up to the normal point after having been idle for such a long time, McCanless predicted.

XXXXX Both kilns at the local plant have been repaired and are ready to be put into operation as soon as fresh supplies arrive.

XXXXX The plant management is particularly anticipating contracts to be awarded for supplying cement for construction of the 170 million dollar Central Valleys Water project.


April 15, 1938
Merced Sun-Star

Rail Service To Emory Resumes

XXXXX The first train over the Yosemite Valley Railroad to bring lime rock down from the quarry at Emory to the cement plant at Merced since the washout of December 11 will arrive late Saturday afternoon.

XXXXX Some type of celebration of the event had been contemplated, but W. L. White, general manager, stated the celebration may come later when service is restored to El Portal. White says for ten days or so the service from Emory will be over "construction" track which has not been completely ballasted.

XXXXX The rock will arrive shortly before the supply of clinkers at the cement plant here is due to be exhausted, according to W. A. McCanless. Two Kilns of the local unit have been put in readiness to allow the plant to resume full time operations with employment for 130.

XXXXX It is expected the plant will work most of the summer to catch up to normal following curtailed production.


April 18, 1938
Merced Sun-Star

Rock Arrives, Cement Plant Resumes Work
Y. V. Complete Road Repairs To Emory, El Portal Next

XXXXX Industrial officials of Merced went to Merced Falls Saturday afternoon. They watched the first Yosemite Valley railroad train since Dec. 11 come into the lumber town from Emory on its way to the Yosemite Portland Cement plant in Merced.

XXXXX It marked the next to last stage in the $120,000 reconstruction of the short line railroad following in the disastrous flood which wiped out many miles of track in December.

XXXXX The cement plant quarry is located at Emory, and a locomotive hauled 28 cars of lime rock down from the quarry to bring the plant its first clinker in four months. Back at Work

XXXXX The machinery at the cement plant began operating again Saturday, and today from 100 to 130 men are expected to go back to work again.

XXXXX According to Joseph Barnett, chief engineer in charge of reconstruction work, the railroad should be completed all the way into El Portal 10 miles further by the end of the first week of May.

XXXXX One hundred and fifty men have been employed in the work of repairing the railbed and making huge fills. However, some of the men have been let off, and some of the heavier equipment, including a huge air compressor used to blast out rock, has been removed from the job by Barnett. Cars Rusty

XXXXX The first train left Emory filled with lime rock at 8:30 Saturday morning. Engineer was Frank Shoup. Some of the cars which had been almost buried by slides, and were dug out by shovels, were rusty and caked with mud as they rolled along into the lumber town.

XXXXX Meeting the train at Merced Falls were W. L. White, Y. V. general manager; John R. Ball, president of the Yosemite Sugar Pine Lumber company; Raleigh Casad, manager for the San Joaquin Light and Power company for this district; A. D. Stevenot, W. R. Ford and W. A. McCanless, manager of the cement company.

XXXXX When rail reconstruction work is completed, logging operations for the lumber company in the wooded country back of Merced Falls will be resumed again, and a large number of men will go back to work, according to Ball