7 November 2010

The History of the Last Spike

The driving of the Last Spike at Craigellachie - 7 Nov 1885 Alexander Ross

Craigellachie British Columbia - True, when the ceremonial last spike was driven by Donald Alexander Smith at 9:22 a.m. on Saturday, 7 Nov 1885, at Craigellachie, British Columbia, the event marked the completion of one of Canada's most important and ambitious projects, the construction of a transcontinental railway.
 
However, the simple, five-inch (12.7 cm) iron track spike used during the ceremony symbolized at once the fulfillment of a national goal and the opening of a new and challenging frontier.
 
The story of the last spike began with the incorporation of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company on 16 Feb 1881.
 
The company's original charter provided that the main rail line would cross the Rocky Mountains by way of the Yellowhead Pass, the route now used by Canadian National.
 
However, the company's founders believed that a more direct route should be found further to the south, through the Rocky and Selkirk mountain ranges.
 
The formidable Selkirk's seemed to pose an impenetrable barrier.
 
In the spring of 1881, Canadian Pacific hired Major Albert Bowman Rogers to find a route through the rugged Selkirk's.
 
Major Rogers decided to approach the range from the west.
 
He and his survey crew followed the Columbia River to the site of what is now Revelstoke.
 
They then followed the Illecillewaet River valley for about 55 kilometers until they reached the foot of the Illecillewaet Glacier.
 
Rogers scaled the steep slopes to obtain a better perspective and, on 29 May 1881, he discovered the pass that would later bear his name.
 
During the construction season of 1882, Rogers found the eastern approach to the pass by way of the Beaver River valley.
 
But, the hardest work was yet to come.
 
The construction of the railhead, advancing from the east, reached the foot of the Selkirk's at Beavermouth, 103 kilometers (64 miles) east of Revelstoke, by the end of the 1884 construction period.
 
By the end of September, 1885, construction was completed from the west at Eagle Pass.
 
The eastern construction forces were still about 70 kilometers (43 miles) away, about eight kilometers (five miles) west of Albert Canyon.
 
The track from the east reached the east bank of the Columbia river on 8 Oct 1885.
 
By 5 Nov 1885, just six kilometers (four miles) separated the two lines.
 
Working around the clock, the tracklayers from the east came within site as two final lengths of rail were being cut to complete the main line.
 
The cut rails were put into place and lightly spiked.
 
Shortly after nine o'clock on a rainy, misty 7 Nov 1885, the photographer, Alexander Ross, set up his tripod and camera, Donald Smith took his place with a spike maul, and the bystanders gathered around.
 
Major Rogers used a bar to hold the tie against the rail, while Frank Brothers, a foreman tracklayer, placed the last spike into position.
 
Not being an accomplished tracklayer, Smith's first attempt resulted in a glancing blow which bent the spike after one or two blows has been aimed in its general direction.
 
Smith took more careful aim on his second attempt and drove the spike home.
 
There was a moments pause, then the crowd broke into spontaneous cheering.
 
Called upon to make a speech, the companies vice-president, William Cornelius Van Horne, summed up the historic event in just fifteen words:  "All I can say is that the work has been well done in every way."
 
Today the last spike is housed in the Canada Science and Technology Museum of Ottawa.
 
In celebration of 125 years of service, CP's iconic 2816 Empress steam train embarked on a tour this summer, celebrating our shared history with various Canadian communities.
 
The Empress pulled its heritage fleet which includes CP's museum car, a vintage baggage car from the 1950s, refurbished and transformed to capture CP's history.
 
At each event, the general public had an opportunity to tour the museum car and also see the famous last spike, generously on loan to CP from the Canada Science and Technology Museum.
 
Breanne Feigel.
 
Editor's Note:  Breanne fails to note that the "Last Spike" she mentions above was not the actual Last Spike. It was a silver spike to be used in the ceremony at Craigellachie by the Governor General Lord Lansdowne who was expected to drive it home. He never made it to Craigellachie for reasons unknown.