As with other workers at both companies, deaths and injuries were not documented. There is historical documentation that at least 100 Central Pacific workers died in a single avalanche while building through the Sierra Nevada Mountains - most of these workers would have been Chinese. There were many Chinese workers that died during the construction of the railroad. This image shows a Chinese work camp along side the working railroad. Much of the work that these Chinese laborers completed through the rugged and wild landscape has stood the test of time, and continues to stand out in its quality and durability after almost 150 years.Īfter the operation of the Transcontinental Railroad began, many of the workers stayed on to upkeep and make improvements to the existing lines as well as build new lines. The money that was offered by the companies was a large enough incentive that the Chinese immigrants continued to join the companies even though they were never treated as equals. Unfortunately the Chinese workers were discriminated against by other workers and their supervisors. The Chinese eventually proved so effective that there were organizations that actively recruited Chinese labor within the United States and in China for the railroads. Drinking tea also kept the Chinese from having the negative impacts that came from drinking alcohol, which was another more commonly used alternative to the bad water.
![east west golden bridge in canada and cryptoheaven. east west golden bridge in canada and cryptoheaven.](https://2traveldads.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/IMG_2175.jpg)
This tradition kept them from catching the diseases that would affect other workers after drinking bad water. The Chinese tradition of drinking tea caused their cooks to boil the water and serve the tepid tea throughout the day. The dried vegetables, seafood, and variety of meats combined with frequent washing of their clothes and daily bathing to keep the Chinese from getting ill and prevent the spread of disease. Typically, each Chinese work gang had a cook that prepared the daily meals. This was unfair, but allowed the workers to have a more healthy diet. Even after the Chinese proved their worth and their wages were raised to $30 a month, which was the same as other workers, the Chinese still had to pay for their own food, housing, and clothes. The work conditions changed quite often, but included extreme colds and heats, high winds, many forms of precipitation, and other conditions that could add a struggle to survive on top of the grueling heavy labor. Their living arrangements improved to more substantial wooden bunkhouses in the more extreme elements that were present in the mountainous regions. Camp life was challenging for the laborers living in their canvas tents alongside the rail line. Some of the Chinese immigrants' cultural traditions proved beneficial in their role as railroad laborers. The grade had to be less than 2% in order to allow maximum loads to be pulled, without over-working the locomotives. The Chinese workers were paid a lower rate than the other native and European workers, while often completing higher quality work and being more dependable.Ĭhinese workers prepare the grade before the track is laid.
![east west golden bridge in canada and cryptoheaven. east west golden bridge in canada and cryptoheaven.](https://www.bsiarchivalhistory.org/BSI_Archival_History/Woodys_World_files/droppedImage_3.jpg)
In fact a crew consisting mainly of Chinese workers was eventually able to complete the task of laying 10 miles of track in one day, which is a record that still stands to this day. The Chinese labor force easily dispelled the doubts of others by performing the tasks they were given at a good pace and with exceptional quality workmanship.
![east west golden bridge in canada and cryptoheaven. east west golden bridge in canada and cryptoheaven.](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51IW6ej9wKL._SX296_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
Crocker's experiment proved successful in several ways.
![east west golden bridge in canada and cryptoheaven. east west golden bridge in canada and cryptoheaven.](https://petrofilm.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/irans_ambasade_oslo_B.27634337_std.jpg)
Labor unrest and strikes often arose in the workers' camps, which caused more headaches for the owners and construction bosses. Many of the Central Pacific workers already employed by Crocker were leaving their jobs with the railroad to try their luck in the gold and silver rush. The man responsible for the experiment was Charles Crocker, Chief Railroad contractor for the Central Pacific, who believed that the Chinese workers would be the answer to the labor problems the company faced. Fifty workers were initially hired, despite Nineteenth-Century stereotypes about their stamina, strength, and other traits that some thought would prevent them from completing the demanding 10-12 hour shifts of hard labor during a 6-day work week. The use of Chinese labor started as an experiment. Most of the Chinese workers, who numbered over 11,000 by the end of the project, were employed by the Central Pacific Railroad building out of Sacramento, California. One of the groups that literally took on the brunt of the work, were the Chinese laborers. The Transcontinental Railroad was built by many thousands of workers from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, which created a blend of people that continues to define the nation to this day.