Jamestown alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1882, 1878-12-26
Toward 4. fes1fa, tpIroe.
The Northern Paei0...

IN the circular Issued Oy the Company
f0r the information of contractors, the
following description is given Of the
general character If tue route and country
and the nature uf the work:
Beginning ut the Heart river valley,
opposite Bismarck. IN the Missouri river,
the line runs nearly Yves: to the Yellow
stone, at the NJ >uth If Glcndivr's creek.
which is about thirty miles below Powder
river.
The Missouri river will not he bridgcd
1t present, but ferry vii! he established
1t Bismarck, the present terminus Of the
constructed railroad.
The country through which the road
will be built is wl'a, may bc called rolling
prairie. 1t is well supplied with god
water and grass, being in regard I" these
important matters favorable to ccntract~
ors. The only place where the line is
located upon bad or clay land. is in the
imm. diate vicinity of the crossing Of the
Little Missouri, on the eastern side. com
prising about one mile IF heavy cutting,
Along the Heart river waters, the heads
of the Knife river, the Little Missouri.
and the heads and upper portion OF the
Glendive's creek. timber. is aburdant,
consisting of oak, ash, elm, cottonwood,
etc.. and toward the valley of the Yellow
stone there are large todies Of cedar.
Coal is found at distance oi twenty
Eve miles from the Missouri river, and
from that point westward c"al veins crop
out upon nearly every stream crossed.
The road at the crossing of the Missou-
ri is, in round numbers, 1850 feet above
the sea level. The highest summit passed
in reaching the Yellowstone is 1880 feet
above the crossing Of the Missouri, and
100 feet above the Yellowstone, ut Glen
dives creek, At wbicl, point the Yellow
stone river is 400 feet al. We the sta.
The Missouri river is now ravigascd
by numerous large steamers e." 1,lOO
mil. above the railroad "Iossing. The
m.u:h Of the Yellowstone is about 400
miles above the crossing. and the yellow :
stone is ais" navigated 'y steamers to The
mouth Of Powder river, distance by the
river "f nearly 200 miles, 50 that supplies,
etc, and men Can be conveyed by water
from the Missouri t" the western end OF
the line ut Glcndivc's creek.
The work to bc done will consist chief:
" Of excavation and cmbankm mt "f earth.
mostly scraper work, although there will
be some considerable cuts. There will
be but little rock Of any kind, and not
much hard excavation. Bridging is not
an important item. A few truss bridges
Of moderate span may tc required, but
the streams being generally quite small
will mostly be passed either by ordinary
trtst &c or by wooden culvc:ts
1t is expected that about one hundred
miles from the Missouri river west will
be carefully located and made ready fol
work immcdia lately. The rcsidne of the
line, upon which there is now prelim
mary location, will he finally located t"'
contractors as the company may require
Only approximate quantities can ut pres
ent be estimated, but sufficiently near to
enable experienced contractors TO bid 1y
items intclligently. In round numbers it
is estimated that the quantities OF cxcava
ton may average 10000 cubic yards PEI
mile, altlloughra few miles will contain
much more. But this estimate is not to
be considered binding upon the company
Lake and HarbOr Convention.