The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-12-06
The Pipestone Pass Compared with
the Deer Lodge Pass.
Editor Miner:

Editor Miner:
DEAR SIR -
1t would seem to be the aim of some of the
officials of the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company to locate their road across the
by any route except by the Pipe
stone Pass. What their objections are to this
route we do not know. 1t offers the
shortest practicable pass with the easiest
9 rades, and the least trouble from snow Of
any other yet surveyed. The country through
which it passes also affords the most business
for the road.
A, the surveys stand to-day the Pipestone
route will be some ten or fifteen miles shorter
in actual length than the Helena route, it
having been found advisable, a. the sur
veys progressed, to lengthen the latter route
by that number Of miles. The Helena route
also has on it some Of the highest pieces of
trestls work yet built in the United States,
with a tunnel e-fourths of a mile long
yet this line was chosen in preference to the
Pipestone, and now, when the difficulties of
the Mullan tunnel with its approaches are
more fully appreciated, and some other more
feasible route is desired, the project of the
Deer Lodge Pass route is revived, with its
excessive length, in preference to the shorter
Pipestone route.
Let us briefly compare the Pipestone and
Deer Lodge routes from what little knowl-
edge we have of them. The Deer Lodge is
about forty five miles the longer of the two
for all through business, while for eastern
freight to Butte it will be sixty-6ve miles
longer including a branch line Of ten miles
inconvenient to operate. We may then, In
comparing the two routes, assume the Deer
Lodge to be fifty miles the longer in operat-
ing economy. This Inference in length, as
uming the value of a mile saved in dist ,nce
at $25, 900 per mile would make = difference
OF 81, 250,O0o in favor of the Pipestone. TO
this we may add the greater number of miles
to be built. Including the branch
to Butte, there would be fifty
five miles more road to be built
which we may safely assume to cost at least
$4,000 per mile, or a total of SS25.000. In
crossing the Deer Lodge divide there will be
much heavy work, but probably not so much
q . ny LLC L lPCSboACs So tAhb We ulls oVauSs
from the last total excess in the cost of the
heavier work. In order to be on the safe
side, we will then assume that the Deer
Lodge route would cost but S250,O00 at the
most. We would then have a difference of
81, 100000 in favor of the Pipestone route,
with all its advantages of greater business,
easy grades and shorter distance.
l., ro;pt oF rrola, TIA Naar odua roDfa
is but slightly superior to the Pipestone. The
Pipestone, exclusive of the twenty-six miles
of l16-ieet grade, has no grades exceeding
twenty-six feet. The Deer Lodge route
would have the same rate Of grade till the
n divide is reached, when there would be from
twenty-five to thirty miles where assistant
engines would be required, though ON a grade
somewhat lighter than 1l6 feet per mile, with
q some less elevation to be overcome. No.
having exact figures on the Deer Lodge route
| am obliged to make these calculations some.
what roughly, but there is plainly a large
margin in favor of the Pipestene, after max
ing ample allowances for errors.
1t may be That the land question may have
had its influence in again suggesting the Desl
Lodge route, this being the original line or
which the lands were withdrawn frcm The
e market in 1873, when the company had thu
right to hold land set aside for them. Th,
char er provided that the railroad company
after having located its road and had land.
withdrawn, might chnge its location. The
evident intention of his provision was tina
improvements might be made in the route, a
the surveys were perfected, within the limit
of the reservation. The Pipestone will b.
n an improvement on the original route, entire
ly within the limits of the reserved lands
Indeed, it will not at any point approach
nearer than forty miles from the boundaries
and the company will simply give up tn
r ght to a portion of the land 10 which the,
would have been entitled by the route max
ing the horseshoe bend to the sout
. through tho Deer Lodge Pass; Will
on the other hand the Helena rout
passes outside of the reserved lands, bsndin
almost as far to the north As the Deer Lodg
route did to the south, and if the compan
should finally build by Helena, in order tina
the lands which they would be entitled to re
q, celve should be the alternate sections lyin
lly forty miles on each side ef the rail
road-as provided by their charter ne,
lands would have to be taken from the publ
domain by the Secretary of the Interior. ]
10 quite doubtful whether he would have tn
right to do this since the time for bull lin
the road expired more than two years ago.
We learn that the company, appreciaGia
=, the Importance of Butte to = certain extent
have determined to push the road up til
or valley from the west as rapidly as possible
This will give Butte q western outlet, an