The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-11-21
G.nRoAp NEw..-The Harrisburg Pa

4
of the 18th, says: The officers of the South
Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Fifth
and Market streets yesterday were crowded
during the entire day by contractors who
are here for the purpose of bidding for the
construction of the roadway. the closing
hour for the reception of which is at Il
O'Clock to-day The roomsef the construct
| ing engineer were covered with the plans
and condition of the country through
which the road will pass and it was for the
inspection of them that the contractors as
sembled Upwards of one hundred and
| fifty contractors were known to be in the city
last evening.
~The bids will be opened this afternoon
J nut their conlents will remain secrt for at
least two weeks or perhaps month"; said a
railroader of authority yesterday. "They
first 90 TO a board of construction for exam
| ination and then the successful bids are re-
submitted TO theengineer for approval"
what will be the estimated ~ cost of the
road per mile?"
1T is difficult to say Not less than s70,-
| Geo."
The same gentleman stated.that the con-
tract for the bridge over the river at this
point had been given out to Nr. Smith, of
Easton, all reports to the contrary notwith-
standing
why" said he, "he is at present, from my
own personal knowledge, making the ar
rangements TO locate here and begin opera
tons"
when will work begin on the roadway
for which the bids are now. being handed
in"
"The work on the various sections will
probably be commenced early in the coming
year That, you know, is not far off,
The Everett Press says: On Monday last
Messrs. ]. w. Gill q Co., sent from this
place 20 Italian laborers, who will at once go
to work on the approaches TO Sideling Hill
tunnel. The contracts of this firm cover
two miles of the road ON either side of the
mountain.
The Chambersburg Repository says: We
have learned from reliable sources that the
Pennsylvania r. r. is thinking seriously OF
changing their main line between Harris
burg and Pittsburg, which will give them
a shorter line by almost fifty miles This
line will be over the Cumberland Valley
K. II. to Chambersburg, and then a new
line will be constructed west from here to
Uniontown, Fayette county, from which
point they have the South West Pennsvlya-
mia X. X. running direct to Pittsburg.
Their object in doing this is to compete
with the Vanderbilt line. The present road
between Harrisburg and Pttsburg will be
used for local travel only, as the through
trains will pass over the proposed route. 1t
is well known that the Cumberland Valley
railroad is laying lumber of long sidings
between Chambersburg and Harrisburg,
with the idea of ultimately making it doub-
le track road. Whether the business of the
road is sufficient to require double track
or whether the company has long had this
change in view, is a question which a news
paper man is unable.to iathom, as we have
spoken to several officials without being able
to gain much light on the subject. We hope
the report. which we give for what it is
worth, is true, for it would not only greatly
increase the population of our town, bat be
of much benefit to our county as we'll"
Last Thursday, the day set for receiving
the bids for the contraction of about IS miles
of the Southern Pennsylvania Railroad, over
two hundred bids were presented At the
Company's office in Harrisburg.
President Sayre states that he does not
think that the awards will be made before
the lst of December, and that the contractors
will be notified from the New York office
He is surprised at the low figures of many
and is positive they could not do the work if
awarded the contract. Some of the bids are
80 per cent. lower than he has ever known
such work to be dene.
The contracts for driving the seven tun-
nels advertised have all been let. The fol-
lowing is the order of the tunnels from Har-
risburg west, the names or the successful
bidders being also given Blue Mountain
tunnel, z. Keating; Kattattinny tunnel
Ackerman & Evans Tuscarora tunnel,
Walker, Dacey & Co. Siding Hill tunnel,
Rodgers & obrien: Rays Hill tunnel, Nc.
Mahon, Shauahan * Green Allegheny
Mountain tunnel, Charles NcFadden. The
Laurel Hill tunnel was let to +. 5. Rock,
but it is reported that he has thrown up the
contract.
The Pittsburgh papers contain advertise
ments for laborers to work on the Allegheny
Mountain tunnel. in this county.