Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-11-15
THE CASCADE BRANCH NOT TO
BE BUILT.

by the Tacoma NtHS III Inc loiioNl hs
manner.
What is the news across the noun
tains?' inquired the reporter.
"Well, things look pretty blue over
there" replied Mr., X the work has
entirely suspended with the exception Of
on the twenty-five miles let by contract
to Bennett
"Suspended?'
ayes, We got an order from New York
the ether day not only calling in all the
graders and clearers, bat all six Of the
engineering parties along the line from
the Columbia river to the summit. They
all quit and came down to Answorth.
were paid off and scattered. -
How many men were there?
There were $50 graders in Yakima
canyon, west Of Yakima city. They have
put in the summer On five miles Of line
some heavy grading aud rock cuts. There
were about 100 men in the engineer par
ties. Most Of these last have been work
ing up the Stampede pass. You remem-
Der the first location Of the tunnel only
called for a hole $500 feet long, but it
has since been decided to cut lower down
the mountain aud make a tunnel 1860
feet long. We strike the mountain at an
elevation of only 2,i00 feet, and by max
ing the tunnel longer save 400 feet in
elevation several bad curves, four miles
OF track, lower the maximum grade from
! l26 feet to the mile to IS, and escape the
heavy SHOWS At its deepest point the
tunnel is 900 feet below the summit Of
the mountain This three miles of tun
mel is estimated to cost S3,O00,0O0, but
it will make first class line out of the
Cascade branch. y
Glow much work has really been
done?" asked the reporter,
"Nothing beyond the five miles of grad
ing in Yakima canyon and the 20 miles
from the Columbia river west"
What about the % miles,
"Well, it is really completed. Bennett
commenced laying track on the 3lst of
October and will have it ready to turn
over by December"
"Where does this line strike the Co
lumbia river"
six miles above Ainsworth An in
cline has been built there, and boats land
with construction material. Bennett has
one locomotive and plenty of cars, which
were brought across from Ainsworth.
suppose the river will be bridged here if
it is anywhere"
GLOW far is it from the river at the
: crossing to Yakima City?'
"The survey shows it to be So miles,
and so miles from Yakima City to the
mouth of the tunnel in Stampede pass
The % miles already built starts from
nowhere and ends nowhere"
"What was it built for?'
"Well, it is the key to the rest Of the
work, but as matters now stand it vii
only serve to hold the land grant, which
service it may be intended for"
Don't you think the work will be rec
f commenced soon?'
"No, don't; at least not if the pres
ent management holds control, The,
own too much in the Oregon Railway ant
Navigation Company to build any Cascad
i division. The people up in the iakim
r country are kicking wild They feel tina
it viii be several years before they get
railroad and they are going to Congress
$ with some sort Of fight on the liant
. grant.
"Isn't this drawing off of all the work
: ing force simply the result of the season?
No. this is just the weather to bull,
4 railroads in that country. In my opinion
q work will not commence again for perhap
: years. Bennett will finish his con
q tract and then all of any kind of worl
!. will stop. If it was not intended to stol
), for some time the engineer parties VIII
r were locating and revising the line woul
i not be called off in this way
= "What are they doing along the Pa
louise branch?'
9 THAT has also been stopped I think
The work on the Kalama and Portlan
branch has also been stopped, that is iron
the temporary incline to the point wher
the permanent crossing was to be made
e The Snake river bridge is the only wor
g of Importance that know of that is goin
: on along the line. The masonry on thi
is nearly completed, and the bridge, mad
" in the east, is partly on the ground. Thi
J will be rushed along as fast as possible
!, but the bridge at Portland has been stop
= ped and everywhere the work of construc
n ton seems to be suspended except on tn
branch from Tacoma to Seattle
n "What do you hear in railroad circle
about that?'
II believe that will be completed a
y fast as possible
What docs all this business mean
anyway"
Now you have foored me. l don
: know; but it is generally believed tina
u some great force is at work in the North
ern Pacific camp which is going to chang
things wonderfully"
And yet the Northern Pacific propose
+. to Representatives of the Transcontinenta
r roads the other day at Chicago, that the,