St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-23
The Contract for Building the Cascade
Tunnel Awarded to Nelson
Bennett.
An Estimate Of the Cost of the Work by
President Harris of the Northern
Pacific.
Benefits That VIII be Derived From
the Completion OF the Cascade
Division.
southwestern Merchants Ask Conces-
siOns From the RaiIroads--Gen-
eral Notes.
The Contrnct Awarded.


tunnel for the Northern Pacific road was
awarded to Nelson Bennett of Deer Lodge.
Mont, yesterday by the directors of the
Northern Pacific Railroad company at their
meeting at New York. The contract i n
very important and costly one and the
awarding has been well considered. Mr.
Bennett has been closely pushed in the race
Tor the work. no less than twelve outfits
submitting bids to Chief Engineer Ander-
son, who in turn submitted them to the di-
rectOrS for them to decide. Among the
/ bidders was the well-knOwn firm of Muir
Bros. OF st. Paul, who have done some of
| the heaviest rock tunnel work done on the
continent They have built all the North
/ ern Pacific and Canadian Pacific tunnels,
and have completed large contracts in
/ South America. Their bid, it is understood,
was not so light though as those of the
others. Mr.. Bennett is the only contract or
on the Western division OF the Northern
| Pacific road and has done good work for
the company. He has good backing and is
a responsible man to take hold of the
works. With this contract Mr.. Bennett
/ has the building of the remainder of the
/ Cascade division under his jurisdiction. In
! order 10 complete the Cascade division the
/ mileage to be constructed consists of seven
ty-tive and One-half miles between the fifty
mile post of the western side of the noun
/ tainS and Ellensburg on the eastern side.
that portion of the road between North
\ Yakima and EllenSburg being already IN
der process of construction by Mr.. Bennett,
who calculates he will have the last rail
laid early next March. President Harris
states the estimates for the construction of
/ seventy-fye and one-half miles now to be
/ put under contract as follows:
] Twenty miles 10 foot q mountain
grade on the west of the summit. $3.50, zoo
/ Forty miles to foot of mountain
/ grade on east side of summit 100000
/ Fifteen-and-a-half miles over the
mountain, including the tunnel
(l.9 miles long,. Observation-Disclosures. 2,44l, 200
Total. ....:................... 3,s71, 800
Snow sheds on the mountain (if re-
quired), estimated at............ 200, 600
Total. Observation-Disclosures. 900
/ President Harris estimated that to con-
! struct the tunnel with economy will require
from two to twO-and-a-half years.
! WHAT MR.. BENNET'S BID WAS
/ has not been made public yet, but it is be-
tween $3.50. 900 and 1000 600. 1t is prob
able that he will commence work immedi-
ately, as the company is DESTROYS of having
| the work completed as soon as possible. Mr..
/ Bennett will undoubtedly take less time to
do it than the time President Harris esti-
mated. as it is to his interest to rush the work,
! providing he has ample capital at his back,
not to depend upon the railway company
for pay as the work proceeds. The tunnel
has been definitely located over the summit
OF the Cascade range. A summit tunnel
$3.50 feet long will be required at an alti-
tude of 2. $50 feet above the sea level. The
summit will be reached by a maximum
grade of 116 feet to the mile. the same as
that employed on the Northern Pacific main
! line over the two ranges of the Rocky noun
| tains.
The completion of the Cascade division
will give the Northern Pacific its own line
| from st. Paul, its eastern terminus, to Ia
coma, which will be it western terminus.
! The completion of this division has been
| found by the company to be be essential. by
! the rapid increase in the Northern Pacitic's
tranScOntinental business. 1t will not then
be dependent upon any other company for
an outlet to the Pacific coast, but will have
its own and conduct, its own through trans
confidential business. 1t is probable that
work on this division would have been sus-
pended for an indefinite period had not
| Charles B. Wright. one of the largest stock
holders and director of the company. re-
peatedly insisted on the Importance of hav-
| ing it built. While doing this Mr.. Wright
was furthering his own interests. as he
owns extensive tracts of land near Tacoma,
which will be enhanced 100 per cent. in
value by Tacoma being made the western
terminus of the line. When this division
is finished the Northern Pacific will, it is
understood, inaugurate a line of clipper
vessels between China and Japan and TR-
coma, which it has been contemplating ever
| since the opening of the road to the Pacific
coast.
NEWS FROM NEW YORK.
NEW YORK. Jan. 22.-The board of di-
rectOrs of the Northern Pacific railroad to-
day authorized the letting of the tunnel two
miles in length through the Cascade noun
tains to Nelson Bennett of Deer Lodge.
Mont. The tunnel will cost something
under $500, 600, and is to be completed by
May, 1888.
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