The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-04
Broadening the7Gauge.

A gentleman who recently made a trip
over the Denver Il Rio Grande Western,
says rapid work is going on looking to the
broadening of the gauge. Large ship
ments of supplies for the men at work &c
out almost daily from this city. IN circu-
lar recently issued by the company, the
following statement concerning the posi-
ton of the road appears: AT the west end
it meets the Central Pacific. Union Pacific,
the Utah & Northern, and through II the
line to Oregon; also the Utah Central and
Utah Southern railroads. On the east at
the boundary line between Colorado and
Utah it joins the Denver x Rio Grande
RBEAroad, cat present narrow gauge line,
extending thence eastward to Denver, Col
orado Springs and Pueblo, where 1t meets
and connects with the Chicago. Burlington
IL Quincy the Chicago, Rock Island n Pa
cific. the AtchisOm, Topeka x Santa
Fe, the Missouri Pacific and the
Denver Texas * Gulf, besides
the Kansas Pacific railway to Kan
sas city and the Union Pacific to Omaha
all long standard gauge trunk lines extend
ing from the eastern base of the Rock
mountains easterly to Chicago. St. Louis.
Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. The Denver
& Rio Grande has already laid a third raj
from Denver VIA Pueblo 10 Canon city
(abOut 1872 niles. and has done a large
amount of work preparatory to widening
the gauge of its line west Of Canon city
via LeadvilleD to Glenwood, a point on
the Grand river distant about l21 miles
east of the Utah border. 1t is now en-
gagged in and announces its purpose of
completing without delay the widening of
that line and the extension of the same to
New Castle, d point about twelve miles
further west. From Canon city to New
STEastle its declared policy IS to widen alb
Tsolutely, not to lay third rail.
A standard gauge line has already been
constructed by the Colorado Midland com
pany from Colorado Springs to the eastern
foot of the Rocky mountains (where it also
connects directly with some and indirectly
with the remainder of all the eastern trunk
knes mentioned) westward to New Castle.
When the work which the Denver q Rio
Grande is now engaged IN doing shall nave
been completed, the Denver Western will
thus be bounded on the east and west by
standard gauge lines and be practically
isolated narrow gauge road. While the
narrow gauge may be the best under prin-
cipally local conditions, especially in such
mountainous territory, yet the considera-
lions that originally led to its adop-
ton have since been superseded by
others arising from change of conditions.
Bulk is no longer broken where even with
an uniform gauge it used to be. Refrige-
rator cars and other special facilities and
the vast reduction in the rates of trans
, portation of freight have caused traffic to
come from great distances, enhancing the
relative importance of interchanged bust
ness, and have developed new sorts of
traffic that will not stand tranShipment,
unless there is no competitor for it. Ship
pers as a rule are adverse to transfers of
certain articles, like wagons, agricultural
implements, stoves, furniture, crocbery,
stone and chinaware, as interfering with
both safety and dispatch, and are apt to
send the remainder of their goods by the
same way that part goes. Neslbule
trains and luxuries in the matter Of space
and accommodations are now demanded.