The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-01

sensises ana nave involved an expenditure
probably much larger than that made by
any other railroad corporation.
The Puget Sound & Alaska Steamship
company, organized year or more since,
: operated in the interest of the Northern
facinc. Ii has now a considerable ieet of
steamers, having bought out the Washing
ton Steamship Company; and the City of
kingston was last spring brought around
the Horn to enter its service. Two mag
nincent new steamboats,, the City of Sc
attic and City of Tacoma, are to be added
to the lieet, the former having already ar
rlved on the Coast, and the latter being in
course of construction.
The Northern Pacinc has, under its pres
ent management. projected an elaborate
system OF branches that penetrate all the
important sections of Washington. and
has begun actual construction upon num-
Der OF them. The most important enter
PRISE, however, is the building of "cut-
OF" branch from Spokane Falls across the
Big Bend country to a junction with the
man line at or near Ellensburg. A glance
at the map will disclose that the
route of the Northern, after leav-
ing Spokane Falls, makes wide
detour southwest to Pasco Junction, on
the Columbia, and there changes TO the
northwest and goes via North Yakima and
Eilensburg TO the Sound. BY construction
OF road direct across the Big Bend coun-
try to Ellenshurg, the third side of rough
triangle will be completed and many miles
viii be saved in operation and several
hours IN running time. This change. it
should be stated, was projected several
years since, and has been carried forward
somewhat slowly since. The ssbranch, I"
known as the Central Washington, opens
up a magnificent country. Construction
has been carried forward TO the Grand
Coulee. f24 miles from Spokane Falls, COS
miles being built during the past season.
The Central Washington is paralleled
from Spokane Falls to Davenport
by the eastern branch of the Sc
attic, Lake Shore & Eastern In
lSSs construction was rushed upon
both, and the building and right-of-way
wars between the rival roads we're very bit
ter. Both reached Davenport. in Lincoln
county. hfty-seyen miles west of Spokane
Falls, the same year. Work was resumed
on the Central Washington the following
year, and the road was completed to
Almira, forty-six miles further west No
building was done on the Lake Shore.
The Lewiston extension Of the Spokane
& Palouse railway, involving construction
of II. 70 miles of new track, has been pro-
jected during the year, and thirty-nve
miles of track have been laid. This road,
when completed, will give Spokane Falls
connection with Lewiston, Idaho, by
means of a road extending south through
Spokane and Whitman counties, and
thence into Idaho. 1t drains very rich
agricultural country. whose production of
grain is immense.
4 very important branch is the Green
River & Northern, extending from Palmer,
in King county, northward to the Sno-
qualmie Coal and Coke Company's mines
and TO connection with the Seattle, Lake
Shore & Eastern near Snoqualmie Falls.
Nearly twenty-one miles have been graded
and about ten miles of iron have been laid.
This line taps the rich coal and iron 1elds
of the Snoqualmie and Raging river.
The construction of the '.belt line" about
Lake Washington is an important and
somewhat unique enterprise. The present
course of the Seattle, Lake Shore & East
ern IS along the northern and eastern
shores of the lake TO point near Red
mond, making about one-half the. CIRCUIT
and branches of TO the East. The Northern
Pacific, in its route from Seattle to Taco
ma, passes near the southern boundary of
the lake, and along within mile or more
of its western shore TO Seattle. Construc-
ton of line from the Northern PACING at
Black River Junction, along the eastern
shore 70 a point at or near Redmond,
would therefore complete the cir
cult of the lake. Last spring the re-
lations of the Northern Pacific and
Lake Shore, inimical for so many years,
became so friendly as to make the project
entirely feasible, and it was put into practi-
cal shape. Surveys were made, route
22.76 miles in length located and actual
construction begun. So far but 3.2S miles
of track have been laid and about twelve
miles of road graded. right-of-way COM
plications embarrassing further construc-
ton for the present. No doubt the line
viii be finished during the coming season
and suburban trains viii make the entire
circuit of the lake.
The longest extension of the Northern
Pacinc is TO Gray's harbor, reviewed
elsewhere.