The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-03
IMPROVING THE ROAD
Northern Pacific Being Made
Level and Shorter.
TO MAKE OPERATION CHEAPER.
Concentrating Heavy Grades and Max
ing Cut-Ofs-Enforcing Freight
Tariff Rigidly.

While the Northern Pacific Railroad Company
has not been doing much new construction tnis
year Its engineering department has been en-
gagged on work of equal importance Inc
divisions OF the road from the Rocky mountains
westward were originally built in such haste 10
save the franchise and land grants that many
errors of engineering were made through lack OF
time to find out the best way OF reaching the
desired point and speed OF construction was
sought though It involved costly operation.
The company has this year been en-
gagged In repairing these defects. In cross
ing the Rocky and Cascade mountains many
steep grades were made because it was easier
to 20 over hill than to seek out and cut out
level way around it The consequence is that
n large part of the energy OF the motive power
is wasted in climbing steep grades which would
be utilized in hauling cars on an easy grade,
and the cost OF operation is proporf1onately In
creased. These obstacles to cheap operation are
being removed. Where there is an isolated
heavy grade the road is being rebuilt on an easy
grade A certain length OF road on steep
grade being necessary TO cross mountain
range the stretches of steep grade are being
concentrated instead OF being scattered at IN
teTvals along the length OF the line
The gain from this change viii be great. At
present, with steep grades at frequent intervals
all along the line, the weight OF a train Is lin
tied TO the weight which a locomotive can maui up
them. After the Improvements now in progress
are complete, an engine can haul heavy train
over a long stretch OF easy grade and on reach
ing 9 series OF heavy grades over mountain
range the train can be either divided or made
double header until it again reaches easy grades.
The effectiveness oil the motive power will thus
be greatly increased, the consumption of fuel
decreased and the time of trains shortened.
Better1pents are also being made in the filling
in of tresties and doubling track, for instance
between Tacoma and Meeker. The road is be-
ing improved all along. wherever a weak spot is
found. and is being brought up to the highest
standard.
At the same time plans arc gradually being
carried out for the shortening of the through
line, and thereby reducing the cost of the trans
continental haul. The first work of this kind
10 be completed is the Ceur d'Alene cutoff,
which leaves the old line at De Smet, this side
OF Missouia, and runs through the C9ur d'Aiene
country, rejoinng the main line at
Hauser junction. A still greater cut
off is contemplated by the extension
OF Hunts road, now owned by the Northern Pa
cifie, from its terminus at Pleasant Valley up
the Snake river to junction with the Palouse
branch, and thence through Latah and sho-
shone counties, Idaho, to join the main line
near Mis-oula. This cutoff would bring the
road almost in a straight line from Missoula to
Pasco, while 1t now runs from one point TO the
other along two sides of triangle. 1t would
also develop the rich wheat growing district of
Latah and shoshone counties in Idaho
Other cut-offs are contemplated in West
ern Washington from Palmer down Green
river TO slaughter and from Hillhurst
to Puyallup junction. The former would
shorten the line from the East TO Seattle, and
the latter would considerably reduce the dis
lance between this city and Portland, dispens-
ing with the circuit to Tacoma. These i'm
provements will not, however, be constructed
in the immediate future.
The improvements now in progress involve
the expenditure OF about $1000O,000 By the
time the Great Northern is finished to Seattle
and ready to enter into competition with the
Northern Pacific the latter will be fully equip
ped TO cope with it. 1t will have as short line
with as light grades and will have the adyan-
tage of roadbed hardened by the traffic OF sew
eral years over the Great Northern's ''green"
track.