Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-12-20
A NEW ROAD 70 THE LAKE.
The B. B. & E. Makes Application
For Another Franchise
rs THE N p BEHIND THE SCENE
The Object of the Visit of the Helena
Magnates Becomes Apparent The
New Line Located

The Bellingham Bay ~ Eastern Rail-
way Co., by its attorney, A. l.. Black,
before the New Whatcom city
council last evening with an applica-
ton for a franchise for the construction
of standard guage railroad through
certain streets Of New Whatcom, with
view to constructing an independent
line of its own the entire distance from
the bunkers to Lake Whatcom. Mr..
Black set forth in urging the adoption
OF the ordinance embodying the fran
chise that the steep grades and sharp
curves of the street railway line that Is
now used by the company, rendered
the cost Of operating excessive, ana the
rapidly increasing traffic of the com.
pany AMI she prospective magnitude Of
its business justiiies the construction of
"A new road, which could be operated
with less expense. The ordinance was
read twice by title and referred. The
new line, located by Chief Engineer j.
- bbii'Ndlii lhldlltlA lllt tlttIflt fHll-
way line from the lake to the siding at
the falls, the tracks To be about fifteen
feet apart. From this point the line
will diverge, avoiding the steep slope
beyond the cemetery, looping through
the Garfield addition and the Jones'
claim, whence IL turns northward to the
York addition. It strikes King street
in this addition at the junction OF Mel
son street, and continues north on
King street through this addition To
Idaho street or Kansas street, aud
thence tuFhs west on one Of these
streets, connecting with the existing
road near PHrdy'5 coal yard. The en-
tire length Of new road necessary to be
constructed Is about four miles aud will
cost in the vicinity Of 81, 900. The com
pany asks for six months IN which to
begin work and until Jan. /, 1894 in
which to complete the road. This will
make the entire length of the line from
the lake To the ocean bunkers seven
miles.
At point directly south of the
power house the proposed line will be "A
mile and "A half south of the electric
road. II will have a maximum grade
Of two per cent, against a grade of
five per cent. on the electric road.
Many persons have long entertained
the belief that the B. B. d f.. is n
Northern Pacific enterprise, aud many
significant facts 20 toward sustaining
this theory. This application coming
80 soon after the visit Of Messrs. Muir
ply, Hotter and Seligman, of Helena,
all of whom are directors aud officers
Of Northern Pacific branches in Mon
tana, as Is also Governor Houser,
another heavy stakeholder in the Il. B.
" T., gives astrOIig color Of probability
to the Northern Pacific paternity of
the coal road. Mr.. Donovan, the chief
engineer Of the b. B, IL f., was also
the Northern Pacific chief angineer in
Montana. The new line to the lake
will have no grade that exceeds two
per cent, and no curve to exceed ten
degrees, which becomes very significant
when it Is known that these are the
maximum grades and curves prescribed
by congress for the land grant railways.
The engine now In use on the Il. B. &
T.. is "a Northern Pacific locomotive
and the rolling stock which the com
pany has had constructed has all been
built upon Northern Pacific standard
plans. II is believed by many that the
road will be constructed around the
south end of the lake to the milIe, and
to "A connection with the Lake Shore
road. Mr.. Donovan admits that line
from the Lake Shore road TO the mine
was located by the Northern Pacific
over year ago. Fairhaven Is all
right.