The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-24
GREAT NORrHERN's PROGRESS.
Chief Engineer Becker on tho Road
Many More Men Needed.

Chief Engineer Becker on the Road
Many More Men Needed.
Chief Engineer +. H. Becker, of the
Great Northern railroad. accompanied by
Mrs. Becker and their two daughters, left
last night for his home at Helena. Before
leaving, he said to Observation-Disclosures
reporter regarding the construction of the
main line:
III good weather continues for sixty days
more, We can finish the grading in that time.
Our forces are all concentrated ON the part of
the line between Columbus and the Sound. We
are hurrying the earth wOrk, particularly in wet,
swampy places, in order TO get ii done before
the rainy weather sets in. We can make rock
cuts as easily III wet weather in dry, so that
il is not so urgent to get through with them in
this weather. We are building the bridges
ahead OF the trackiaying, so that there Will be
no cause OF delay. There are three sawr1iiis on
this side OF the mountains cutting timbers for
them. There are nineteen bridges in the last
twenty miles west of the summit and sixteen
important bridges between there and Snohomjsh.
This is a larger numb,r than on any other part
OF the line but il is not excessive, and there
are only two high ones. The other bridges are
good sign, because they are over important
streams in valleys which will give US good traf-
fic On the east side the line down Mason creek
Is very free from bridges. There are four across
the Wenatchee and three above there, fr ON
Mason creek down. The Columbia river bridge
is being built in the East. but nothing is being
done on the site OF it, because We shall have no
occasion to use 1t until the line is through Con-
structiou trains will cross on the transfer boat
About tfty-five miles OF grading from Lowell
eastward il now ready for track and we may,
with good weather, get the line connected
through in three months. The switchback over
the summit is now being built. 1t Will run to
hn nytan ito -
tracks from the tunnel over the summit on the
west side and with three parallel tracks on the
east side. 1t Is not exactly built on timbers,
for We cut into the mountain for half the bank
and throw the dirt on the outside to make the
other half. Then we hold II up with timbers on
the outside
We could get along much faster If we could
get more men. We could employ 500 men on
the west AMI 400 more on the east side of the
summit. We are not beginning to grade the
grounds at Boulevard yet, because we want all
the men we can get on the line. There 10 no
truth in the statement that We are putting men
to work on the Portland line. If we had any
there. We should take them off to work on the
main line. 1t seems as though we had to pro-
vide three full gangs of men. One gang, after
working few days in one place, starts on a
tramp looking for q camp with better food and
nice bunk house. Another gang, after work
ing week or to, goes off ana gets drunk The
third gang is at work. The men are continually
revolving among these three gangs, and there
are rarely more than third OF them at work at
one time. About half the money wo pay out
passes through the hands of the saloonkeepers.
Tracklaying from Lowell eastward will
begin tomorrow. The gang is being Or
ganized at Lowell and five bunk cars are
being built for it's accommodation.
Between fifteen and twenty-five car
loads of material are sent from Spokane
west every day.