The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-05

white tjn The east thsy arc 81 Per cenk
In oftser 20 guard against blocksdes
~ snow slidss. trestis bridges are built
arross ths tracks which they have worn
oosn iins mountain side and thus they
psss uydes the track instead Of over IL
me tfpck va built partly on timber
tsAen 'Scm tns slopes OF the mountain and
pas"y va oed cut into the rocky vail il
- cismoang. the Temporary character Of
sns scfk wondering more permanent
ssfuesess Unnecessary.
evesaa pieces OF work remain 70 b
zone ossore the Great Northern
% running TO the Coast
en.sif on IT. own track and on it,
psFmaksns linz. Chief among these 10 the
oorng o. the tunnel under Stevens pass
IN the Csscsds MONTANA This tunnel
.hn % 2 - miles long snd will reduce the
nseness elevation attained BY the road
from 4sko fest - the summit Of the switch
oack 70 SSSO tses - the east portal at
Aunoes City and TO ). l50 feet as the vest
posssa p Stevens City. The highest elsvA-
uoo nfsdsr which it will pass IL 5. $50 feet
about mile from the west portal, short
distance 70 the south and east Of which Il
skyiigst lake. fed by the melting snou Of
the ri?gs. The tunnel will Yun in .
straight line from the head Of one canyon
70 thatsof smother in direction . few de-
grees sputh Of west and will sIops 70 the
vest q the rate Of ninety feet 70 the mile.
Is viii: b sixteen fest vide and twenty
shFes fbst high. will b. lined with brick
and u ESTIMATED 20 cost q. O0O, O00 lts
constrx ction will begin this summer and
n expG,etsd to b com pleted in two years.
- il 10: to b pushed With oil possible
speed! At Spokane the Rr>de on which
the Iiiie enters the city q 70 be cut down
from ~ 70 I per cent bv : deem cut and
- mS!es Of line have % b CONTRACTED
through the city 20 complete the track and
dispenss With the u,s of the Spokane 4
NoSthifn md Union Pacific tracks. At
Everett the line has 70 b. tini.hed th,ourh
from lowell. distance of thru miies. 10
connection with the coast line. and ouits
. Considerable tunnel has 20 b bored
through the hill in the centre az the penin.
suta an which the torn Glands. This
work has bseu DELAYED bv the failure
until ,sscsntiy 70 settle risht-of-way aues-
lions. The road has now secured valua-
bic ri3ht-of- way and yard and depot
erounss in that city and will soon be able
10 dis,aenss with the use Of the tracks Of
the Everett 4 Monte Cristo road between
EvereH and Lowell, by which il nov makes
connection with the coast lines. besides
shortening the latter lines by several
miIes and getting rid of one Of the draw
bridges by which il now crosses the
mouths of the Snohomish river. IL has
boughs site for . passenger depot Ia Sc
attle IL an expense Of $4,000 and will
proceed to erect handsome building on it
Is SOON Is franchise for the approaching
tracks IL obtained. II has to extend its
tracks. southward to its terminal yards on
the titie flats and to erect freight houses on
them !: also 70 erect car and repair shops
ON the ground bought for that purpose at
Smith 3 cove. In the course OF the sum-
mer ABOUT mile of snow sheds will have
to BE- l.uiit on the Cascade mountain divis-
ion 4! prevent the road from being
blockeA BY avalanches, such - gave much
trouble during the past winter Alto
gethef 1t has work In the immediate future
which will involve IN expenditure Of
n. 00O. 100 70 $S00.Oo0.
One part Of Mr.. Hills plan remains IN.
executed through the financial embarrass-
ment &c the Union Pacific railroad caused
BY thefaiiurs Of the Barinrs In the fall Of
1890. This was the line from Seattle to
Portiasnd, which Vas 20 be built by the
Union: Pacific and b used Jointly BY Il and
the G.aAt Northern. each having a half
intereyt In IL. The location of the whole
line h ia been made except for q short dis
lance between Seattle and Tacoma the
right-af-way had been secured. grading
Was usader way from Tacoma to Portland.
the building of q great bridge across the
Colunsbia river 1t Vancouver had pro-
eressei a. far a. the erection of the piers.
and the building OF trestle across the tide
fats al Seattle was In progress when tho
financial stringency resulting from the
Barring failure forced the suspension of
work In December. 1890. This was one OF
the first steps in q policy Of rigid resrench-
ment t,n which the Union Pacific entered
after the Gould family had regained con-
troll il tho previous year. Efforts have
since Eeeu made by the two companies to
reach an agreement under which construc-
ton csn be resumed and carried to CON-
p!c:,oF.. but 80 far nothing has been &C.
compl:shed.
The Great Northern railway can not only
law cl.sim 10 superiority over other trans
continental lines on the ground that il il
shor,e- has lower grades. lighter curves
and less heavy mountain line. but il was
built faster than any Of its competitors
As regards the grades. IL reaches from st.
Paul 10 within twensy-six miles of the
Rockies with a maximum OF $40 OF per
cent. rises to the summit with only per
cent. and crosses without q tunnel, de-
scends With 1 $40 per cent. to the waters
of th, Flathead. goes over the Haskell
pass xith $40 per cent. on each. aide,