The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-04
THE CUTOFF LINE.
Preliminary Survey to Be Made
ct Once.
4 FcRTy-FooT GRACE ASSURED.
VII sAsSses sAs Orsss NsssAesn's Dts.
assee Ewsssy AiIes-Nsw 1ssi1
eheeee-kaalssoA Notes.

That the Seattle & Northeastern Yailroad
= genuine and veIi-backed enterprise
wcusd appear from the fact that next
wees two parties Of engineers VIII be put
In the Geld 70 run preliminary line from
Ballard to some point on the Great North
srn soad in the neixhborhood Of sultan
CisY. One parry will commence work in
ths sscinity Of Cherry valley and the other
st Easlasd. and thu survey 10 expected to
b sinsshed within thirty days. The main
obSeet II % find line upon which road
ear De constructed With . grade OF shout
forty feet TO the mile. At the same time
one at the parties will make special ex.
pjcration IN search Of coal.
Tia. mineral II known 20 exist in that
part Of the country, and il il il found near
Che .s1e In character and quantity SUM-
eieas. that Of itself would make the line
self-supporting. hut the line win pene-
trsse one Of the finest bodies Of timber in
the state, which can not Be opened up ex-
esq. by . railroad, and At the
oarze time splendid farming section will
b. developed. and al OF these resources
Nsds tributary to Seattle's commerce But
The great overshadowing sdvantags to
Seattle by the construction OF this line
won!d be the giving TO the Great Northern
. cutoff which would make this city
twenty miles nearer the East than at pres
snt sad also bring the great fresh water
hafl<sr Of Lake Washington sewers! miles
neassf than any other hasbor on the Pacific
coas..
Ths saving 10 the Great Northern in the
operation Of twenty miles Of raiiroad. not
only cn oil It's Seattle business. but upon
oil shst originating south Of this city.
fron, Portland. Tacoma and other points.
wou'a Of itself be great inducemen: 20
the construction OF the line. But with the
Great Sorthern's experience OF the past
two seasons on the shore line between hero
and Eserett. the cutoff becomes an abso-
lutte neeessity. Nothing hnt the entire re-
contraction OF the shore line can obyiate
The future recurrence Of tho paralysis to
trnfgic caused by the sliding hills on the
shore line. During the wet season the
serious dangers on this part of the line
wouia prohibit the choice Of that route by
transspntinentai passengers and mer-
charts shipping fast freight in either direc-
tion, The interruption for weeks at
time o. oil traffic would be disastrous, and
the EXPENSE of clearing away the debris
after every slide something enormous.
These features Of ,he situation are now
% wei! known to President Hill and his
advisers that the necessity for the cutoff
j ceaesded by them. Not long ago in a
conversation which occurred in St. Paul
abous this line Mr.. Hill said: ..If Burke
can &c. grade Of forty feet 10 the mile on
that ess.-oT scheme Of his ont in Washing
ton @e've got to use IL, that's all.
Juice Burke has ali along been very con.
Adens that such grade could be obtained.
perhaps with the expenditure of q little
extra money OVER what sleeper line would
cost, a1d to build this line will now be the
aim al tho engineers. II IL IL found the
work cf construction will be begun At once
and t.'e line probably completed this sea.
son, although tho condition Of the money
market win have something to do with tho
huiis!ias Of the line. The financing of the
sehesise 10 all but arranged for and only
awaits the production Of . profile and en-
eincera' estimates Of the cost of con.truc-
tion "a be soon brought to completion.
Whils John Collins was in New York
recently he met Mr.. Hill on Wall street
and hal long conversation with him.
The Seattle & Northeastern scheme came
ur IL the talk and Hin exclaimed: Eyes,
lsee that Burke and Leary are para,leline
me cut there.