The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-26
CHOICE OF ROUTES.
What Caused Decision Of Great
Northern Line.
ARTICLE sY ENGINEER BECKER.
Several Lines Consfdsred, bat the One
Chosen IL Shortest and opess
Richest Coastry.

lection Of the route Of the Pacific sIten-
sion OF the Gres. Northern railroad are in
teresssnx and are clearly stated in papers
read before the Montana Society o. civil
Engineers By Z. II. Becker. who as ehiei
engineer had charge of the location and
construction Of the road. The substance
Of the paper 10 Is follows:
This work Of the extension Of the
Great Northern railway has taken the at
tsntion of more than fifty educated msa
for three years. with an army Of followers,
and fnll descriptions Of their operations
would fill a good sfzsd volume.
The position of the exis ting line between
Fort Assinniboine. IN MIX river, and
the terminus OF the Montana Central at
Butte. made IL possible for the extension
10 start OF NJ one of seversa points. de-
pending upon what vas 10 be found be-
yond
at va. apparent that the crossing of
the Rocky mountains could be made So
the head waters of the Marais. departing
from the present line near Assinniboine. or
nj the heads OF the Sun river, leaving
present lire AZ Great Fails; or A. the heat
OF Dearborn river, departing from present
line at rhe junction OF the Dearborn and
Missouri rivers; or by extending sest-
ward from Butte. 1t WAS possible 10 drop
ont Of consideration the line from Great
Fails and ths extension from Butte by
Yeconnaissancs, without actual surrey.
leaving only the Assinni5oine and Dear
borne lines to be compared by careful de-
tail work Ira running lines.
These reconnaissances showed ths. a
lire by the north fork OF the Sun river led
20 the Flatiand valley. To the same field oc-
cupied by tho Assinniboine line. with a
much greater distance and with few off.
setting advantages. The south fork of
Gun river led 10 the Dearborn outlet, with
loss az to grades and no gain in distance.
The Butte inc crossing mountains al the
way west from Helena 10 the foot of the
western slope of the Bitter Root range, on
the Clearwater river. has four SUBMITS
with All elevation greater than 5000 feet
aud with nearly 800 miles Of distance
above the elevation OF 4, 90 feet. IL was
too near the region OF perpetual snow to
be desirable. The several mountain grades
Of % per cent. not found on the other
lines. and the increased mileage. more
than offset the advantages, although the
latter were very important.
Referring now 10 the other two lines.
the Asslnniboine and the Dearborn routes,
these lines come TO common point ut the
city of Spokane, and our comparisons will
extend only that far for the present
The Assinnlboine line traverses the
piAteaus north OF the Marais river, called
Lonesome prairie, crosses the summit of
the Rocky mountains through Marais
pass. deseerds 10 flathead valley by tho
middle fork of the river OF the same name
climbs over the kootenai range to- the
kootanAi river by way of Fisher river.
follows the kootenai to Bonner's Ferry, in
Idaho where the river turns northward,
then passes through n wide gap in the
Cabinet range 20 the Pend d 0reille river.
which IL follows - the east line of the
state Of Washington twhere the river also
tarns northwardl and then swings south
ward, going down the Little Spokane river
TO the vicinity OF Spokane.
cha Dearborn line crosses the Rocky
mountains at Rogers pass, four miles
south Of CadotIo pass, spoken of in the
government reports, goes down the Big
Blackioot 10 Missoula aud down Missou!a
river 10 the St. Regis de Borgia river.
climbs the Bitter Root range by the way
ri this stream TO the Sohon pass described
in Capt. Mullen's report on military roads
In 1863 thence down the Caur d'Alcne
river 10 Mission, thence over a divide via
Fourth of July canyon to Fort Sherman.
and thence across the plateau TO SPOKANE
Taking up now the points for comnari-
son GA these lines. The Dearborn route
'.ssd about $50 miles OF the already con.
stFuctea line 20 Helena and Butte, about
TOO miles of which runs through what has
been up 10 the present time nnproductiye
country. stretch of about $50 miles of
similar coaatry Is found on the Asslnni-
hoine iina, 50 THAT train service for n
freight division Is required Tor the north
crn iine, ~ excess ut what would have
been needed for the Dearborn route.
For the second point relative distance
was slightly in favor of the northern or
Aasinnboiae line.
"For the third point ii is proper TO con-
slider only what would be the ruling grade
for freight division. regardless OF helper
grades AMI also the number Of helper
grades. AID their rate OF grade. The As
sinniboins line gave one division of | ner
cent and two q, .06 PER cent. in either dl-
festian, Nhils the Dearborn line gave
1 per cent. on ala divisions but one. There
are three helper grades GA the northern
route, with grades of i.5 per cent. and Is
yer cent. against six on the Dearborn
route OF ~ per cent. and - per cent
counting helpers IN both directions The
Dearborn line gave tairty-iive miles excess
of helper grade over the other.
Fourth Rise and fall considered only
where dspressions are too great TO he
treated as velocity grades shows a differ
ence of so feet IN favor of the AsSinni-
BONE line
Filth In alignment there appears TO
he about sixteen iua circles IN favor Of the
Asstunibolne line.
sixth Resources. The AsSinnihoipe
tine beia. on a lesser elevation for =
greater number OF miles shoas more
iavorahiy FOR agriculture. although the
country Is now sparcely settled The
lines were about equal IN grazing and
timber resources In mining. which is
always an uncertain factor. there ar
reared 20 he greater possibilities IN ths
ldbby creek. Lake creek. kootenai and
Pend d'psetle districts, ou the Asslnt-
bone line. thsn IN the single Csear 4 Aiene
district or the Dearborn route.
seven h--Cimate. Both routes show a
snowy region extending over n distance OF
iifsy miles. There - probably an excess
in rsinisli on the northern line
"Eishth~~The disadvantages in regard
- operation ou the northern line have
heea spoken oI IN The hrst point OF com
pArlson.
'Ninth--Ths Dearborn line Is only a few
niles north Of the Nofthera pacfue rail.
sosi Tor Atty mics east OF Mlssoula and
for = distance ~ Ia u9iles weSs ot that city
10 practically parallels . branch or
hrsncbes OF thst road. The new towns
a.cng the northern route will, without
doubt, eQual 10 Importance those along "a q
already occupied tersltery, with 70 proha-
baltY ~ division IN business
"ienth-ln construction features the
Dearborn route save tAres mile. in tun-
hes and an excess of bluf work along
rivers. bile the total !enstA u tunnels hv
she northern route was oo.v ( 60 feet.
In bridges over large streams there w4s
net much difference. Although the mile
age TO BE constructed By The DeAgtara
route vas 10 mics less. the sSstnl 4tri
cost Tor grading and bridging Nas suEhs3v
IA excess OF that for the other Route. Ia
summing 40 al pSlatS for comparison
tAese appeared - be = large dstterenCe "a
favor cf aaoptsng the ASSAM boIne line.
Taxing cp now the Iine iFoFn the east.
eTn boundary Of thu state of Washington
Ia L =