Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-02-13

The double track work between Mad
son and Baraloo is well under way
considering the earliness of the sea-
SON Four engineering crews are in
the field busy making the necessary
surveys for extra right-of-way and for
cross sectioning the ground Several
mason crews are on the work pushing
to completion as rapidly as possible
those culverts where the earthworlx
viii be first begun, The heavy mason
work will be done by contract and has
been awarded TO ]. A. Garden, OF OF
tawa, ILL.,, man Of many years expe-
rience in that line and who at pres
ent Is at work on the masonry for the
bridges between Madison and Mendoza.
The bridges will all be remodeled aud
built in the most substantial manner,
each structure being especially de-
signed to carry two tracks side by
side with centers thirteen feet apart.
There are at present lis bridges and
culverts on the line which is to be
double-tracked, and they will all be
built of stone and iron, doing away
with the many pile and wooden struc-
lures as they now exist During the
past ten years many large arches have
been built all Of which will have to
be extended for the second track and
will entail an enormous expense, The
stone is being furnished from the
Northwestern eompany's quarry at
Abloman, which is fine quality of
sandstone. being far more durable
than any other stone In this part OF
the country used for that purpose
The rock and earth work has been
let to the firm of Winston Bros, con-
tractors. OF Minneapolis Thu nrf1 has
4 already begun operations, where the
\ work will be heaviest, between Mcfri-
mac and Baraboo Mei are blasting
< rock aud laying tracks alongside the
! present track in order % be prepared
to push the work very re pidly al soon
as warm weather approaches The
contract calls for completion OF the
grading by October, 1896. The work
\ in the vicinity Of Devils lake and TO a
point two miles south Familiarity known
by railroad men as Devils nose, will
be the most difficult on account Of the
physical conditions and the many im-
portant changes that will be made.
The grade In the large cut now 70
feet deep. Just south of kirkland sta
ton, will be lowered 10 feet more and
tapering out TO point two miles south,
which will reduce the grade, making
II no heavier than some other grades
along the line. At present this is the
ruling grade on the Northwestern line
between Chicago and Elroy. Besides
this, the sharp curves In that vicinity
will be reduced from five and six do-
gree curves TO those OF Two and three
degrees. This will necessitate some
"cut offs which Will require fill
from 60 to 20 feet in height and leay-
ing the present alignment entirely
which now closely follows the edge Of
the bluff from Devils nose to the lake.
An immense amount OF rock will have
to be removed The grades will also
be reduced in many other places, the
most notable being a cutting down at
Mendoza of 10 feet, and at Okee Of 5
feet The lower points will also be
raised III equal proportions.
II. w Battin, formerly division en-
gineer has been assigned to the duties
of engineer of the second track. and
Will have direct control of the work
! with headquarters at Baraboo. The
y work OF the Madison division has been
placed In charge Of 9, 4. Lichty, Of
this city, who has for the past four
years been the assistant at this place
1t is estimated that the entire cost
of the whole work will exceed $1,000
900. The company has placed two
trains and crews al the disposal Of the
contractors, Several more trains VIII
be constantly engaged hauling stone
and other construction materials dur
ing the continuance OF the work, 1t
lie thought that the double track be-
tween Madison and Baraboo will not
be in condition for use this year. The
double track will really not end at
Baraboo, but at Kirkwopd mot Kirk
land) which Is the first station north
OF BaraB5o. This extension Is for the
purpose of clearing the Baraboo yards.