The Anaconda standard., 1898-01-10
Mr.. cooDALE'S PAPER.
An Interesting Review OF the Progress oi
Engineering in Montana.


An Interesting Review OF the Progress Of
Engineering in Montana.
The annual address of the retiring
president Charles w. Goodale. was as
follows:
The Montana Society of Civil Engi-
neers was instituted July ). 1881 with
81 charter members, and the hfsl an
nual meeting was held Jan. IL 1850 lhe
organization has therefore Just com
nleted its 10th full year. Since our last
annual meeting the name of the society
has been changed. by the omission oi
the word Civil" thus making the re-
nnirements for membership less eXclu-
sive and increasing our numbers from
other engineering professions.
The society has gone steadily forward
and now has 112 names on it's list of
members, "a enroilments having been
made during the past year.
A review of engineering progress
throughout the world may be expected
of the president at the annual meeting.
according to the strict Interpretation of
the constitution, but | find myself un-
able to do more than mention some
work of this character which has been
undertaken or completed in our own
state.
The construction of newIailway lines
was not very active in 1897, but the
Gaylord & Ruby Valley road now be
ing equipped. III an important piece of
work and should contribute largely to
the business of the Northern racine
railway Starting from the Parrot
branch of that road. near Whitehall,
II runs up the jefferson valley - miles
into the heart of Madison county. with
Twin Bridges for its present termi-
nus.
Great Sorthern- Railway.
John c. Patterson. engineer in charge
of maintenance of way on the Montana
Central, describes the work on that line
as follows:
The most important Improvement Of
the year has been the continuation
Of the work Of filling the wooden
trestles between Clancy and Butte TO
10 sis two steam shcVels We're en-
gagged the entire season. and part of the
time three were at work. They handled
| nearly half million cubic yards from
I tho pits To the embankments, In ad-
/ dition between the same points II steel
/ bridges were erected over the Boulder
! river and ether streams. replacing Hm-
| her structures. Fer this latter work
! there was built 2440 cubic yards of
heavy granite rubble masonry founda-
1 tions. 1S2 cubic yards of concrete and
/ 10 cubic yards of cut stone masonry,
requiring SIG barrels of Portland cement
| and / 093 barrels of Louisville, The
/ spans for these bridges consisted of
4
lengths from 40 To so feet the total
weight of steel being 49I tons. The
! location Of these bridges We're dis
trihuted over Il miles of track and the
entire work from the time of com
meneing the excavation for founda-
tfons of the first bridge. WAS completed
! in three months and 10 days with no
J interruption to traffic. Thus our entire
! line from Clancy to Butte is now free
from wooden bridges. with few small
/ exceptions which have been otherwise
! provided for. the old structures having
been replaced by solid emhankments
and steel. one of the principal objects
I in CARRYING forward this Improvement
| so rapidly has been to provide for use
! of heavier engines in the freight service.
Two Of such have been constructed and
are expected in a few days. They are
considered the largest locomotives ever
built weighing l12.00o pounds on the
drivers, and having "A total weight, en-
cine and tender. of 30S.000 pounds. As
a comparison. these engines weigh 10000
pounds more on drivers. and a total OF
66 900 pounds in excess of the heaviest
| engines now in use on the line, from
which an idea Of their enormous size
can be obtained.
For the more rapid and economical
handling of engines at terminals and
caoling stations. new coal chutes have
been built at Great Falls and Wolf
Creek the one at Clancy has been re-
built and a new one is now building al
Teton. These are mentioned, as they
"A are believed To be new departure in
the means Of handling coal quickly anu
| eheaply.
1t has been my intention 10 work uI
and present a paper before the society
describing these cnutes, but like many
other good intentions, the matter ha
been laid aside fer more leisure. II
brief the coal is elevated In the origina
railroad car to a height sufficient I,
allow IL to be dumped into pockets. ant
from these by gravity into the engin
tenders. The power is furnished b,
gasoline engines, which, ! think, is th
first introduction into this state on
someW hat extensive scale of thi
economical power. and somewhat IN
consistent one. teC. at first thought
when the abundance OF coal Is con
\ sidered,
However. the entire operation of on
of these chutes requires the labor Of on
man only. who takes the coal in tn
ear from side tTackeand places II ~
position where the fireman, by pullln
a string, does the rest.
I'm the way Of new construction,
branch lire has been built from nea
sand Couiee 10 tue new coal mines %
the Cottonwood Coal company AT Stock
eft. a distance Of Eve miles of mai
track and two and quarter miles Q