The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-14

only North Dakota official in attend
ance. The defense was reinforced by
Frank II. Irons, Of Fargo, who advised
regarding questions and matters of
testimony.
Assistant Chief Engineer w. L. OAR
ing, OF the Northern Pacific railway,
VINO has been connected with railroad
business since 1879 was questioned by
Mr.. Bum about the Fargo & Southern
railway, branch of the Chicago, Mil
waukee and st. Paul. He said he made
an examination Of the road two months
ago by bicycle and freight train; his
purpose being to estimate what ii
would cost to reproduce 1t today. He
thought it would cost $1,000 mile, ex-
elusive of equipment.
The grading of the road Is not above
half that of the Northern Pacific. The
country through which 1t runs does
not compare with the Red River Val
ley. He had also been over the Great
Northern railway in North Dakota, and
its construction was similar to that of
the Northern Pacific.
The grade across the Red River val
ley, he said, Is much heavier than that
Of the Fargo & Southern. With respect
to side tracking, the Northern Pacific
has much more than the Fargo &
Southern, making the expense per mile
of construction greater than the latter
same, except the division points, where
the Northern Pacific stations are su-
perior. The Northern Pacifcs engine
houses are Is per cent better than those
of the Fargo & Southern. It's ware
house facilities also are far superior.
In the matter of bridges the Northern
Pacific is far ahead of the Fargo &
Southern, the witness said. They are
all steel and iron structures, while
those Of the Fargo & Southern are of
wood. The cross-t ties Of the Northern
Pacific cost as much as forty cents
each, while few on the Fargo &
Southern are worth more than twenty
five cents.
Mr.. Darling said that the construction
Of the Northern Pacific and the Great
Northern was almost Identical.
Attorney General Cowan questioned
Mr.. Darling closely about his bicycle
trip along the Fargo & Southern. Mr..
Darling said he made forty miles
day and made measurements OF side
tracks and switches and other things
on the road. He compared his observa-
tons with a profile of the road, which
was furnished to him by Chief En-
gineer McHenry, of the Northern Pa
cific.
He did not think the road could be
rebuilt for less than $1,000 a mile.
Mr.. Darling said he was engineer Of
maintenance of the Great Northern
at Minot in 1883, his duties being to
strengthen the road after the great
washout of 1887. He walked over the
line from Minot to the western state
lire Of North Dakota. There is a great
deal of stone work on the line in that
section, he said.
He had made but casual eXamlna-
ton of the Great Northern east from
Minot, and several of the branches he
never had been over.
Mr.. Darling said he had been over
the Great Northern from Fargo to
Grand Forks, and he was able to judge
of the quality Of the line. 1t seemed
to him to be an excellently built road.
1t is necessary, he said, for one to
have experience with maintenance IN
order to estimate the cost of line
after 1t has been constructed.
Fifty-six-pound steel rails, Mr.. Darl-
ing said were laid on the Fargo &;
Southern, while the Northern Pacific
main line was constructed Of sixty-s1X-
pound steel The branches were made
Of fifty-six-pound rails.
The Fargo & Southern, Mr.. Darling
said, Is a branch of the Milwaukee and
was built to accommodate the trafnc
II would have to handle The Northern
Pacific and the Great Northern having
to handle all classes of trat11c from all
pCints had to be constructed more SUD-
stantially.
The grade on the Fargo & Southern
IS a terror, said Mr.. Darling. 1t Is al
most impossible for a long train to be
carried over 1t.
Loose rock and hard pan Mr.. Darl-
ing continued, are used in filling in the
Northern Pacific, which is more expen-
sive than ordinary filing.
During the past year 100000 yards of
earth work was removed by the North
ern Pacific at an expense or IIA cents
a ward. He did not know to what ac-
count 1t was charged.
Chief Engineer E. II. McHenry. Of
the Northern Pacific railroad, testified
that he has been connected with the
line in various capacit es since 1888. He
has had charge of construction of near
ly all the branch lines Of the system.
He had not been over the Fargo &
Southern, but had been over the North
ern Pacific many times. and the Great
Northern occ9 sionally. The lines Of the
Red River Valley, he said. are notori-
ously cheap. The ground is level and
the grade is about one foot to the mile.
After leaving the valley the country
becomes rolling prairie. The valley Is
the bed Of an old lake. while the coun-
try beyond Is harder and more difficult
for railroad construction. The Northern
Pacific has one bridge, which alone
Southern railway. It is the purpose of
the Northern Pacific to replace all its
wooden bridges with first-class iron
ard steel structures as rapidly as pos
sible.
The estimates Of H. A. Edwards, Mr..
McHenry said, were much below the
actual cost of construction. He est1-
mated the right of way at $40 an acre,
while it was much more than that. His
estimate of grading was too high in the
Red River valley, but insufficient else
where. His estimate of masonry was
meaningless. The estimate is incom-
-plete, he said, for it does not allow for
steel bridges draw and combination
bridges. His estimate for ties was fair,
but made no allowance for freightage.
The only correct estimate was for
angle irons, bolts and spikes. His
estimate for stations and water tanks
was puzzling, while that for shops was
ridiculous Mr.. Edwards made no al
lowance for real estate, clearing, grub
bling, telegraph, track signs, round
houses, office buildings, terminal facil-
tiles, turn tables, station furniture,
freight charges on material, supplies,
working capital, nor discount on bonds.
He characterized 1t as a most INSULT
cient estimate.
On cross examination by Mr.. Cowan,
Mr.. McHenry said rock work on the
Northern Pacific begins on the western
margin of the Red River valley where
there is a glacial drift. Such work Is
encountered in cuts west of James
town to the Missouri river. Rock work
costs from % cents to 40 cents per yard.
while loose earth work costs but 10
to 20 cents per yard.
At the afternoon session Chief Engi-
neer Nelson B. Miller, of the Great