The herald., 1898-06-07
NEWS OF THE RAILWAYS
THREE TRAINLOADS OF SOLDIERS
TO ARRIVE TOMORROW
Prompt Preparation Should Be Made to
Entertain and Refresh Them.
Work on the Valley Road

Now the war board will have another
chance to show what 1t can do in the way
of being hospitable and welcoming the
men who are to fight their battles in Manila
for a lot of the boys in blue are on theiI
way to San Francisco via this city.
Yesterday the officials of the Southern
Pacific received word from their offices in
Ell Paso that there would be three trains OF
twelve cars each of soldiers which would
| leave there yesterday for San Francisco.
The hour of departure had not been ascer-
tanned at the time the information was
given out. but there is every reason to be-
| lieve that the trains will arrive here on
Wednesday some time during the forenoon.
| This will enable the war board and the
Red Cross society to show a friendly rivalry
| in their exertions to make things comforta-
BILE for the incoming soldiery. Hot coffee
will perhaps be better left in the boilers,
and lemonade and ice cream substituted for
It, but there is no question that as soon as
this is read this morning the members of
the organizations will so to work.
The three trains should contain about
twelve or fifteen hundred men, so 1t will re-
ouire good, hard work and lively getting
around the city on the part Of the digni-
taries of the war board and prompt re-
Spouse on the part of those who are called
upon to help in the work. The men will
be hot and tired and hungry when they ar
rive, and in short time will be started
northward through almost as dreary and
hot a region as that through which they
had come.
The Valley Road
The extent and Importance of the work
Of constructing the Valley railroad is not
appreciated in this part of the state to the
extent to which 1t should be. An exam
pie of the courage and confidence of the
builders of this line is to be seen in the
great embankment it has commenced to
build to protect a portion of the proposed
extension from Stockton west to Port Rich
mond in Contra Costa county from the
overflow of the San Joaquin river
This great piece of work is to be seven
miles long, twelve feet high, eighteen feet
wide at the top and seventy-five feet at the
base. This, with two miles of trestle. will
take the line across the lowlards from
point commencing seven miles west OF
Stockton. The thing will be very expen-
sive, and will be built by the company. in
stead of by contract. Three dredgers will
be kept at the job, and the chief engineer
estimates that these will have to throw up
six million yards of earth before the COM
pletion of the embankment, and that It will
take a years time
This embankmens Is, however, only one
of the great obstacles to be overcome, as
the company will also have to bore tunnel
500 feet long in Contra Costa county. This
is being done at the rate Of twelve feet
day through the rock.
The effect of the construction of the line
has been to reduce freight rates amounting
to. from 2S to 40 per cent of what the South
ern Pacific used to charge before 1t had to
come down to the Valley road rates. What
effect this will have on the business that
has been looked for In the lower portion of
the valley by Los Angeles merchants Is not
so plain. That cheap rates from San Fran
cisco will reduce the business from this
end is apparent. unless the Southern Pa
ciflc should see fit to reduce The rates from
this end, where they would have the en-
tire business. and so encourage shipments
from here, as against those from San Fran
cisco, where they will have to divide the
business with another line.