The herald., 1898-03-11
LOCAL RAILWAY NEWS
THE COAST ROAD GAP TO BE I'M
MEDIATELY CLOSED
Men, Animals and Tools Ordered to the
Spot-Unmistakable Evidence.
Notes and Personal Mention

There Is no question that the surf line
of the Southern Pacific will be completed
! now as fast as Mr.. Huntington can accom-
plish the work with men and money. CHIEF
Engineer Hood Of the road arrived at Ell
wood yesterday with Superintendent Fraz-
| ier and other executive officials and took
| measures preliminary for the placing OF a
| large force at work. The contractors,
McMurtrie & Stone. have ordered full
outfit of horses and mules to Surf and are
now shipping tools, scrapers and men.
The report was brought yesterday from
Lompoc that 1t had been announced there
| that q thousand men were to be employed
working constantly, by electric light at
night, SO that one shift would Immediately
succeed another. This may be true or NOT,
but there Is every reason to believe that
trains to San Francisco by the new route
will be running by the first OF next year.
The Importance of this line to Los An
geles can hardly be overestimated. 1t
will make tributary to this city vast ex-
tent Of country which has heretofore stood
still on account of lack Of connection with
the rest of the world except by boat or
stage. 1t should also reduce the time De-
tween this city and San Francisco to al
most, If not quite, twelve hours. and Its
grades will reduce the cost of hauling
freight to the railroad company by almost
one-thrd though it is Of course not prob
able that shippers will get the beneht OF
this.
One thing that all travellers will be
grateful for will be the elimination OF the
long tunnel at Newhall for those bound
northward. The company 1t is true, takes
all possible precautions against accident
at this grewsome place and none ever has
occurred there, but it is none the less
nerve trying passage to those who under
stand the peculiar formation OF the pierced
mountain. The new route will also leave
out of the features of the trip the passing
through that enormous oven, the San
Joaquin valley. General Manager Krutt-
schnitt has ordered all curves to be
Strengthened out in the road along the
Salinas river, which shows that the route
will surely be the main line between the
north and the south.
NOTES AND PERSONALS
The special committee of the chamber of
commerce of San Diego has sent out a let
ter to all shippers and business men, ask
ing them to give the committee any infor-
nation they may possess as to the alleged
pooling agreement between the Santa
Fe and the Southern Pacific railway COM
panies The statement Is made In the let
ter that the committee intends to get at
the bottom facts Of the acts If 1t is poss-
BILE by hard work to do so.
The rain of yesterday was reported as
Southern Pacific station agents through
this part of the state.
President Ripley of the Santa Fe will be
here, it is said, the latter part Of this
month.
NJ. w. Armstrong charged the Santa Fe
recently with eXacting an illegal rate for
travel between Los Angeles and the Nee
dies, in demanding $16.75, or cents mile.
The railroad replied to the state commits
sion, before which the complaint was filed
that the rate was no higher than is charged
on other roads in Colorado and Montana,
and the commission decided that the road
had right to charge the sum asked.
President William Garland of the Gila
Valley and Globe railway received word
yesterday that the president had ap-
proved the granting Of the right Of way for
the road across the San Carlos Indian res
ervation.
The last cut of the Canadian railway In
eastbound rates has not been met by the
American overland roads out of California.
The railroad has changed the name of
Solomon in Arizona to Solomonville.
The Southern Pacific company has a
force of fifty men at work on its line In
Riverside crossing the big irrigation canal.