Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-19
ILLINOIS CENTRAL ACTIVITY
Extension from Fort Dodge to Omaha
is Progressing Quite
Rapidly.

]. F. Wallace, assistant second vice presi-
dent of the Illinois Central railroad, with
headquarters at Chicago. arrived in the city
yesterday He came from st. Louis via
the Burlington in special Illinois Central
car No. l. which Immediately trans
ferred to the Union Pacific tracks and taken
over to Council Bluffs. Mr.. Wallace was ac-
ccmpanied by his secretary G. H. Allison; T.
NJ Moore, right of way agent of the Illinois
Central, and Lieutenant Charles S. Wallace
and wife of the United States signal corps.
Lieutenant Wallace is a brother of Vice
President Wallace and is now on his way
from Cuba to the Philippines. trip from
Chicago via Louisville and st. Louis to
Omaha was arranged for the pleasure of the
lieutenant and his wife.
Mr.. Wallace, who with Second Vice Presi-
dent J. T. Hanrahan has supervision of the
traffic and operating departments, has had
under his entire direction the extension of
the Illinois Central from Fort Dodge, Ia,
to Council Bluffs and Omaha. After stop
ping in Council Bluffs in the afternoon long
enough to note that all operations in track
construction and preparations for the erec-
tion OF depots and round house were pro-
crossing without interruption, Mr.. Wallace
left to inspect the work on the Illinois Cen
, tral extension.
running trains into Omaha? Well, that
question is a little hard to answer" said
Vice President Wallace in response to an
inquiry. I'VE originally expected to have
everything completed and ready to operate
trains by January 1, 1900, and we have at
present no reason to doubt our ability to do
so. The construction of a line of railroad
13l miles in length in years time, how
ever, is mighty big undertaking, and one
which usually consumes two or three years
, There are certain conditions which must
needs enter into calculations of this kind
especially weather and labor. We might be
caused considerable delay If either the
weather or labor conditions are unfavorable
but you can depend upon it that we are
going to do everything in our power to have
this extension completed by the first of
the year.
AT present we have 103 miles Of track
! completed. The extension Is 131 miles in
| length, consequently there are yet twenty
eight miles OF track to be laid. The COM
pleted track Is in three divisions, as we have
had our men at work at different points
along the line. From Council Bluffs we
| have eighteen miles; then there are fifty
! miles completed from near Logan to point
| opposite the town of Boyer which is twelve
| miles north OF Denison. At the other end
of the line our track is finished from Tara
junction point on the main line six miles
this side of Fort Dodge to Coon
! river, distance of tlSrty-iye
miles After the entire track is COM
| pleted and all connections are made 1t will
! be about month before the regular opera
tion of passenger and freight trains can
commence, The track must be surfaced up
and otherwise prepared for service.
| I'm the twenty-eight miles yet to be
completed the grading has not all been done.
| In two places the track has been laid up to
! the graders and it will be continued as soon
/ as the grade is prepared We have five
[, steam shovels at work loading ballast for
| use on the grade. AT this time there are
/ thirty engines and train crews at york on
| the extension. We have forces OF men,
J aside from the graders and track layers, at