Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-29

railroad men as the station itself. An
other interesting matter at Quarry was
the dinner. Mr.. Slifer has headquarters
here in the field A commodious build
ing has been erected for his use and for
that OF the foremen, and they also have
an operator and an agent and every
thing necessary for complete station.
Here also Is the main camp for the la
'borers There are nine camps in all on
the work. All the others are in cars,
but here Is q. huge room with four
gables, in which 400 workmen are fed,
800 of whom can be seated at once. Our
party did ample Justice to an elaborate
dinner prepared there.
Engineer Slifer is one of the busiest
men you ever struck. He knows every
opening from Tama to the Bluffs by
number and every crossing by name,
and besides giving attention to the
work in sight he Is in constant COM
munication with every division, re-
ceiving and sending messages at the
stations and block towers. He says his
wife found nine gray hairs in his head
last Sunday, and we don't know but she
will find nine more before he gets
through with the work. He is prompt
and precise in his decisions and dis
plays good generalship.
A mile and half east of Quarry is
the end of the present double track in
operation, but from this point to LIE
Grand the work is being rapidly hurried
and 1t is expected that the double track
will be completed into LeGrand within a
few days. The work on this section has
been heavy. The says have been raised
in some places as high as eleven feet
while the hills have been cut down COR
respondingly.
There are still some curves in the line,
of necessity, but they are few and are
reduced to an easy degree and no re-
verge curves are left. Right at LeGrand
station there is no change whatever ex-
cept the relaying of the yard. Between
there and Montour the work is about
the same as west of LeGrand The old
right of way is crossed eight times in
regarding this stretch. The grades no.
where now exceed thirty-six feet to the
mile. or 7.10 of / per cent.
The strip between LeGrand and Mon
tour>will be the last to be opened. The
| little piece from Montour to the river
bridge will be hurried to completion
next. All along the way, at almost ev-
| cry stop, we encountered Belle Plaine
men in the working forces, bridge
| forces. on the engines, conductors. fore
men and In fact Belle PLANE has sup
| piled nearly all the foremen for the
| various gangs too numerous to men
| tion.' There is an immense amount OF
| work to be done but it is all being done
with an idea of permanency. The stone
| piers are built massiveiy. We were very
| much interested in noting the founda-
/ tons put in for piers. A trench about
ten feet wide and eight to ten feet deeI
Is eXcavated, two rows of piling ars
| driven into the ground from ten to six
/ teen feet, according to what underlies
1 and these are cut off perfectly level witt
1 the bottom of the trench. Headers o.
'|l2x12 timbers connect the two rows Of
/ piling, which are pinned down By LONG
1 iron rods The dirt is then filled in anS
packed solid even with the top of thes'
i timbers: on top of these are laid 12xl
Itimbers the full length and width of tn
pier, and on this the stone work Is built
4 These timbers and the piling are 81
4 deep in the ground that they are in per
4 petual moisture and are expected t.
I never rot out. A pier so built is consid
cred everlasting. There is no washin,
y out or undermining of work so con
4 structed
From the river bridge to Tama is on
of the prettiest pieces of track on tn
4 line The reverse curve at the narrow
has been taken out. the hill cut bacl
4 several rods and the track laid over
: The river bank is to be riprapped wher
Il ever it approaches the grade.