The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-13
AMONG RAILROAD men
Survey of the Alliance-Ogden
Line of the Burlington.
A MOST DIFFICULT FEAT
Northern Pacific improvements at Ia
coma-A Good Showing by the
Great Northern In Construc-
ton Work

It is reported that the Montana Rail-
road company's line will soon become
part of the Northern Pacific system,
further stated that the road is to be
extended by the way of Winnecook and
Shawmut to Billings.
A special dispatch from Cheyenne,
Wyo., says: Engineer Ballard and
his crew Of surveyors, vino have been
at work for several months surveying
the Alliance-Ogden line of the Burling-
ton through the North Laramie cam
yon, arrived at Wheatland yesterday
and to-day shipped their entire outfit
to Lincoln. The engineers stated that
they had been called to the head Of
fee to receive instructions relative to
the running of the line south from AL
lance to Brush, Colo, on the Denver
line of the Burlington. They said that
they will return to the work of run
ming the line mentioned. 1t is the in
tention of the Burlington company to
commence work on the north and south
cline between Denver and the Black
Hills early in the spring of next year
and have the road in operation before
the close of 1900.
THE work just completed by the
Burlington surveyors in the North Lar
annie canyon was one of the most diff
cult feats of engineering in the West.
1t will require several months work
with hundreds of men to build the road
through that section. The engineers
stated that they had completed the
survey Of the line to Ogden as far west
as Cow creek on the Laramie plains,
and that from that point two corps
have been working all summer and are
now working, with instructions to COM
plete the line to Ogden not later than
May l next"
On the first of the year the Northern
Pacific will begin the work of dredg-
ing out the channel between the half
moon yards and the tide flats at Ia
coma. The channel is to be deepened
and widened to allow the passage Of
deep sea craft. The dirt to be removed
from the bottom will be used to fill in
a large share of the tide flats. The
work will make the property one Of the
most valuable bits of realty in Tacoma.
An elevator, 1000 feet long and 200 feet
wide, will be built.
The Great Northern made a credi-
table showing in construction work dur
ing November. During the time indi-
Gated, it Is stated that crews made 527
feet progress on the new Cascade tun-
nell Better work has been done in
Switzerland, but the quality of the rGSls
encountered was different. The Cascade
tunnel has been forced $3.50 feet. About
1870 feet have yet to be gone through.
The Northern Pacif1c's report for the
first four months of the fiscal year
shows net increase In earnings of
$4S1,594, equivalent to about five-eighths
of 1 per cent on common stock. II the
rate of net increase can be maintained,
the road will be able to show on the
end of the year, a total surplus of over
per cent of common stock.
The Northern Pacific has completed
a dam at Sykeston, N. D., 25 feet high.
1t incloses a plat 140 acres in extent
and will be filled with water as soon as
the spring rains fall and the snow
melts. The scarcity of water in that
vicinity has made this course neces-
sary.
1t is understood that a successor to
the late Captain Holcombe as superin-
tendent of the sleeping car service of
the Great Northern will come from an
Eastern road. Assistant Superintend-
ent Forbes is now in charge
James J. Hill has resigned as presi-
dent of the Spokane Falls & Northern
and James N. Hill was elected presi-
dent at a meeting of the board of trus-
tees.