, 1899-01-31

A surveying party numbering sixteen
men, in charge of D. C. Bye, and in the
employ of the Union Pacific railroad
arrived here from Omaha this morning
and too wagons and went out to How
ell, eight miles west, to do some sur
veying on one of the proposed cut-offs
between Laramie and Rawlins. That
they will remain in the field for some
time was evidenced by the arrival from
Omaha Of provisions and equipment
for a car which will be fitted I'D and
QUILTED here for the use of the party.
This work has been going on for some
time and Engineer Berry of the Union
Pacific has had a lot of surveying done
in Wyoming during the past year and
something was bound to drop.
1t is even rumored that some Of the
work has been contracted for with Kill
patrick Brothers, the well known rail-
road contractors.
The following special from Cheyenne
appeared in the Denver Republican this
morning:
Representatives of three of the larg-
est railroad contracting firms in the
country reached here today and went
out over the Wyoming division of the
Union Pacific for the purpose of max
ing an examination of proposed cut
nff loo a., ~ l,,.r. l..
and making bids for the construction
Of these lines.
The cutoff lines represent more
railroad work than has been done in
Wyoming for many years, and will re-
quire an immense expenditure of
money. The result will be, however,
the lessening of several heavy grades
and a material shortening of the main
line of the Union Pacific. The surveys
for the proposed improvements have
all been completed, a force OF engineers
having been in the field several months
last fall, running the lines for the pro-
posed work.
The cut-offs to be built are between
Howell and Cooper Lake stations, a
short distance west of Laramie, a dis
lance of 1872 miles; between Harpers
and Medicine Bow, a distance of So
miles; and a cutoff lea Carbon, by
which the coal camp of Hanna will be
on the main line.
The cutoff between Howell and
Harper will reduce the rail distance
between those points from 1871 to 15k
and will lessen the grade considerably.
The construction will involve an i'm
mense amount OF rock and earth work.
The cutoff east of Medicine Bow will
reduce the distance from 35 miles to
"a miles and lessen the average grade.
The Carbon cutoff, to run the main
line by way of the Hanna coal camp,
will necessitate building eight miles
of new road, which will be utilized in
connection with the present line from
Allen Junction to Hanna, which is 16
miles in length. The new route will
eliminate Simpson hill, one of the
heaviest grades on the road, where all
trains have now to be aided by pusher
engines, and will shorten the main n
five miles.
The changes will, it is estimated. re-
quire the removal of 125, 900 cubic yards
of earth and rock per mile, or
that five million cubic yards for the
entire undertaking. The new line Will
lie laid with the heaviest ties and rails,
and will form a substantial portion o.
the main line Of the road.
The contractors who are here to ex-
anime the proposed work and who Will
bid on it are Messrs. Macarthur, OF the
firm of Macarthur Bros, Chicago; Kill
patrick, of the firm Of Fitzpatrick Bros.
Lincoln. Neb., and Mr.. Wood Of a con-
tracing firm of st. Paul. MINI. Con-
tracts for the work are to be let at once
and the work commenced as Boon as
the weather will permit.
RAILROAD NOTES.
The Butte, Anaconda & Pacific will
nrobo hIv INV ON steel cnrV soon.