The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-12-05
General Manager Holdrege Says
No Extension is Contem-
plated by Burlington.
NO TRUTH IN REPORT
That the Road is to Build Into Cody.
WyO.--N. p. Wreck Averted.
Railroad Notes.

ing OF extensions IS contemplated o.
the Burlington whatever, except th0s
already announced, which are fron
Alliance to H~artville, Wyo., and I
Brush, Colo.," said General Manage
Holdrege Of the Burlington this morn
ing.
There is no truth in the report tina
we are to at nee build an extension
into tbs Big Horn basin, and ! oanno
imagine what gave rise to the story
he continued. The same thing may
be said Of thu other stories about othel
Burlington extensions in the west, To-
none are at present planned"
On reference to the extension out 81
Alliance, Mr.. Holdredge said that hi
expected the road to be finished te
Hartville in the early spring. At pres
ent, the road is securing the right.of'
way over the North Platte river south
to Brush, Colo, and work will soou
begin there, to be carried through the
winter and into the coming summer till
completed.
Thursday mornings west bound N.
p. passenger came within IN ace Of be-
ing wrecked near Merrill. a small sta.
tion between Big Timber and Colum.
bus. just before reaching the trestle
Engineer De Groat discovered that
something was wrong with the engine
and stopped to make the necessary re.
pairs. While the train was standing
some parties walked ahead O short dis.
tance and discovered six head Of cattle
caught in the trestle. Ropes were pro.
cured and the stock removed, but not
until the train had been delayed an
hour and a half. Had it mo- been for
the timely discovery the train must
surely have met with the same fate
that No. 3 did near the same place a
few years ago when a bull caught in a
sculvert and ditched the entire train.
4 \
During the past year the Northern
Pacific has disposed Of $50 timber
bridges, aggregating 26,Sl9 lineal feet,
Aby filling. Twelve bridges CT timber
were replaced by steel bridges. amount.
ing to 1924 feet, and one timber
bridge by steel trusses, 204 feet making
total Of 243 bridges improved or fill.
ed, aggregating 2S,249 feet, OF $50
miles.
On June 30 there existed O,941
bridges and culverts, with an aggregate
Of 452, 752 feet, or So. IS miles,
which includes 1878 steel, iron and
stone permanent structures. having AL
aggregate length Of 80, 405 lineal feet;
1866 Hown combination trusses, tres.
sizes. pile bridges and oulverts Of al az.
gregate length Of 42O, BAT feet.
The purchase Of the Montana Union,
Washington Central and Spokane g.
Seattle railroads, and the construction
Of the Souris River, Clark's Fork, Bay
lord & Ruby Valley, Lewiston extern
sion aud .Hoquiam branches added
l,116 bridges and oulverts, having an
aggregate length Of 80. S43 feet. or 5.S4
miles. The construction of culverts
through entertainments required 578
iron pipe culverts Of various diameters,
one concrete arch culvert and five stone
box oulverts.
10 June 30 this year there have
been replaced 2,7l5 timber bridges,
exclusive OF culverts, having an aggre.
gate length Of $50, 1874 feet, or 8S. %
miles. Fourteen steel bridges with
suasonry piers, authorized during the
preceding year, have been completed.
Authority has been given to build four.
teen steel bridges during the present
working season, aud the work is now
in progress.
W. l.. p. McCaw, bookkeeper at the
Northern Pacific freight house expects
to leave shortly for New Jersey, where
ne will locate permanently.
The Northern Pacific has a force Of
Japanese laborers at work at
Carbonate laying ties and rails on the
spur to the coal mine. II.
Work on the extension of the Bitter
Root railway has fairly commenced, to
the great satisfaction of all interested.
A crew Of forty five men, with their
outfit Of stock and tools, have arrived
from Stewart, Idaho, and are at work
at Grantsdale under the direction Of
Contractor Greenough. Six miles of
the extension will be completed by
March /, and the present number of
employees increased to 400 or more.
The extension will leave the present
line Of the railway at the crossing at
creek and will run in a south.
westerly direction to tho mouth Of Lost
Horse canyon, thus necessitating the
abandonment Ut Owe q mile Of the
present track, but a gain will be made
in the easy grade obtained.
It Ia announced that Robert Rantoul
81 St. Paul. now division freight agent
81 the Northern Pacific Railway COM
pany, has been elected general manag-
Dr. Of tho Montana Railroad company
10 succeed Richard A. Harlow. who
will remain president. Mr.. Ran.