The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-11
AMONG RAILROAD MEN
The Great Northern Flyer Is Still
Late.
WILL USE ELECTRICITY
VII! Probably b Used by the Great
Northern IN the Cascade Tunnel.
A NV Industry on the
Ccas-.


schedule time. The nearest it came to
1t was Monday night when it was but
one hour late. The Shortage" how
| ever, has been gradually reduced from
six hours to one hour and the train will
probably soon be running on schedule
time.
| The Great Northern IS considering the
! adyisabilit Of operating its trains
| through the Cascade tunnel by electri-
| city. This tunnel will be completed
in a year. and If trains are run through
| it by electricity, the same power will
be used for running the trains a total
distance of sxty-five miles between
| Leavenworth Wash. and Skykomish,
| Wash. The power will be obtained from
the falls in the Tumwater canyon.
Chief Engineer Miller, Of the Great
| Northern was asked regarding this re-
| marka blesinnoyation, which, If success
| ful would reVolutionlZe tunnel opera
lions of railroads, and replied that 1.-The
matter had been talked Of He said
| that as far as he knew the company
had not definitely decided to make the
experiment. But he had great conf
dence in electricity and believed that
| the experiment would be entirely sue
cessful if electricity made the progress
this year that he anticipated
IF we should decide to use cleo
| trcity in the Cascade tunnel he said,
the plan would be to drop the engines
| at LeavenWorth, the division, and run
| them 80 miles to the tunnel and beyond
| to Skykomish with the power we could
very cheaply generate in the falls at
| the Tumwater canyon. The falls are
very heavy and power could easily be
| generated there. l know of no better
| place in the world to make such an ex-
pertinent than right there. The entire
| distance between Leavenworth and
| Skykomish is IS miles"
Mr. Miller stated that the grades are
easy at this part of the mountains and
| that little difficulty in operating by
electricity should be encountered. Be
sides the saving of time and expenses
and other advantages the smoke nuis-
| ance would be avoided in the tunnel.
| Before train proceeds two and a half
| miles through huge hole in the noun
| tain the smoke has made life misera-
| BILE for the passengers With electricity
| the passengers would suffer no more in
convenience in the tunnel than in the
| open at night
The shipping OF apples from the North
| Pacific coast is a new industry which
| began the past season. Before last
| year apple consumers would have been
| surprised if directed to the far West for
their supply, which always came from
territory will hereafter, unless indica
tions are deceiving receive the bulk of
it's apple supply from the West and not
from the East.
1T was only three or four years ago
that any apples were shipped East from
Washington, and these We're merely
samples. Last year the North Pacific
coast produced an enormous crop and
sent it's surplus East. The large, lus-
cious fruit was quickly bought and the
railroads saw their chance to earn new
revenue. The Northern Pacific alone
brought nearly 1000 tons of apples in
straight carloads besides large guam
titles in single boxes by way of freight
and express. The other roads handled
their share. s-s
I'VE are very much pleased with our
experiment" remarked General Freight
Agent Moore to a st. Paul Pioneer Press
reporter. 1--WE intend to make low rates
on apples and expect the fruit men to
make correspondingly low prices. Be
fore last year our shipments were scat
tered and the apples We're samples for
the inspection of the merchants. Now
we have established a regular line of
shipment, reduced to fine system and
it is a profitable one. 1t will revolution
ize the apple trade in these markets.
We ship the apples in refrigerator cars
in regular freight trains
MANY orchards are just beginning to
bear fruit and the acreage Is increasing
all the time. The supply afew years
hence will be very large. Hereafter the
supply for Minnesota and the West will
come from Washington and Idaho and
apples will be cheaper. We have sent
these apples as far East as Pennsyl-
vania and New York as fancy stock,
but the bulk has gone to the Twin Cit
les and the Observation-Disclosures and such
points as Winnipeg, Grand Forks and
Fargo.
'The apple shipping season is practi-
cally now over and the railroads are
handling dried fruit, such as evaporated
apples. This fruit will become more
popular in the Northwest and event
ually eclipse that of California. for the
green fruit of the North Pacific coast has
more flavor and the apples have bet
ter carrying quality for winter pur-
poses"
Last season the Northern Pacific
brought in 4,SO0 tons of deciduous green
fruit, such as prunes, pears, plums ap
ricots, peaches and cherries in refrg-
orator cars in straight carloads by fast
freight, making in five days service to
the Twin Cities. During the same per-
iod the express company brought in
small consignments of 3,650,000 pounds,
and about the same amount was
brought by way freight.
There will be fruit convention in
Spokane Jan. 242S, which will be at
tended by freight officials of all the
of the East and West as well as the
North Pacific coast.
The appointment of F. D. Underwood
as general manager of the Baltimore &
Ohio system means more than the bare |
announcement would indicate says the |
Chicago Chronicle. According to those |
who ought to know, Mr.. Underwood has |