The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-24
Great Northern Making Many
Changes Along Its Line.
CURVES AND GRADES REDUCED.
Road Bed on Every Division Has
Been Widened and Strengthened-
Stone Culverts Take the Place OF
Wooden Bridges-Many Miles Of
New Steel Have Already Been
Laid, Which VIII Reduce Time.

The year that Is now drawing to
close will show a greater amount OF i'm
provement work along the line OF the
Great Northern. by several times over.
than for any similar period in its history.
Much of the earnings of the recent pros
porous times have been invested for the
betterment Of its condition, and accord.
ing to present plans much more Will go
the same way.
To begin on the Cascade division OF the
main line. in this state. an immense
amount OF improvement work has been
done for fourteen miles on the slope down
the Columbia river. The entire track al
most has been rearranged with a view
to reducing curves and avoiding bridges.
The largest single piece of work on the
line is the Cascade tunnel which. when
completed. will be about three miles in
length. Over one-half Of this work has
already been completed.
On the Pacific coast division upwards OF
thirty curves have been reduced, thereby
permitting cutting down OF the time
as the coast line a gang of men nave
been kept employed during the entire
summer fixing up the grade. The work
is now about completed and no fears OF
washoutS at any time In the future are
entertained
Some very extensive work has been
done along the line in Montana. At vari-
Gus points grades have been reduced and
curyatures corrected. Between Havre
and the Rocky mountains a gang is now
engaged in laying forty miles of track.
This new work will reduce a very hard
grade. With the same object In view q
twenty -four-mile new track will be laid
between Havre and Great Fails, Mont.
All this work will be completed next sum-
mer.
A new piece OF road twenty miles In
length. has just been opened up In Min
nesota from Hibbing to Virginia. 1t has
been in operation for several weeks. Con-
tracts have just been let for an extension
of the Minnesota branch from Spring
Park 10 st. Boniface, a distance of eight
miles. The work will be complete by
July, 1900. Several cut-offs have also
been built on the Eastern division which
will reduce the overland route about sew
enty-five miles.
Aside from all this a vast amount of
money has been spent in improving the
main line roadbed and in replacing old
rails. During the year about S5.ooo tons
of 17-pound rails have been distributed
over the line. Iron rails. to the amount
of about forty miles. have been taken up
and new Steel and on branches partly
worn steel from the main line has taken
its place. a general widening of en-
bankments has taken place all along the
main line and one stretch on the Mon
tana and Eastern Washington divisions,
about 800 miles. has been reballasted with
gravel. About 100 wooden bridges have
been removed and replaced with stone
cuiverts, while about 5000 tons OF new
to this many other minor and yet import
ant improvements that have and will be
made, and some idea of the great under
taking can be had.
Next spring. or early in the summer.
when the work under construction has
duce the time between ST. Paul and Seat
tie several hours