The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-21
tpY JAMES HAYS ouARLEs.l

tiers who have had others under discussion
for time. are going ahead with theil
plans for construction OF extensions and
for new roads. indicating healthy in.
crease in railroad building and railroad
business.
The possibilities for great increase In
railroad mileage IN Texas before the end
OF the present year are great. and It Is
believed that this increase will be larger
than has ever been known In the same
length OF time. Such companies as the
Southern Pacific and the Missouri. Kan
sas and Texas are projecting extensions.
and the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fc Is
in the midst OF the greatest piece OF engl-
neering work which has ever been project
ed by a railroad In the South, New roads
are being put forward and the vast net
work OF lines which are now shown on a
map of Texas will be added to when the
projected work Is completed and the map
makers a year hence Will find that trac-
ing the various and sundry lines will be
an arduous task. Counties are being en-
tered by lines which have heretofore had
TO rail connection with the world; stage
coaches and wagon roads viii give place
to the onward march of progress and ths
great live stock country will find that It
Is attracting the irou horse. as the cot
ton country has attracted It in The past;
the rice and sugar industries Of South
eru Texas are bidding for The rail trans
portstlou, aud many projectors look to
the gulf coss, for termin.
The region OF Eastern Texas Is to be
trayersed by an extension of the South
eru Pacific system. joining Dallas with a
nearer route to New Orleans and bring
Ing the northern part OF the state In close
touch With a new seaport, ono which
promises u he factor in the export
trade Of this country; an extension by
the Katy Is to give that road an outlet
70 the Southeast and Southern Mississippi
crossings, and the Lumber Line extension
ia 10 give route from Shreveport TO the
guilt While many railway projects are
to a great extent visionary, and never
get beyond the extensions bulldei upon
paper, yet there Is capital behind the
promises made by the projectors IN many
instances in Texas, which will be spoken
of in this article, capital which can be
relied upon TO carry to completion thu,
which has beeo commenced The com
pie,ion of the work, however VIII yei
leave a vast area In the western par; o
the State without railroad facilities what.
ever, but this portion is not ready fol
tho modern cnnyenlences OF travel, anc
the time for that Is not yet here, aud
great deal OF good will result Men ar,
securing work, mo9ey Is put In crouln
ucn, and new avenues Of trade are belnl
opened up which will bring untold henc
Its to the state In the future,
OF course. railroads can not be built Il
a day or a week aed Il will run into III,
beginning OF the twentieth century he
fore many OF the projections which WI
he here referred TO are finished. To bull,
q railroad requires time; II Is task, mn
one which is measured by days and day
q time.
II is proper in this article to first dis
cuss the work which has for some tim
past been In operation by the Gulf. Colo
RADIO and Santa re. This rond during tn
early part Of 1899 commenced reconstruct
ing the roadbei and right OF way TIL
main line between Clehurne and Galveston
consisted Of series Of grades some o
which were hard TO pull and tho compan
was forced to operate short trains, and 4
many Instances use two engines for tn
~ patposs OF getting over grades. Yard en-
gines were used at some stations as
helper for each outgoing train. and i
some Instances train wonld fail to &c
over some OF the sleeper grades, II /
not stated whose was the master min,
which conceived a great eugineeriu
change In the line OF the road, hut be h
whom he may, he was certainly a scientific
genius The engineers of the road witt
Chief Engineer c. r. w. Felt as direct
ing authority, began the work OF plan,
ming for complete change in the roadbed
In many instances the track mas bee
move distance OF quarter of mile from
its former place, curves have been cut GU
and the track Strengthened by cross cu
over new territory depots have been lef
standing upon an abandoned site, while
new place has been selected for nov
structure to be erected; fences have bee
moved and but the accumulated ballas
along former path OF the IRON hors
shows where the road was once run. /
some instances there have been fifty an
seventy ave feet OF excavation TO reluc
very steep grade, while in other IN
stances, notably the point just north
BRENNAN, the track has been raised,
the instance referred TO the elevation G
the track was about slxtesu feet. ana
was done day after day as trainl passe
over H. the interruption TO traffic bsin
very slight The greater part OF the wor
has been done by Kicker a. Lee and L
Lantry Sons 4 Co.. two very promlnen
firms OF constructors. They have hoe
operating steam shoyels along the lin,
more than n dozen OF these huge engine
o. excavating power being used in IN
work. II bias been a phenomenal piece
engineering which has been undertake
by the Santa re, but Il is work that wi
Improve the value OF the road a heavy pc
cent This work will be completed SOM
time during the coming summer. possibi
by June.
The Texas and New Orleans railway !
now constructing between Roekland |
n4n--s