Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-21
THE PACIFIC.

During the past year extensive i'm
provements have been made along the
whole line of the Northern Pacific rail-
road from st. Paul to the coast in the
matter of heavy rails, Strengthening the
line, reducing grades, new ballasting,
filling bridges and culverts. Where
bridges are needed they are being re-
placed with steel structures, thus educ
ing the danger of accidents from fire or
other causes.
On the line via Butte for the west from
Logan improvements are being made on
a greater scale han on other portions of
the line on account of the numbe of
wooden bridges between Pipestone and
Butte. the filling in of which was COM
menced in 1899. In a very short time all
but two of these briggs will he replaced
with fills. and these two will in turn be
replaced with steel structures. doing
away with the delay n inconvenience
that has been experienced in the past
by bridges getting on fire.
The Northern Pacific. is making a cut
through the mountain this side of Home
stake which will shorten the line a little
and do away with two sharp curves.
making operations much safer than ever
before.
Improvements in Butte include a %
stall, brick round-house, coal docks, oil
house, sand house, and in fact, every i'm
prOvement that o go to make it an
up-tO-date plant in every respect. The
round-house is heated by steam n lit
by electricity. While the company has
larger Tound-hOuses, o of them are
more convenient Or more complete than
the one in Butte. The tracks in the VI
entity of the rOund-hOuse are being in
| creased in number to reduce the cost Of
handling and for the greater convenience
of all concerned. The company mex
summe proposes to erect in Butte a new
brick freight house 60x350 feet, I'M equip
it with every convenience for handling a
large volueme of business with the least
possible delay. The offices will be heated
by steam and lit by electricity generated
at the round-house.
There has been a large increase in
the equipment during the past year. The
new box cars put in service during the
past six months have been the latest,
improved patterns. with Acton steel
frames.
The North Coast Limited was oper-
ated very successfully during the year.
and it is anticipated that it will be put
on again in the early spring, or sooner
SHOULD the business demand It..
The drouth In Dakota, Minnesota and
eastern Montana interfered somewhat
with the general prosperitw in that part
of the country, but west of Billings 1t
has been one of the largest years in the
history of the company.
During the year the Northern Pacific
acquired the st. Paul & Duluth railway,
a line about $50 miles in length, and
commenced operating it during the fall.
A number of the old employees Of the
road were retained in minor positions.
With this purchase the Northern Pacific
acquired valuable terminal facilities at
Duluth.
The company has made great improve
ments and has extended it's lines in
Idaho and Washington. A new line has
been surveyed over the pass from Evos-
kia, a distance of about 200 miles, to
Lo Lo, in the Bitter Root valley, and il
is anticipated that construction will be-
gin in the near future. 1t means a cut
off for the west-bound business for
Puget Sound, and will open up a new
farming, s~tock-raising and lumber coun
try. In Idaho. the Occur d'Alenes have
produced more ore than ever before, In
consequently the road is hauling more
merchandise into that district.