The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-29
RAILROAD NEWS.
Rock Island Begins Improve
ments For the Year.
+
Five Concrete Gangs at Work
on Bridge Foundations.
THE SEASON OPENED
Santa Fe Will Spend Four Mil
lion Dollars This Year.
Nine Hundred Miles of Wire
VIII Be Strung.

With the opening of the spring season
coues renewed activity in railroad ek-
tension and the repair of tracks. bridges
and buildings In the southwest, the
season for this kind of work opened sew
era months ago when the Rock Isla-id
began the construction of a long extern
sion from Liberal, Kan, to White Oaks,
N NJ A short stretch OF the track Tor
this new lire has been laid, but lately
grading alone has been going on The
nature of the country has been such as
to render this slow and difficult me
track laying which has been delayed SO
long viii probably be renewed next
week
It is interesting to note that this lire
when completed is expected to be the
longest straight piece OF track in the
country On the divisions between Fair
bury and Omaha, Neb., and in Colorado
five concrete gangs of about 20 men
each have been started to repairing the
foundation work of bridges. Concrete is
to form the foundation and for putting
this in these gangs are at WOrk. \
great many steel bridges no doubt viii
req ace the wooden ones, and the big
bridge across the Platte river in Ne
braslza is to receive some repairs. TINS
bridge has rested upon piling, the nature
of the river bed making it impossible
to build piers; and it is this part which
will be repaired.
With the Santa Fe four million dollars
is The sum that will go to improve
ment of lines This is a million more
than was given to the purpose last year
Reduction of grades and Strengthening
the line on the EInpoIia cutoff between
Holiday Junction and EmpOr1a Junction
will be an important item. The work
was begun the forepart of the winter.
but the freight traffic of the road grew.
tourist and cOlonist rates and other IN
ducements swelled the volume of pas
senger travel until every piece Of the mo-
tive power on the system had to be
pressed into service for moving the bus
mess This took away the engines which
had been used on the construction trains
and the work was stopped indefinitely.
After this is completed other reduction
of s,rades and elimination of curves viii
be undertaken Besides the great sum
to DE spent for new shops in Topeka,
terminals at Kansas City will be re-
arranged and a new freight depot will be
butt there
Guthrie and Oklahoma City will get
new passenger depots, and at Ration, =.
NJ will be built a new station and eat
ing house combined OF course there WI
be other numerous small depOtS and
buildings of different kinds.
During the year 800 miles of telegraph
wire Will be strung over Santa Fe poles.
This will be principally from Albuquer-
que n. M, west to San Francisco al
along branch lines, besides quite a dis
lance in Texas. Part of this win be cop
per wire, the rest iron. The contract Ter
the wire calls for its delivery so that
the work Of stringing it may be begun
at least by April 10 The Santa Fe Wi
be ready by that time to start seveIal
gangs at different points and to rush the
work at the rate of about 40 miles per
day. The increase Of telegraph business
on this part of the Santa F'e system mas
rendered this necessary. Besides q lot |
Of repairing will be done along the San
ia Fe telegraph lines in Kansas before
the season closes.
These railroad improvements are of
much Importance and mean a great deal |
not only to the roads themselves but to |
the people of the country generally