The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-11
FILLING N RIVER BANK
TI.H USIoN DEPOT IMPROVEMENTS
ARE PR aRsE2ESSfNG
RAPEI(I4I
TO WORK DAY And NIGHT
Earth - Being Dumped Into the
mississippi River at Rate of
5000 Cubic Yards
Per Day

Since the Butier-Ryan company COM
monced on the work of filling in tho river
bank for the union depot Improvements
about 5000 cubic yards Of earth have
bCeu dumped into the water, and at
places the iii extends twenty feet be-
sond the old shore line. Three trans
are kept working between the point on
Mississippi street where the gravel is
being extracted and the scene of tae nj
ms. With the present capacity OF the
plant. about twelve trips constitutes Il
days work and these throw about $50
--u5ic yards into the stream. Fifteen fiat
cars are used on each train. and the Ca
pacity of each car is twenty cubic yards.
ON mississippi street only about twcn-
~ men are required they load the ca s
with the earth which the huge steam
shovel eXCaVates. With the appliances
ia USE. less than three IN uUteG per car
is required for loading, and the trip to
The dumping point occupies about IF
teen minutes. Regular dumping cars
are not being used as these cars are
not h'iilJ to throw the load out on one
size. A steel cable attached to a steer
mg pillow j. drawn through the cars by
the engine and the unloading is accom-
llished in a surprisingly short time. After
The earth is dumped what is known as
'GoZer is drawn through it. and this
continuance throws the earth out and
levels il of at the same time. The ma
chine is nothing more than Il huge arm
stretching out six feet from the last Cf
the cars, and placed a few inches above
the ground. The angle at which it is
placed insures the throwing of the earth
IN the required direction.
A force of seVenty-two men is at work
on the river bank, and their duty is prin-
cipany to push the earth further Gown
than the 'dozer' can reach Yesterday
afternoon this machine broke, and the
men We're kept busy throwing the loads
down the bank
Today a Ledgerwood unloader is ex-
pocted to arrive from Chicago. This is the
most powerful machine ever invented for
the purpose. 1t is capable of unloading
a train in four minutes, and it is eyti-
mated to do the work of 2G0 men, When
this unloader is brought into use, work
on the M Will be prosecuted night and
GAY and twenty-five train loads Will he
dumped every twenty-four hours. or
about I,20G cubic yards
4he contracting company receives II
cents per cubic yard, so that q DAYS
work Of 7,3OJ cubic yards viii mean a
cost TO the depot company of So In
an the III viii require about 509N4n -eiI-
plc yards. for which $S5CG0 VIII be pa,d
ne contractors have laid tracks on tho
ming that has already been done. and
these VIII be moved as the work pro-
stresses, to permit Of the earth being
thrown right into the river
no dlfnculty viii be encountered untiI
the nj encounters the current around the
pend by the Great Western bridge. Here
II IS thought that the work will be de-
Iayed somewhat by the washing away
OF the new bank, as the earth WI he
thrown out where the current is most
RAPID When the filing has been carr. e /
as far out as 1t is intended to have il
pieS VII be driven to prevent its being.
washed away.
me earth is being procured from the
property of the Northern Pacific Ra,IveaV
company, and it is the Intention to use
Ile room created by the excavations for
an aaditicnal coach yard, the present ac-
coIl'lnoaaHons of the company being Sc
Hei'Iy taxed to handle the constantly
increasing number Of cars