Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-10
BRING WORK 70 CLOSE.
improvements in Road and Track
OF Iowa Central Finished
For 1901.
~
A Vast Amount OF Work Has
Been ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Has Been Done.
As Much. If Not More. Contem.
plated For Seasons OF 1902
and 1908.

The Iowa Central has practically
closed all of its work of Improvement,
which has been in progress since April
20, and is now in a position to care not
how soon winter sets in. All ballasting,
cutting down of grades and work on the
road and track is done for this season.
But two extra gangs remain, one at
Lacey, where the men are trimming up
and Bemond. where the work of pick
ing up rails and other odds and ends is
in progress. These gangs will get thru
this week.
The road department has accom-
plished a great deal since the work Of
Improvement began last spring. and the
Iowa Central will enter the winter In
better condition and with better facili-
ties for doing business than 1t ever has
known before in its history.
The work accomplished during the
past season has for the most part been
extremely heavy. and big undertaking
for one season. AT cost Of about $780,
600 all that was planned has been fin
ished, and still a greater amount will
be planned this winter, to be carried on
next summer The work completed dur
Ing the season just closed may be
summed up as follows: The cutting
down Of Beer Gardenn, Hill. just south
Of Marshalltown, and the Timber Creek
hill, adjoining it, cut one and three
quarters miles long and from six to
eight feet deep; a five and one-half foot
cut on Dillon hill, three-quarters of q
mile in length, and the lowering of the
station grounds; cut Of mile five
and one-half feet deep, on Newburg
hill and the lowering OF the station
grounds; North Skunk hill. $500 feet
long from five and one-half to six feet
in depth; Lacey hill, one and one-half
miles long. with an average cut of be-
tween fourteen and fifteen feet.
The Lacey work was the largest, and
heaviest piece of work done. Attic the
average cut was but about fifteen feet,
the deepest portion was twenty-six feet.
1t is said to have been the heaviest cut
made in Iowa on any road this season.
feet south of it's formar location.
ASlue lTOtH Tue large IuIuReT Olf WI
made there was a vast amount OF grad
Ing accomplished. and considerable bal
lasting. The north part of Liscomb hill
was raised nine feet for a distance of q
mile and the roadbed was widened all
the way from Clifford to Marshalltown.
Numberless passing tracks have been
put in. others have been extended and
several new industry tracks have been
laid on all portions of the line.
This work has all been done under the
supervision Of the road department, and
while that has been in progress the
bridge department has not been idle. In
the neighborhood of $4,000 has been ex-
pended from Oct. to Dec. l for repairs
and renewals to bridges, including few
new abutments and culverts. The
bridge department was late in getting
started, owing to the fact that 1t was
impossible to secure siding and other
material necessary. The work on wood
en- bridges will be carried on all winter
and during the winter four iron spans
will also be erected-one at Timber
Creek, south OF this city: another at
South Skunk, near Oskaloosa; third
at Lime creek, near Mason City, and
the fourth at the Charlton river near
,Centerville.
After all the improvements made dur
ing the season Just closed it hardly
seems possible. at casual glance. that
there can be as much work for next
year There will be, however. and 1t will
all be outlined during the winter
months, and plans made to begin work
early in the spring, probably by April l..
Fully as much work, or more. than that
accomplished this year, or contemplated
for next year, is anticipated for 1902. It
is estimated that 1t will take at least a
year to ballast the main line and pre-
pare for faster traffic for both passen-
ger and freight trains.