Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-25

AeahhAiil I al n, anu LII plODdUly uldhS
greater difference in the lay of the
land in this locality than in any other
on the stretch of new track Mr.. Her.
mann only yesterday completed the
deal whereby he gives the railroad
company the right to build through
his land. This includes the deciding
to the corporation of about thirty-seven
acres of land, and some necessary
damage will be done to Mr.. Hermann's
property by the advent of the fill over
Sugar Creek. The amount received
by him to compensate his loss is s1O.-
900.
The quoting Of these figures gives
one an idea of the immense expense a
railroad company must incur in MAX
ing extensive improvements. This
represents the amount of money ex-
pended for the deed to the land of
which the right of way consists for
piece of track comparatively short.
and is all spent before days actual
work is done upon the new track.
Franklin Park Cut.
Two thirty-five foot stone culverts
will be built in Sugar Creek, and a
high fill built over them, so that the
track will be even with that east of
Sugar Creek. This is on the Hermann
property, near the residence of Mr..
Hermann. The track will run close
to the house and the barn on the same
property, and will cross the present
track at point about half way be.
tween the East Ottumwa telegraph
Office and the bridge by which the
Burlington tracks now cross the old
FIT. Madison right of way.
From this point the new track will
be north of the present right of way
and will go through the farm owned
by Mr.. Hermann and located directly
east of what is known as Riverview
Addition, and will strike the line of
the Agency road at the place where
the Riverview grocery now stands.
This building will have to be moved
to the north. From this point the
track will run along the present Ag-
ency road to the foot of Franklin park
Hill, where it will take a direct cut
through the park and connect on the
opposite side with the present Bur-
liEgton tracks.
Road to Be Changed.
The Agency road will be vacated
and a new road will be put into use,
which will lie north of the present one
and will join the present one about
tile middle of the Franklin park hill.
This road will run under the railroad
Just east of where the Riverview gro
Gerry now stands.
The graders are at work on the Her.
mann farm, and the summers work
has been commenced. A short dis
lance east of the Herman residence
there is to be large box culvert built,
about $50 feet in length, and heavy
fill will be made over this. A force
of between forty and fifty men, under
Pat Buckley, the general foreman of
the concrete work, is building this cul-
vert. Crushed stone sand and cement
are brought to point within a half
mile of the place where the men are
working, by construction trains, and
are unloaded at the side of the track.
The material is then hauled to the
work in wagons.
Will Go Ahead Fast.
The building of this track will go
merrily on this summer, and long
strides will be taken in the work.
There will be no trains to watch, as is
the case in some localities, where the
new track is very close on the old
right of way. No trains will be run
over any part of the new track until
it is all finished, and the men can
therefore work unmolested until the
work is all done.
This will, of course, do away with
Agency hill. with its sharp curves and
discouraging grade The grade will
be reduced to the Burlington's stand
ard, thirty-five feet slope to the mile,
or about eight inches to each hun
dred feet In some places on the pre-
sent track the slope is seventy-five
feet to the mile. The new line will be
Jn,,1,Jo +ro ol-