Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-09-18
Want RIGHT o. Way
The Des Moines. Iowa { North
ern Projec. Assuming a More
Business.like Aspect.
If Entrance Into Des Moines Can
Be Assured Work Will
Begin Soon.
Nevada People Given PROPOSE
ton by Which II Can Sc.
cure D. M. /. F. { N.

cure D. M. ]. F. Z N.
Dies Moines, Sept. 1s.-The Dies Moines,
Iowa Falls e Northern railroad project
has taken on busnesslike aspect. All,
lis promoters declare, that is now re-
squired to ensure the construction of the
road is a right-of-way into the city to
the proposed terminals at East Third
and Locust streets. In order to secure
access to the proposed terminals the
park commissioners are asked to grant
q right-of-way thru Union Park. The
commissioners have the request underl
consideration. Primarily the proposed
railroad is to be coal line to furnish
the Polk, Boone and Webster county
coal fields an outlet to northern Iowa
where coal is always high and the de-
nand constant. The preliminary survey
taps the best coal fields in the counties
mentioned. Also it is proposed to ex-
tend the road as soon as possible from
Britt thru Wells, Mimi, to ST. Paul and
Minneapolis. thus giving Des Moines an
other route to the Twin Cities.
The local promoters of the road an
rounce that arrangements are already
completed to finance it. Only last week
a New York attorney was here who
looked the field over carefully and re-
turned to New York to recommend the
investment to his clients.
Some of the promoters of the new road
maintain that it is intended to continue
1t as an independent company, but 9TH
ers drop hints that at some future time
1t may become a part of n great trunk
system. 1t is pointed out that all the
| Iowa trunk lines need connections with
st. Paul and Minneapolis. Each, with
| the exception of the Rock Island is now
| in one of the great railroad systems of
\ the country and supplied with Twin City
connections The Rock Island, since the
merging of the Minneapolis & ST. Louis
| and the Illinois Central, which was to
have been completed in Chicago yester-
| day, will have no connection with the
| Twin Cities except over the Burlington,
| Cedar Rapids & Northern. which is now
4 building an extension to them. None of
| the promoters of the Des Moines, Iowa
| Falls & Northern will admit that the
1 Rock Island is back of their deal or that
| they have hopes of ultimately securing
| an intimate relation with that system;
| yet, from all that has been said, it is
| inferred that something of the sort is in
| the wind.
/ Parties representing the Des Moines,
Iowa & Northern Railroad Company
4 appeared before the board of park COM
1nissioners last evening and asked to be
given right-of-way thru the portion of
\ Union park lying adjacent to the Des
4 Moines river. The gentlemen present in
| the interest of securing the concession
We're d. A. Harris of Marshalltown; w.
w. Lyon, j. S. Emery. j. H. Blair, C. H.
| Ainley and L. l. Blank, the latter the
chief engineer, under whose supervis-
ion the survey has been made. Mr.. Har-
ris was put forward to present argu-
ment in favor of granting the company
the right-of-way 100 feet in width thru
a portion of the park. The meeting was
held It the office of the park commits
I sioners, room ITO Manhattan building.
Mr.. Harris, who was formerly connect
| ed in an official capacity with the Lake
Shore and Michigan Southern railways,
explained that the survey of the pro-
\ posed line had been made and maxi
4 mum gradient of 1854 feet to the mile es-
tablished, as against 30 and 40 feet by
the Northwestern and other Iowa roads.
He submitted some maps showing the
route followed by the proposed road was
from point at East Third and Locust
streets northward to the street railway
I power house, and thence skirting the
bank of the river to the low ground in
the vicinity Of the west entrance to
i Union park. From here the survey ex-
i tends north and northwest thru a por-
ton of the Thompson estate. recently
acquired by the park commission,
around past Old Orchard Beach to the
site of the old Zoo. Following the river,
the survey continues on to the brick
plants. and passing on west short dis
lance. turns north and on to Polk City.
From Polk City the survey leads out
upon the prairie and passes on to Web
ster City and Britt, following the course
i of the Boone river between Stanhope
and Webster City.
Discussing the request to be permitted
to build the line thru Union park, Mr..
Harris stated that it was the expecta-
ton to give Des Moines a commercial
line to Minneapolis.
I'VE have in the Office of Mr.. Blank,
our chief engineer, in the Iowa Loan
and Trust company's building, profile
maps showing line of road 265 miles
in length which can be constructed on
a maximum grade of 1854 feet to the
mile. We at first tried to secure en-
trance to the city via Waveland park,
but when we discovered from surveys
made that it involved grade of sew
enty feet to the mile for some distance
we gave up the attempt and turned our
attention in another direction. Later
it was found that by coming around
by Union park we could not only secure
an easy grade, but also help out eight
or ten coal mines and two brick yards
by building short spur. These indus
tries will have to be given transporta-
ton facilities or they Will be COM
PEELED to be abandoned, as the manage
ments can not continue to operate them
under existing disadvantages. If we
can get into the city via Union park we
will open up a territory for the es-
Establishment of numerous factories at
reasonable rates of land rentals. 1t
will be our aim not to damage the park
any more than can possibly be helped,
and should it become necessary there
will be no objection to moving the
track one way or the other at the sug-
gestion of the commissioners.