The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-16

steel being laid on an actually new
railrOad-tO which can be added the
even greater construction fact that the
ROBERTS tfackiaylng machine IS here
putting down eighty pound steel at a
faster rate than any machine has here
tOfOre laid siXty-six-p pound rails-while,
after the crossing of the Canadian river
and the coming Of cooler weather, Mr..
COnlen expects to increase the track
laying pace from the present two and
One-half miles TO three miles per day
DepOts, side tracks, switches, station
houses, yardage, water tanks and West
ern Union telegraph lines have all kept
pace with actual road building, SO that
the line as fast as constructed is also
ready for full and final operation.
The road viii reach the crossing Of
the Canadian river on the 18th of this
month, where track laying viii tarry
for about a month"; awaiting the COM
pletion of the great steel bridge over
the river. This structure will span the
river at a box canon $50 feet wide, and
will be 100 feet above the water. A solid
pebble bed for pile foundations has been
reached at 20 feet below the river
Quicksan dS, and on these foundations
are being erected massive cement piers.
The cost of this bridge is yet in the
clouds. one of the already known items,
however. being an expenditure of $25,-
600 for wagon freightage on cement
alone.
ACTIVE OPERATION.
TIL road from Liberal to Dalhart, a
distance Of lip miles, has been in opera
ton for some time, and in the course of
the next few weeks the running Of reg
u1ar passenger and freight trains will
be extended from DaIhart to Logan, the
new town at the Canadian river cross
ing, thus giving 1888 miles of running
road with close Fort Worth and Denver
City railroad connections at Dalhart
COAL FOR THE SOUTH.
In connection with the Rock Island
FL Paso line is the new $50 mile rail-
road which is to develop the immense
Dawson coal fields, owned by the Rock
Island, on Beaubien and Miranda grant
in the northern part of COlfax county,
New Mexico This road viii leave the
main Rock Island rails at or near Lib
erty station, 20 miles southwest Of the
Canadian river crossing, and will plant
its rails in the New Mexican counties
of San Miguel, Mora and Colfax. The
route is now under survey, and the
road will be fully constructed next year.
This New Mexican coal is to feed the
southern portion of the Rock Island
Ell Paso line, and is also doubtless to
largely supply Southern Pacific rail-
road demand with. and in addition a
heavy southern domestic custom This
road will also develop extensive and
valuable New Mexican stock. mining
and agricultural interests, and as it
will cross the Santa F'e at Maxwell
City or Dorsey, will afford a general
new north and south railroad connec-
a NEW RAILROAD PACE
The completion of the Ell Paso road
will give the Rock Island a route 222
miles shorter between Kansas City and
FL Paso than that of the Santa F'e be-
tween the same points, together with
a saving of fifteen hours of time, the
latter fact being largely due to the ia
vorable alignment and maximum 1 per
cent. grade of the new Rock Island
road. Again. the FL Paso route will
shorten Rock Island distance 40 miles
between Kansas City and Los Angeles
over the Santa Fe while the building
this fall and winter of the new Rock
Island Missouri cutoff between Trenton
and Belknap will give that road an adj
vantage of Is miles out of Chicago to
Los Angeles. all of which shortening of
distance and time foreshadOWs a Rock
Island seizure of the great California
fruit custom and southwestern cattle, |
wool and cotton shipments. together
with the CORES onding passenger traf-
fc. In other words, the building OF the
Rock Island Ell Paso road constitutes
a veritable western railroad revolution,
as the other great lines must perforce
at least meet these new speed sched-
11leS