Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-20
Burlington May Build One Into
Council Bluffs.
SURVEYORS NOW AT WORK
Reported That High Officials Are Not
Satisfied With Contemplated Route
in Western Part of State and May
Make Some Big Changes.

That the Burlington may build a
cutoff from Glenwood to Council
Bluffs for the use of fast mail and pas
senger trains is one of the latest pos
sibilities to be sprung in railroad cir
cles in this vicinity. 1t is said that
James j. Hill the new power in Bur
lington circles is not satisfied with
the present survey of the west end OF
the line in Iowa, and as surveyors
have been at work in that vicinity of
late this report is gaining considerable
credence. The fact that change in
the line has been decided upon is
shown by the act which was recently
passed by the state legislature to al
low the road to run through the state
grounds at Glenwood. For some time
the people of that vicinity had feared
that they were to be left on spur
when the new line was constructed,
but this action disposes of those fears.
Surveyors at Work.
For several weeks past gang of
surveyors has been operating in this vi
entity of Glenwood and lines are being
run in all directions. The recent visit
to southwestern Iowa of high up rail
road officials, including President Hill
of the Burlington system, has caused
no end of comment. 1t seems that Mr..
Hill is not satisfied with the work al
ready completed and has ordered many
changes in the progress of the route
| throughout the state and especially in
the vicinity of Red Oak and Villisca
where there are some heavy cuts and
| high grades. Large sums of money
have been expended in Montgomery
county, between Red Oak and Villisca
in constructing the new right of way
but Mr. Hill says the grades must be
brought down to the twenty-five foot
limit and the curves still further re.
duced. 1t is asserted that he is aiming
to get the tracks of the road in such
shape from Chicago west that speed
of 100 miles an hour will be easily at
tanned for the average time on the runs
between Chicago and Council Bluffs OF
the fast mail and through passenger
service The old management had
practically established the route as far
west as Hastings, but the new power
that be have largely changed all OF
this from Villisca west. One thing
seems to be certainty now, the con
struction of new cutoff to Council
Bluffs for the special use of fast trains
and the fast mail in particular.
Begin at Glenwood.
This new cutoff will very likely be
gin at Glenwood or little east of the
cutoff here, some say as far east as
Hastings, into Council Bluffs. bearing
sharply to the northwest, leaving the
double tracks to be extended south
west to Pacific Junction and over the
Missouri river on the new bridge
which is being constructed at Platts
mouth. One indication that this is the
Burlington's latest move is that all re
Gently surveyed lines in Mills count,
have been from four to five miles nortl
of earlier surveys. Land owners. in
Guiding those in the towns as well a!
farmers along the anticipated route o
the road, await with great interest Tho
announcement of the right of way EN-
erson people, who for some time hat
rested easy in the assurance that thu
route had been settled as far west al
that city, are now much excited over
recent survey, which would take tn,
tracks of the road through the hes
business portion of the town. TIL,
same anxiety exists with all of tn
residents between Red Oak and Coun
Gil Bluffs, for the route has not posi-
lively been selected and it may go any
where within range of five or 81,
miles of the present line.