Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-02
ROCK ISLANDS NEW ENGINES
Company Places Order for TIVE Hundred
and twenty-five,
LARGEST LOCOMOTIVE ORDER ON RECORD
Equipment of Engines Increased This
Year by Four Hundred and
TwentylFour Because of
Increase in Business.

THE largest order for locomotives ever
placed by any railroad has Just been placed
by the Rock Island" said c. A. Rutherford,
division agent for Nebraska Of the Rock
Island, who has Just returned from an on
cial trip to Chicago. Our road has or
dered the construction OF 225 locomotives
be said.
One hundred and twenty-five Of these new
engines are to be OF the consolidated class,
sixty-hve OF the medium Pacific type,
twelve wheelers, and thirty-fve of the larg-
est Pacific type, also twelve-wheelers. 1t is
understood the Baldwin Locomotive works
gets its share Of this order. The work on
these engines is to be rushed with all pos
sible dispatch, as they are wanted for serv-
Ice at the earliest possible date.
1.-THE demand for these engines is due to
the enormous increase in the volume of the
Rock Islands business" said Mr.. Ruther-
ford. Our business, freight and passenger,
is progressing with remarkable strides, and
the progress is so steady and constant that
It will be impossible to accommodate our
customers longer without greatly increased
facilities"
As a matter Of fact the Rock Island had
ordered 200 new locomotives this year prior
to this latest order, so that when these
engines are in service the equipment will
have been enlarged to the number Of AIS
engines. While Of course these engines are
needed because Of the increase in the vol
UNI of business It is a fact that the Rock
Islands recent acquisitions of new lines are
In some measure responsible for this gigan-
tic increase In traf1c.
Some days ago The Bee printed a story
on the unusual number Of locomotive pur-
chases being made by the various roads
over the country. Since that time other
roads have sent in orders and it is now
given out In railroad circles that the en-
CINE makers OF the country are at least
six months behind in the efforts to supply
their enormous demands. Besides those
published the Wabash, Chicago Great West
ern, Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pa
cihc and several other smaller lines have
placed orders for large numbers Of loco
motives within the last few days. The
Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific
wants twenty-four from the Baldwin peo-
pie and seventeen from the American Lo-
connective company and the other orders are
dividend about in the same way.
Gould May Visit Omaha.
George ]. Gould, president Of the Mis-
souri, Pacific, who is out west, making his
annual tour OF his road, may be in Omaha
within a few days on his itinerary. Mr..
Gould is authority for the statement that
the central branch viii, be extended west
to Denver, thereby cutting off more than
i56 miles between Chicago and Denver and
proportionately shortening the distance be-
tween st. Louis and Colorado.
This extension will give the Missouri Pa
cihc practically two tracks west OF the
Missouri river to Denver and will serve to
reduce the time between Chicago and the
east and Colorado points and the Pacific
coast about three hours and also with pro-
posed cutoffs from Missouri to Kansas
points will lessen the schedule between
St. Louis and the south to the west.
Haney Back from Pacific.
Edwin Haney, stationmaster at the Union
depot, and family returned Sunday from
California, Mr.. Haney went out about
three weeks ago to bring his family back
after a prolonged stay on the coast. Dur
ing his absence Mr.. Haney made a COM
plete trip up and down the Pacific seaboard
from Los Angeles to Vancouver, visiting
adjacent points of interest. such as the
Catalina islands to the south and others to
the north. He says the cities and towns
of the Golden West are all crowded and
everybody is rushing in their endeavor to
accommodate their visitors. the tourists
from the east and middle west.
The railroads observed Labor day by CIV
ing their ONCE employees a half day of. The
Union Pacific, Burlington and Elkhorn
headquarters and the city ticket offices
closed at noon and the freight houses were
closed for the entire day.
w. ]. Ladd, travelling auditor for the Rock
Island, with Offices at Kansas City. was in
Omaha yesterday checking up the change
In city passenger agents whereby ]. S. Nc
Nally, who goes to Oklahoma City to ac-
cept a higher position. is succeeded by R.
c. Butler of Waterloo. Ia