Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-01-24
AFTER HAWAII TRAFFIC
UNION PACIFIC PREPARES
FOR TRADE OF PACIFIC
Spending Millions For Improvements
on Road Bed to Secure Speed
Without Unnecessary
Danger,

Omaha. Neb., Jan. 1.-THE plan Of
railroad campaigning to be carried out
by the Union Pacific road during 1902
was given out officially today. and will
result in the expenditure Of from s25..
100000 to 100000 900 in improvement
and extension. 1t is a continuation Of
the general plan of putting the road
in the best possible physical condition
between Omaha and San Francisco. but
the efforts this year viii be directed
almost wholly to that part of the road
west Of Salt Lake and Ogden and the
Oregon Short Line. Twenty millions
alone will be used in improvements OF
these lines and the remainder in push.
ing the extension of the Salt Lake-Los
Angeles branch of the Oregon Short
Line, which Will be nearly or quite
completed before January LIST next.
Particular attention. however, will
be given to the extensions and i'm
provements on the part of the Short
Line which completes with the Hin
system.
The prime object. II is said, Is to put
the road in a position to control tho
immense trade with the Orient that Is
expected to be opened by the new con-
ditions in the East and Hawaii This
trade is already beginning to reach for
midable proportions, and the Union
Pacific. 1t is stated, is preparing to
meet the competition of the northern
lines. That part of the road between
Omaha and Ogden has been put in
prime condition by the expenditure Of
several million dollars in improve
ments annually for the past five years.
The greater part of this money has
been used In strengthening crooks and
cutting hills and tunnels, thus reduc-
ing grades to a degree that can be over
come by the large engines without as
sistanCe.
THE Union Pacific has long since
decided that II must have fast line
to the Coast gateway in order to re-
tain its hold on the Oriental trade"
said the official who explained the pro-
posed plan. "That traffic is becoming
greater every year. and It was some
years ago that this scheme for com.
plete overhauling of the system was
adopted.
The plan has been steadfastly ad
hered to. so that now there is the finest
kind of a railroad from Council Byuffs
TO Ogden. For that much of the way
We now make fast time. but as soon az
we get past Ogden we are compelled To
slow down and maintain the reduced
speed all the rest OF the journey. Inn
| provements on this line will be in the
nature of reducing grades, taking out
certain curves and lessening others
and reballasting the entire line"
These improvements will fix us
| for the Oriental trade, which is some
thing enormous, especially to and
from the Philippines and Japan. They
will also cover Central California sat-
isfactorily. The other arm Of the work
meanwhile, will be looking toward the
Improvement of facilities for getting
into the Southern California business
! The Southern Pacific improvements
are far the most important, since they
have bearing directly on the gateway
business, but this extension of the Orc
gon Short Line to Los Angeles Is also
a big proposition.
1T will require between 200 and 60C
miles more to reach Los Angeles, ant
It is hardly probable that this can h
completed in 1902, although the effor'
will be made"