The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-22
DONE BY
KANSAS men.
StupendOus Task Undertaken
by B. Lantry Sons.
Will Get Million Dollars For
Filling China Basin.
WORK TRAIN LEAVES.
They Have Five Locomotives OF
Their Own.
An Example of What Energy
Can Accomplish.
MANY BIG CONTRACTS.
Firm Has Had Much to Do With
Santa Fe.
Lantry Ranch Now Includes
$4,000 Acres.
MANY BIG CONTRACTS.
Firm Has Had Much to Do With
Santa Fe.
Lantry Ranch Now Includes
$4,000 Acres.

ID ,OOO Acres.
Hooking seaward Ger the sandhiIls,
stands the fortress, old and quaint,
''By the San Francisco friars lifted to
their patron saint.
Who of the thousands yearly sweeping
up and down Frisco bay in yachts and
noting the swampy flats beyond the
brea1waters of the China Basin, where
the fishermen sit the summer through,
have stopped to reflect that within the
ensuing two years these waters Will
have vanished. And that where now the
Acknowledged Chinaman prays for
blessing upon his fishing lines and the
protection of his little Skiff and nets VIII
soon be located busy railway shops, de-
pots and yards facilities. Who, seeing
all of this in the years that have pass
ed would have guessed that some day
the sea would be driven back and that
great engines would shortly rush over
the spot, dragging palatial cars, loaded
with human freight, or go pulling east
ward with long loads of tropical fruit
for Gotham martS- Or, who, noting the
dreary Swampy beach would expect
soon to be hearing this daily monotone
announcement: Passengers for Kansas
City, Chicago and all points east, over
the Santa Fe. all aboard, all aboard,
train on the third track
In brief, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe railroad desired terminal facilities at
the San Francisco end of the ferry line
from Point Richmond of which they
have control. The sole way to accom-
plish their plans seemed to be to tear
down and dump hill behind a sea
wall across the China Basin and re-
claim territory now presided over by Nep-
tune.
Such an enterprise meant a vast ex-
penditure of capital and a gigantic
amount of labor. After mature deliber-
alton the firm of 3. 1antry Sons, OF
Strong City, Kansas, was awarded the
contract, the consideration being in the
neighborhood of a million dollars.
1t is estimated that the work will re-
quire two years But when it is COM
pleted the Santa F'e will have 6S acres |
of as level and substantial a tract CT
land for yardage, depots and terminal
facilities as could possibly be desired |
But there will be one less hill back of
the historic old Preside where the boys
of the famous Twentieth Kansas under |
Funston and Little did many weary
weeks of drill march.
Within the past week there left Strong
City, so miles west of Topeka. on the
Santa Fe a train of cars. engines and |
machinery, for the Pacific coast and
which is destined to take part in the full
fillment of this remarkable work.
When the warning farewell whistle of |
the big Santa Fe engine sounded for de-
parture a foot OF snow lay piled along
the tops of the cars and the white frost
chung so heavily over the engine cabs
that it almost obscured the gold leaf |
signs: B. Lantry Sons, Strong City,
Kansas
There was little sunshine, and no flow
ers- The train left at an early hour |
when few citizens were abroad; besides
the majority of the town had viewed the |
spectacle the day previous. And while |
the enterprise was one of commercial in
terest, rather than pleasure affair, yet !
every opportunity was given visitors to
explore the mysteries of the new fam
gled machinery" and all questions were |
politely answered by the firms repre-
sentative, Mr.. T. NJ Broderick. Before |
the first day of March, however, the !
train will have reached its destination, |
the land of sunshine and flowers.
Prior to the start. a visitor nosing
around, came to a side door Pullman
which knocked upon twice or thrice |
slowly opened, revealing within a snug
" furnished room with bunks.the tfniest |
through the roof and shelves of provis- !
ions
Some of the cars bore steel dump cars |
to the number of 20, others rested |
snugly 50 smaller dump cars and further |
along We're five monster steam drills. |
Ahead of all. coupled together. but ''go- |
ing out dead" were five frst-class steam |
locomotives. The train and its contents |
are the property of b. Lantry Sons.
1t was most imposing spectacle, rep |
resenting large amount of capital and |
a 81 600 freight bill to the coast
Some of the steel girders reached up |
ward to bridge limits which caused Mr. |
Henry 1antry to srimly remark: Great |
Heavens Wen have to reach that by |
wireless telegraphy."
Along the waters edge as far in as /
the swampy, treacherous grounds Of the |
China Basin viii allow and back to the |
big hill to be destroyed. track has Ieen
laid and soon as this splendid Kansas |
enterprise en- route reaches Frisco, 1.-The |
war viii Begin
A large force of engineers, firemen 1
and drill runners will be employed un- |
DER the supervision of John Dillander |
and J. G. Slattery, master mechanics. |
From now on, by daylight and moon |
light the beach loungers and shore |
jewellers will have new entertainment |
in watching the great machines shovel |
ing car loads of dirt at every throb AMI |
pulsation of the steam out of the hill |
and on to the dump cars to be quickly |
borne to- the end of the line and f1ipped in |
TO the water. And every car and every |
engine will herald to the public that this |
gigantic work is a Kansas enterprise bv /
a Kansas firm which is used to over |
coming great obstacles.
Away back in 1877 there moved from /
Wisconsin to Kansas Mr.. Barney Lam
try with his pleasant family. consisting
OF q wife, two daughters and two sons |