The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-10-23
DOUBLE TRACKS
NORTHERN PACIFIC.S ANx
STATEMENT ISSUED
President Mellen Says 1t ia ~
cessity That Considerable g
lions of Main Line Be Don,,
Tracked in the Near F,t,
Other Matters of Interest

Seattle, Oct. 1.-THE annual rano..
of the officers of the Northern Pacific
copies of which have Just reachos
Seattle, make an interesting shown,
in connection with the lumber onS
single shipments from this coast ~
discussing the matter, General Manaoar
Thomas Cooper states:
Lumber and single shipments from
the Pacific coast has increased from 90
155 carloads last year to &C, 800 carload.
this year. There being no corre,nond
ing increase in westbound traffic, this
resulted in an unavoidable increase in
empty-car mileage, which last year was
$3.50 per cent. of the total car mileage.
this year, 27.35 per cent?
NJ. Cooper in discussing the general
increase of business for the road, calls
attention to the fact that the sudden
increase of business, coupled with the
scarcity of labor and extreme difficulty
in securing the delivery of equipment
ordered. handicapped the road. lie
states the increase in net ton miles
1873 per cent. and passengers moved
one mile, 31.7 per cent, was the
largest in the history of the road.
The general manager calls attention
to the construction of two new docks at
Seattle during the year, and the work
under way at this point of filing in the
fifty acres of tide land owned by the
company between Colorado street and
Whatcom avenue.
A recommendation is made that the
line between Meeker Junction and
Black River Junction, should be double
tracked. This is a project which has
been under consideration by Northern
Pacific officials for some time and is
said to be one OF the matters hat will
be ordered within short time.
In the report of General Manager
Cooper appears recommendation that
the Lake Washington Belt line be built
Work on this line has since been order
ed by the road, and surveyors are in
the field at present. The object OF the
line is to obviate the necessity of haul
ing freight originating or destined to
points north of this city through the
business section of Seattle. If the lines
built, the congestion at the local yards
will be relieved considerably.
A statement is made of the cost Of
new property acquired by the Northern
Pacific during the year at points in this
state This sfatemppt shOWa x244.-
O63 SO was invested at Seattle, $685.
606.45 at Tacoma, and $34 ,OO3.2O in
Spokane.
An interesting statement is that con-
corning the expenditures on branches
and extensions. This shows the follow
ing items in Washington: Fairfax
branch, $2,050.22; Green river branch,
$S4, 4O2.56; Seattle extension, $751;
14O.46; peninsular branch, $22l,'
89I II. The peninsular branch is the
extension of the road from Hoquaim TO
the southern line of the Quiniault
reservation. The Seattle extension IS
the double track system installed De-
tween Argo and Black River Junction
President Mellen makes an impor-
tant recommendation in the course OF q
discussion of traffic handled during the
year. He says: "It is a necessity
pressing upon our attention that con-
siderable sections of the main transcon'
tinental line be double-tracked in the
near future"