The Grit-advocate., 1902-05-02
MOFFAT'S NEW LINE
BACKED BY THE ROCK ISLAND.

lowed for Its compIetion-WilI
Reach the North and Middle Parks
aYear Sooner.
Denver, April 29.-The Republican
this morning says:
Officials of the Denver. Northwestern
& Pacific Railroad Company yesterday
officially announced the route in detail
and made other statements which con-
tirmed the assertion of Chairman Cable
of the Rock Island. published in the
Republican last Sunday, that the
money with which the Moffat short
line between Denver and Salt Lake
City will be built has been subscribed.
Statements We're positively made by
officials of the company that while the
Rock Island will not build the new line
its stock will be largely absorbed by
capitalists interested in the Rock Isl
and and also to some extent by own
ers of the Burlington railroad. Enough
information was given to indicate be-
yond reasonable doubt that when the
road is finished it will serve as the out
let from Denver for both the Rock Isl
and and the Burlington lines and will
also make close connections with the
Clark line from Los Angeles to Salt
Lake City.
These reports have been in circula-
ton for two months, but were not YER
flied until yesterday. In connection
with the assurance of backing by two
such prominent tranScOntinental lines
as the Burlington and the Rock Island
the Moffat company's definite an.
nouncement of the route selected
through northwestern Colorado is i'm
portant to Colorado and to eastern
Utah as well, where information in re-
gard to the exact route has been eager
ly sought for two months.
From Denver the line will go west
by as straight Il route as possible. 1t is
already built as far as Arvada. The
coal fields of Coal Creek will be the
next objective point and grading to this
point is already in progress. The next
point on the line will be Copperdale
station. Thence the line will run
through the northern part of Gilpin
county by way of the Rollinsville pass.
A branch will be built from Rollins
vile to Central City. The line will
pass out of Gilpin county through
tunnel two miles north of James peak.
This tunnel will be 1000 feet, or a
trifie more than two miles long, and
at an altitude of 5000 feet. 1t is esti-
mated that two and One-half years
will be required to complete the tunnel.
therefore arrangements have been
made to build a switchback as tenn
porary line over the peak, to be used
until the tunnel is finished. In Grand
county the line will pass through Hot
Sulphur Springs, thence will proceed
over the Gore range and down the
Bear river valley to Steamboat Springs
in Routt county. 1t will traverse a
distance of 100 miles west of Steam
boat Springs, in the expectation that
its rich pastoral, agricultural and coal
resources may afford a profitable local
traffic. Thence the line will run
through Uintah and Wasatch counties,
Utah, crossing extensive beds of gil
sonite and the most extensive deposits
of hydrocarbons in the world. and
through rich agricultural sections.
A branch line may be constructed
from a point on the main line south to
Meeker, although this has not been
definitely decided. The expectation of
the promoters is that the Union Pacific
will build from its main line south to
Meeker in the near future. and that
possibly the Rio Grande will build
north to Meeker to secure Il share of
the traffic from that already quite wen
developed section, hence it is probable
that the Denver, Northwestern & Pa
ciiic will protect itself by building Il
branch to Meeker
The maximum grade is to be two and
two-tenths per cent. or l16 feet to the
mile, and this only, the comparatively