Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-15
SPRING WORK ON RAILROADS
Campaign Of Improvement Mapped Out by
Lines 0eutsring at 0maha.
GREAT WESTERNS COMING MAIN EVENT
other Lines Expect Go Expend Large
sums In Betterment Of Roadbed
aud Tracks During the
season.

( With the understanding that Omaha IL a
natural gateway between the east and tho
west and a railroad center. one new rail
road will enter Omaha this year and all
of the lines centering in Omaha are max
ing arrangements to increase the value OF
their service to Omaha people. Increased
equipment is but a portion Of what they
intend TO do. In fact, the greatest work
will be in the improvement of their tracks
and placing them in line with the best in
the country.
For two years the Chicago Great West
ern railway has been working its way
toward Omaha and now has announced def
nltely that train service will be given to
Omaha by July 1. The grading and pre-
pairing Of the roadbed Is completed, with
the exception Of a stretch between Har-
Ian and Council Bluffs, about forty miles
in length. To prepare this portion Of the
track over 100. 900 yards Of earth must be
handled and track laid. Work is progress
. ing slowly on this portion at present. but
with the frost coming out Of the ground
work will increase In rapidity. The Chi
cago Great Western has built a practically
new line from Fort Dodge. Ia, to Omaha
a distance of $50 miles. This will give . a
outlet for Omaha TO Minneapolis and CT.
cago over a road that is we'll known. 10,
it's rste-cutting proclivities.
improvements ut stock Ya5 aa
The Union Stock yards at Sou n Oman,
il enlarging its plant and in t.onuectIo,
with the enlargement Of these. yards will
add considerably to the trackrSte facilities
The addition 20 the Yards yin extend Il
the main line Of the B. G. NJ. and will h,
so arranged as to allow .t.r the B. & NJ
reaching the stock yards much more read
fly than heretofore. M less than min
spurs Of track will be pdded to the presen
number and cattle c'Sutes will be erecteI
on these spurs. II q also understood tina
swift and Company will build new side
tracks in connec don with this new worI
OF the Union Stock Yards company.
1t is rumored, that three lines OF railwa.
are seeking "a outlet to siou. City, but /
is highly Improbable that any OF Their
will take a'Iy steps toward the consumma
tlon Of thn scheme this year. The road
mentione a in these rumors are the Chi
eago. Rock Island & Pacific, the Chicag
Great Western and the B.. & M. For sew
eral 1lars the Rock Island has cast eye
towfhd Sioux City and has surveyed a lin
running northwest from Guthrie Center
1fE, which is the end OF a short stub on
81 Menlo on the main line. 1t is not prob
(able that ANY action will be taken thl
year in the matter, but 1t viii com
eventually.
The Chicago Great Western, when
takes Sioux City into its fold, will run
line out from Fort Dodge. la. It has bee
known ever since the Great wester
started for Omaha that it was the ulti
mate intention to reach Sioux City also.
This spring the Burlington & Missouri
sent out a surveying. party to work ite wa
from Lincoln to Sioux City. The line a
-.-..A
almost all of the Nebraska railroads an
would extend through a fertile stretch G
eastern Nebraska farming lands. 1t woul
be but little farther to Sioux City by thi
route than by any other. For this reaso
II would be of direct benefit to Omaha an
would make certain new fields easier {
access to Omaha merchants.
Heavy work Near Omaha.
Other railroad work contracted for {
contemplated on Omaha lines is mainly
the manner of improvements and wi
simply improve the service which is no
given by these roads. Every railroad hl
certain amount Of ballasting and repa.
of winter damages to make.
The biggest Improvement Of railros
property, being lone or in contemplate
near Omaha. is the rebuilding Of the we
GU VI Inv NAlbo0hAA ElNGE DIlukt ubeQ [
the Illinois Central. A year ago the riv,
had so altered it's current as to imper
the piling on the western end and II
Omaha Bridge & Terminal company, who's
property the bridge is, began in August
replace this wooden portion with a secor
eraw span Identical With the present OF
on the east end OF the bridge. At a COZ
of more than $1,000. 900 this work was begu
and Is being rushed forward steadily
completion. By July 1 the new half wi
be completed and the old wooden portic
thrown into disuse. At present the Ill
nois Central takes twenty minutes to triu
its trains from Council Bluffs to omah
but the time win be reduced by four mir
utes with the use Of the repaired bridg
The Illinois Central has appropriate
100000 for improvements on its mai
line between Waterloo and Fort Dodg
At present there is a heavy grade on tn
six miles Of track. A cutoff will be bui
which will skirt the base Of the hill an
extend along the river bottom. The ne