Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-23
NEW TRACK IN USE.
PORTION OF BURLINGTON TRAGIC
EAST OF CITY OPENED.
ANOTHER CUTOFF ON ROCK ISLAD
One Mile Of Track From Point East
of Franklin Park Into City Used by
Burlington To-day Rock Island
Makes Changes Near Brighton.
From Triday,s Daily.

From Fridays Daily.
About one mile of the new track,
the portion from point east of Frank
lin park into the Ottumwa yards, which
the Burlington has been constructing
in order to straighten Its road from
Street to Ottumwa was put in use to-
day at noon. A west bound freight,
the first train aside from the work
trains, was switched upon the track
just east of Franklin park at $40
O'Clock this morning and sent into
town over the new bed.The remain
der Of the cutoff is nearing compile
ton and 1t is thought that within a
month at least it will be ready for the
passage of trains over Its entire
length. This new section will give
practically straight line into Ottum-
wa from point west of Street. 1t will
shorten the distance and the running
time materially and otherwise greatly
facilitate the handling of the Burling-
ton trains from Ottumwa east.
Changes In Rock Island Track.
The Rock Island, which has been
using the Burlington tracks from the
Rock Island freight house to Iowa
avenue, for the past ten months, will
within the next week be able to make
use of its own track and the new
crossing under the new Burlington
right of way. Instead Of crossing to
the south side on grade crossing at
Iowa avenue, as at present, the Rock
Island will continue on the north side
to point about half way between Ma
bel street and Sugar creek, and there
pass under the Burlington to the old
track on the south side.
A New Cut.off.
The report is current that the Rock
Island has a force of engineers engag-
ed in running lines near Brighton for a
new cutoff. This improvement will
cost thousands of dollars not only for
the construction of the new line but
in the abandonment of the cutoff in
that vicinity on which a great deal of
work had been done but had not been
completed. Concerning the work in
that vicinity and the outlook the Brigh-
ton Enterprise says:
''The Rock Island road has a large
corps of surveyors here in charge Of
Chief Engineer Baird, of Kansas City
They came last Friday and have been
surveying new line from the north
end of the cutoff, at the overhead
bridge, to the water tank on Skunk
river bottom. The purpose is to
abandon the old track between these
points and cross the river below the
mill. The change will take the
curve out of the track up Brighton
hill, and by elevating the track and
following the hilltops to the bluff
reduce the grade so that one engine
can do the work that two have done
in the pull up Brighton hill The
new line will leave the fine stone
| arch to the west and the company will
| abandon one of the finest pieces of ma
sonry on its route The chief engineer
| says the expensive arch never was
| needed and he is probably right as a
| big tile would carry all the water that
| comes that way. The work was done
some 20 years ago after the cloudburst
at Brighton produced flood for a few
| hours, which wrecked the passenger
train at Anderson Miller's.
| IF this change is made, as seems
| probable, there will be lot more rail.
| road work to do at Brighton. A new
bridge or trestle work is needed across
the bottom and next time the company
Will probably understand the nature OF
the ground and &c, down below the
fquicksand with they .. The new
| bridge will probably ten or fifteen
! feet higher than the mt one"