Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-27
ENLARGING YARDS
MILWAUKEE MAKING EXTENSIVE
SURVEYS FOR TRACKS.
CUTOFF TO BE OPENED SEPT.

Ground Broken Yesterday for Three
Relief Switch Tracks, $500 Feet
Each, on West Side of River-New
Filter Plant About Completed.
A corps of Milwaukee engineers is in
the city making surveys for extensive
improvements and engagements in
the Milwaukee junction yards. 1t is
judged from the extensive amount of
surveying that is being done that the
local yards are to be more than
doubled and perhaps trebled in size
1t is said that there is to he reserve
or relief side track extending from the
Des Moines river bridge to the Bur-
lington crossing.
Ground was broken on the west side
of the river yesterday morning for
three relief side tracks which are to
be $500 feet long each. The total
amount Of side tracking to be placed is
therefore about $500 feet, which will
make room for about 1856 freight cars,
These extensive side track
ings are to be used for the relief of
the Milwaukee Junction yards They
will be used to store the cars that
come in on the long heavy trains from
the west, which have to wait over I'M
til they can be gotten out on the short
er east bound trains.
Business is Heavy.
Business at the present time is very
heavy. There is great amount of
new wheat coming from the west and
there is also an unusual amount of
stock for this season of the year. The
big trains come in from the west with
from forty to sixty cars. These trains
have to be divided up at this point and
sent out east in smaller trains averag-
ing from eighteen to twenty-five cars.
Under the present conditions when two
or three of the big train get in the
yards at the same time the
tracks are blocked and the
switch crews are greatly handicapped
in their work. When the new tracks
are finished the blockading will be eff
fectually done away with.
Work Being Pushed.
The work on the new tracks is be-
ing pushed with all possible haste.
The contracts were let on last Thurs
day On Saturday the contractor and
a large force of men arrived and this
morning the work of breaking ground
for the new trackage was begun. At
the promised rate of progress it will
only be two or three weeks till the
siding will be ready for use.
New Filter Practically Done.
James Gregorylaand his force of
the new water filter plant and are
new washout pump from the engine
room to the round house. AS soon
as this is completed the round house.
work by the new water system and
stalled.
Will Soon Operate Cutoff.
1t is officially reported that the
new cutoff will be opened for local
business on Sept. 8 and that the
through Kansas City trains will be
started over the line sometime be-
tween Oct. and Is. 1t is also stated
on good authority that the Milwaukee
will cut down the time between Chi
cago and Kansas City very materially
Just as it did between Chicago and
Minneapolis by breaking over the ex-
listing agreements between the roads.
Stations on Cutoff.
There are eighteen stations not count
ing Ottumwa on the line of the new
cutoff OF these nine, or just one-half
the total number are new towns. Some
OF the new places have nothing more
to mark them as town sites than the
depot building and necessary railroad
sheds Ottumwa, Davenport, Musca-
tine and Washington are the important
towns of the line and it is from these
that the bulk of the original business
of the new line will be drawn.
The other old towns which the line
passes through are Rutledge, Richland
Cone, Fairport Montpelier and Buffalo.
The names OF the eighteen towns in
station order from Ottumwa are as fol-
lows: Rutledge. Farson, Richland, Ru-
bio, Titus, Washington, Haskins, Glad
win, Cone, Modura, Arden, Sudbury,
Muscatine, Fairport, Montpelier, Buffa-
10 and Davenport
Removing Old Water Tank.
The old water tank is being remov-
ed to its new quarters beside the fl
ter. plant today by A. Good and his
force of men. When this tank is plac-
ed and connected the filter plant will
be practically completed and will be
put in operation The Milwaukee, will
then have plant capable of purify
ing an amount of water equal to about
one-third that OF the City Water Sup
ply Co., which will be amply sufficient
for all it's purposes.
Homeseeker's Excursions.
One way rate with two dollars adj
ditional for round trip tickets on sale