The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-19
NEW ROUTE FOR
THE SHORT LINE
Important Change Being Con-
sidered For Southern Idaho.
WOULD DODGE THE DESERT
MINIDoKA BRANCH MAY BE THE
MAIN LINE.
F a plan now under consideration is

4 plan now under consideration is
carried out, there will be a radical
change made in the main line of the
Oregon Short Line in Idaho. Local
officials have under favorable consid-
Grafton plan to make the Minidoka
branch the main line, extending il from
the terminus near Twin Falls on down
the Snake river 10 Glenn's Ferry At
this point the Snake river is to be re-
crossed and a junction make with the
present main line
Great saving is expected in a number
of ways as the result of this change
The preliminary surveys have been
completed and there is indication that
favorable action viii be taken on the
proposition.
The Minidoka branch is now in course
Of construction, the contract having
been awarded some time ago to the
Utah Construction company. This
branch leaves the main line at Mini
dOka in the extreme eastern part of
Lincoln county. From there it extends
almost to a straight line in "a south
westerly direction TO point below ShO-
shOne Fails. The Snake river is crossed
above Twin Falls on bridge and tres
tie 1000 feet long. This branch is APP
prONimately fifty miles long: IT was or
iginally intended for the accommoda-
ton to the thousands of people who
are settling the Minidoka tract of land
OPENED by the government and the
still larger tract of land opened by the
Twin Falls Irrigation company.
The enlarged plant is to take this
branch at the pressed terminus near the
Shoshone Falls and carry it down the
Snake for some fifty miles further and
IN, lya n9 nj is rr~iT
state another bridge over the Snake
at Glenr's Fails, where the junction
with the old main line will be effect
ed
Advantages in New Line.
The gain to the Short Line from an
operating point of view i'm the pro-
posed change is considerable One of
the worst points on the entire system
IS at King Hill a few miles east OF
Glenn's Ferry. Here a heavy climb
must be made and it is necessary to
use helper engines at all times. Under
the new scheme this would be cut out
and great saving of time and power
made The proposed new line will run
through practically level country, the
grades nowhere being more than twen-
~ or thirty feet TO the mile, it is said.
BY going around by Twin Falls and
ShOshone Falls the distance will be a
trifle greater, but the saving in grades
will much more than compensate for
The longer haul.
From a traffic standpoint the advan-
tage i'm the new route over the old is
still greater. The present route from
Minidoka west is through one Of the
most barren and desoiate portions OF
Idaho, part of the country that never
viz 10Th I'm tHa .ff,.
hand the proposed branch will run
through what promises to be the most
fertile and densely populated section
OF Idaho. The waters Of the Snake
river are being utilized for irrigation
purposes and all the land up and down
the river from Twin Falls is to be re-
deemed and opened to cultivation. In
lime this whole stretch OF country will
lleld an enormous freight.
n Fine Scenery En- Route.
Stm another consideration that ar.
CUES strongly in favor of the change
OF route is the pleasure passengers viii
derive from a trip down the Snake
river past the Twin Falls and the Sho-
sEone Falls, some of the finest scenery
in Idaho, and the escape from the tire
some trip over the desert west from
Mnidoka.
Viewed from every important stand
point the change on the face of it is de-
slrable. What the change viii cost il
IS impossible at this time TO say
Neither it is possible to say when tn,
y new route viii be opened. but il is like
y to be two or three years. The ole
line from Minidoka west TO Glenn's
Falls, il is understood, would be re.
tanned for local traffic.