Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-19
BUILD TO COAST?
Reports Concerning the Rock ISL
and Road Are Again
Revived. E
STARTED BY LATE SURVEYS
known to Have Been IntentiOn OF
Controlling Interests for
Some Time.

Reports are again current that the
Rock Island has determined TO build
line of its own to the Pacific coast.
Surveys have been made lately which
Indicate that it is the intention TO
start the new extension from either
Benson or Douglas, on the line of the
| FL PaSo &, Northeastern road. and
build it through 10 San Diego, Cal.
From San Diego the news comes that
the promoters of the local enterprise
seeking for direct outlet To the east
from that city are working in the in
tercst Of the Rock Island.
Ever since the MooFe-Leeds-Reid
Syndicate obtained control of the Rock
Island system ii has been their eX-
pressed ambition to establish trans
continental line. The Rock Island now
extends to FL PasO and has a subsid
iary line from Fl Paso. via Douglas,
10 Benson on the main line of the
Southern Pacific. The proposed line
from Douglas 10 San Diego would run
through a region that offers few dit
ficulties in the way of railroad con-
lstruction. The extension. it is said.
could be constructed cheaply and
would open to traffic a large and pro-
ductive region.
Like New Engines.
Engineers on the Rock Island road
are said to find heap of comfort in
running the 800 type now in use in
both passenger and freight service.
Not only are the sOO's popular be-
cause they are greyhOunds in speed,
but they are constantly demonstrating
that they are giants in strength and
are giving new evidence of their pow
crs every day.
If necessary. and such has been the
case upon several occasions, the en-
gines can be used on the heavy freight
runs as we'll as the huge 16o0's. The
sOO's were made by the Brooks Loco
motive works and the fitted with six
large drivers and n trailer. The
drivers are nearly feet in height.
Some of the old 2OO's still run about
the yards like little boys. The men
say that they are still good and are
capable Of taking five or six ears along
at Il lively rate. The small engines are
used chiefly on the far western sec
ton of the road.
900 Type Disappearing.
Another type of engine that is fast
disappearing from the three cities is
the old 900. This engine probably
gave as much or more satisfaction to
the engineers and firemen than any
the Rock Island system has ever
placed in use. Small. and with won
derful speed and strength. they were
capable Of taking n train of six or
eight coaches over go miles an hour
when pushed to their utmost. This type
was recently used on the main line
from Chicago to Denver and is now be-
ing used in the far west.
One thing in particular that the en-
gineers like with the zoos is that they
so seldom were out Of repair. After a
run, 4 few touches here and there and
there were all that was necessary to
keep them in good trim. The firemen
liked them because they We're easy to
fire. and easy TO keep clean.
The fastest running from Rock Isl
and to Omaha before the COOS were
taken off made the distance, 325 miles,
in less than nine hours. a record that
the new engines are not breaking very
often.
W. II. Geer. switch foreman at the
Burlington is sick.
Ed Druckmiller, caller at the Rock
Island. has resigned. Roy Wendt has
accepted the position.
s. Folsom. car clerk at the Burling-
ton depot, is laid up with the grip.
w. V. Stafford, clerk in the freight
department at the Burlington depot,
is sick
Fireman ID. Griffin, of the Rock ISL
and, has been assigned to the passen-
ger run on trains Nos. % and IS.
Engineer j. II. Parks, of the Rock
Island. has the grip.
William Coyne. engineer on the
switch engine in the Rock Island yards |
is off sick.
Fireman f. Palace. of the Rock ISL |
and. is spending a few days in Des
MoineS.
II. X. Thorps has been assigned to
extra switch engineer on the Rock Isl |
and.
William Johnson. engineer on the |
Rock Island. has reported for work |
after weeks illness with the grip.
Engineer G.McAuliffe. of the Rock |
Island. is sick.
W. I. Johnson. engineer on a Rock |
Island switch engine, is laid up with
the grip.
pNTATN MAPKET IINnIIIET