The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-03-31
Trolley to Run from Albert
Lea to st. Cloud.
Surveyors Are Now in Field
Laying Out Route.
Work Of Grading to Be Begun
About May First.
Especial to The Free Press.l

Chicago, March 25.-The Collins Con-
struction company is now preparing
plans and specifications for an electric
trolley road from Albert Lea to st.
Cloud, Mimi. The engineers are now
in the field, running the preliminary
lines. A double force of engineers and
craftsmen will be put on the line about
April LIST to make a permanent sur
vey. This electric road will be the long
est and best constructed road in the
western country, the plans and speci-
fications surprising steam road specifi-
cations, the roadbed being twenty-five
feet base and sixteen feet surface; solid
stone construction for culverts and
bridge abutments; heavy steel bridge
construction. Ties will be of standard
dimensions, 5000 to the mile, standard
steam road specifications being 2,64O to
the mile. The rails to be used will be
underground steel rails, A. S. c. +.
standard, sixty foot lengths. The roll
ing stock will be of the latest and most
modern pattern. The passenger cars
will be sixty feet long; vestibule obser-
walton cars geared to speed of seventy
miles per hour, each car having four
l25-horse- power motors. The single
phase alternating system will be used
h. 60, {ha
entire system. The machinery will be of
the latest modern type, and will nave
capacity of 10000 horse power thus en-
aiding the road to handle a heavy
freight business as we'll as fast speed
for passenger business.
The line of road will be from Albert
Lea by way of st. Clair, Mankato, Glen
coe to st. Cloud. The first work to be
done on the first section of road be-
tween Albert Lea and Mankato will be
in progress about May lst. Plans and
specifications will be completed on April
lst. Bids will be received at the office
of the Collins Construction company, in
Chicago, on the 18th day of April for
all material to be used in the construc-
tion of the road.
The Collins Construction company is
acting in the interests of Canadian CAPT
talists, who are furnishing the money
to build this road. The work is to be
done by the Collins Construction COM
pany on a percentage basis over the
actual cost of construction.
The appropriate cost of the construc-
ton and equipment of this road will be
$4,OO0,0OO. The road will be managed
by local company, with offices located
at Mankao, Mimi. The capitalists who
are furnishing the money to build this
road, through the Collins Construction
company, do not expect exorbitant bon
uses from the people who are to derive
a benefit from the road, nor do they ask
any cash bonuses before commencing
work. They merely ask the farmers who
are interested and benefited by this
the right of way; also the cities to
grant them liberal franchises and ter
minals. A franchise is now being pre-
pared to present to the city council of
Mankato The object of this company
will not be to impose any unreason-
able demands upon any city which will
derive benefit from this road which it
will enter.
The construction of this road will be
entirely different from any other electric
railroad in the western states. The main
line of road will, not pass through any
large city or town, but will skirt the
city or town limits. A spur will be
run from the main line into the bust
ness portion of the city for the passen-
ger business; also branch spurs for
freight business. The local freight will
be transferred by freight motors to the
main line, and freight from the main
line will be transferred to the railway
terminals in the city. The main line of
road will be built away from public
highways on private right OF way, prop
erly fenced, thus avoiding any danger
or interference with farmers or their
holdings, at the same time giving the
farmers and shippers all the advant-
ages required. Proper stations will be
located at the most convenient points
in the country districts for farmers
and shippers, thus enabling them to get
quick shipment of their products to
any market, as this road makes connec-
tions with four trunk lines at Albert Lea,