Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-21
RAILW AY BUILDING
PROGRESS IN CONSTRUCTION
WORK THROUGH NORTH AMERICA
From the Railway World.

Financial arrangements have been COM
pleted contracts have been let by the
Western Pacific for the building of sec
tions of the road to connect the small lines
which have been owned by the company for
two years. A right of way with 1 per
cent maximum grade is said to have been
found and surveyed.
The company plans to create a new line
from Salt Lake to San Francisco bay. Its
main line will be about 500 miles, with
some 400 miles of branches. The original
survey ran from San Francisco through
Oah ID, Stockton, Sacramento, Orovile
and Beckwith Pass to a connection with the
Marysville branch of Rio Grande Western
thence via that line to q connection at This
tie Junction with the Denver and Rio
Gfande. The company now owns the San
Francisco Terminal railway and ferry the
Stockton and Beckwth Pass railroad, the
sacramento and Oakland railway, the Butte
ana Pluma railway and the Alameda and
San Joaquin railways. The San Francisco
Company gives the new corporation its ter
minals on San Francisco bay.
WI money raised by an increase in the
stock capitalization, the Cleveland Cinc.n-
natl, Chicago and st. Louis has planned i'm
proyements covering all parts of the sys-
tem which will take three years to COM
plete. Freight terminals will be enlarged
In Cincinnati, Columbus and indianapolis;
the road will be doube-tracked between
Cincinnati and Dayton and a new station
viii be given to Springfield, Ohio. Further
expensive work will be done to eliminate
curves. To make the Cairo division into
the Illinois coal fields coal-carrying
| road in conjunction with the new line of
the Michigan Central, between Danv lie
and Indiana Harbor. the Big Four line will
be practically rebu--,. Grades will be
s.derably reduced. This will enable the
Big Four to supply all the coal necessary
for use on the Jew York Central lines west
of POL fvS,, I,. >t,,ar r. |,,;r-
division.
In order to save the operation of trains
up and down heavy grades the Mexican
National railroad is planning build a
bridge over the Metlac canyon at a height
of 400 feet above the stream, to do away
with the present structure, which is only
ninety feet high and has 53 er cent
curve. 1t has been estimated that the ex-
pense of erecting the bridge will be not less
than S4,0U0,O0O, which it IS thought VIII be
made up in the saving of flu now re-
CURED to drag heavily loaded trains up the
grades on eith>r side. In spite of its
length 0.640 feeD and height the structure
will be a pier bridge.
An expenditure of $500 900 has been deter
mined upon by the international and Great
Northern to replace all wooden bridges on
its line between Palestine and San Antonio,
Tex, with heavy steel material Under
contracts let recently the work viii begin
next month.
Work on grading for two additional tracks
for the belt railroad at indianapolis has be-
gun. This will give the line four tracks
for fifteen miles of the eighteen miles total
length of the belt. Numerous manufac-
tories are located along the line. and up
to this time proper facilities for switching
have been lacking.
With the object of providing additional
facilities for heavy coal tonnage, the chi
cago and Eastern Illinois has arranged for
an expenditure of $1,J00,0O0 in construct on
improvements and S4UD,UO0 for new locomo-
tiyes. A third track is now being laid from
Momence, H., to the DoltOn yards in Chi
cago Thirty miles of new track is re-
CURED and will be used for northbound coal
tonnage. Water-Softening plants and
wafer stations Will also be bulk. and The
telephone, telegraph and signal systems i'm
proved. Between Chicago and Terra Haute
1O.C0U tons of S5-Qound steel ra Is will he
laid; between St Elmo and Thebes, Ill,
5000 tons of ~ pound rails Will be piac d.
and the track will also be rebal.asted. Ad-
ditional storage and classification tracks
Will also be placed in the various yards.
Under a contract let by the Great North
ern for extension from Sioux City. Iowa, to
Ashland, Neb.. the Great Northern VIII
cure connection with the Burlington sys-
tenn The former company has already
made arrangements for terminals at Sioux
City, and work on the new construction VIII
begin at an early date.
Announcement has been made by officials
of the ST. Louis, Iron Mountain ard South
ern that the following stations have been
created on the extensions of the White
River line now opened for business: Be
tween Aurora and Galena-Aurora. 4O2
miles from ST. Louis; Bonham, 40S miles;
Crane, Alb miles; Elsey Alt miles; Ga'ena,
423 miles. Between Cotter and Oieson-
Cotter, 1871 mes from st. Louis; Flipp:n,
1856 miles; Yellvlle, 392 miles; Comal, }97
miles; Pyatt 402 miles; Zinc. 4OS mics;
Oregon, 415 miles.
Three preliminary surveys will be run by
the Des Moines, Iowa Falls and Northern.
in extending its line to reach st. Paul and
Minneapolis, in order to locate the most de-
sirable route. 1t has been announced that
the extent of local aid promised by towns
and citizens along the line will be a con-
siderable factor in determining a c'oice of
route.
Authority has been sought by the Chicago
and Western Illinois for an increase in its
capital stock of 81, 500,0O. and for the issue
of an equal sum in bonds. With the pro-
ceeds of the new securities it is proposed to
construct new belt line around Chicago,
connecting with all important indus ,res
and transportation lines. The directors in
clude w f. Phillips Herbert f. Dun
combe, David Plummer, a. V. knosberg
and H. S. Martin.
Rights of way have been secured over the
entire distance from Batesvine to Black
Rock. Ark, by the Missouri, Arkansas and
Southwestern, and 1t is expected that con-
tracts will be let in a short time which will
call for the completion of the forty-eight
miles within year. Facilities will be fur
nished for the rapid development of the
zinc, stone and other mineral deposits of
northern Arkansas.
Contracts calling for an expenditure of
$4C0,000 have been let by the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western for work In the
Scranton, Pa, district. The Nay Aug tun-
mel will be widened so as to provide for a
second bore, thirty feet wide, and third
track will be built between the passenger
station and the Nay Aug yards.
COST OF RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.