The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-05
RAILROADS
BLOCK SYSTEM IS
EXTENDED ON Mp.
ALL HEAVY TRAFFIC DISTRICTS
TO BE PROTECTED.
The Work Will Be Rushed by Chief En-
gineer E. J. Pearson, the ''Telegraph
Block'' System Being Used-New
Construction Will Cover 613.5 Miles.


President Howard Elliott has author
lied important improvements tending
to increase public safety which will
ond on the list Of American railways in
the installation of block system for the
current year.
The new improvements will afford
continuous signal protection over all the
principal districts of heavy. traffic from
the eastern terminus at the twin cities
thru to the Pacific coast. CONSTRUCTION
has already commenced, and will be
sushed to completion. The districts
viii be afforded are: Minneapolis to
Staples, Mimi, 1911 miles; Livingston
to Logan, Mont, SO; Garrison, Mont,
to Dixon, Mont, lis; Spokane, Wash,
to Paseo, Wash, 1857; Pssco, W sh4+1 to
Wash, to Tacoma, Wash, ~.
The total Of 613.5 miles of new block
signal will be exceeded only by the
Pennsylvania lines west of ePittsburg,
this year.
The improvements planned by the
Northern Pacific between Minneapolis
existing signal protection between Sta
pies and jamestown, N. D., giving con-
finuous protection over SAB miles Of the
eastern end Of the main line, district
over which traffic is especially heavy.
The improvements on the Montana divi-
sion will give protection between Liv-
ingston, at which point branch connec-
stone Park at Gardiner is made, and Lo-
gan, where the main line splits, one
branch running west via Butte, and the
other running west via Helena, both
lines joining again at Garrison: This is
which thereis a continuous movement Of
f'helper" engines returning light, and
weary heavy volume of traffic. This
district carries the coast traffic Of the
Burlington-N Northern Pacific route.
;. From Garrison. to Dixon, Mont, SINH
lar protection will be afforded, covering
the trackage in the narrow and tortuous
Hell Gate canyon, and on the mountain
grades just west Of Missoula, where the
main line crosses the Coracian Defil!e.
this district and in addition to the i'm
mense thru and local traffic there is an
additional movement Of "helper' en-
gines, as on the mountain grades be-
"a tween Livingston and Logan. On this
district are located the immense
O'Keefe and Marent viaducts.
and hf p6Srg Wah bet WIFI p SRofans
lection to stretch Of main line on
which is conferred the thru traffic Of the
entire system, and Of the Burlington
Northern Pacific route, the heavy ton
mage of commercial and fuel coal from
the Roslyn and Clealum mines, the east
bound lumber and mill products from
the Pacific coast, and a very heavy and
rapidly increasing local traffic from the
movement of agricultural products. The
improvements on this 272.5 miles of
main line, supplements existing block
signal between Ellensburg and Seattle
Wash, and with the improvements be
tween Seattle and Tacoma, affords con
tinuous protection from Spokane thru tc
Tacoma.
Three years ago the Northern Pacific
had no block signal protection except
between St. Paul and Minneapolis. Al
it's more important main line mileage il
now covered or to be Immediately sup
piled with efficient safeguards to traffic
and travel.
The block system being installed il
the Photograph block,'' manual bloch
system operated pursuant to the rule
Of the American Railway association, al
ready found satisfactory on other long
stretches of Northern Pacific main line
The usual double-armed semaphore i
utilized, the signals being operated
from block signal stations in charge O.
operators. The adoption of the system
requires the employment of additional
telegraph operators and the stringing 0
special telegraph wires connecting tn
The construction Of the new sigma
system is being pushed under the dj
rection Of Chief Engineer E. J. Pear
son, who has supervised the location o
sidings, the building of block station
and the installation of signals.