The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-01-23
Will Complete Line to Tacoma
| Ahead Of all Others
GRADING FORCE IS TO Be INCREASED
North Yakima & Valley to Have 1900
Men at Work in Three
Months.

Already extra men are being en-
plOyed to commence work February /.
but it is expected that some trouble
number of men in this section to make
up the full chews that will be required
in the next two months, when it is
planned to place all the men on the
construction that it is possible to work
to advantage. If it is found impossi-
BILE to secure all of the laborers that
will be necessary in the state, men
will be imported from other sections
Built Substantially.
The North Yakima & Valley road is
being constructed in the most sub
stantial manner, and the rails are of
the same weight as the ones in use on
the present line through the Stampede
tunnel.
With the advantage which the
Northern Pacific has secured in the
matter of completing surveys and
the commencement of construction,
with material on the ground for a por-
ton of the complete road and the re-
malnder following as it will be re-
CURED, 1t seems certain that the new
Northern Pacific line to Tacoma will
be In operation before any of the new
roads now projected in Washington.
Operating through the Stampede
tunnel the Northern Pacific is running
to its full capacity in the matter of
handling trains through the Cascades.
Inc lack of cars for handling freight
is not the principal problem that con-
fronts the Hill line. 1t is moro q
question of how a greater number Of
trains can be handled. Engineers who
nave passed upon the new route saw
that a greater number of trains can he
handled through the Teton pass than
are being run daily through the STAN
pede tunnel, on account of the lower
grades and less degree of curvature hv
the new route.
1t is planned by the Northern Pacific
to complete it's new line through tho
mountains by way of Tieton pass in
advance of any of the new roads that
have announced plans to build to the
coast. Steel sufficient to complete
twenty miles of the North Yakima E.
Valley, which is the Northern Pacific
project, has reached North Yakima
and already two crews are at work
laying the rails on the portion that has
been graded west from North Yakima
In the direction of Teton ass.
A force of nearly 1900 men will bic
at work on the North Yakima & VAL
ley construction within the next thir-
ty days. A second CONSIGNMENT of
rails is now on the way from the east
and will arrive at North Yakima before
the present supply is exhausted.
1t is expected to have the steel
bridge across the Matches river COM
pleted by the latter part of April, when
the rails that will be down On both
sides of the river by that time will be
connected
Additional Crews February 1,
Additional grading crews are to be
placed at work the first of next month
to rush the grade through to the pass.
and the rail crews will follow closely
On the grading work and laying of ties
Additional crews will be placed on the
construction as fast as the work de-
velops. The crews now in the field
have instructions to work as rapidlv
as possible, and it is estimated that
the new line will be completed to a
connection with the Northern Pacific
on the western side Of the Cascades
in less than two years.