The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-01
HIPS New Canadian Line to B,
Built in Two Years.
Five Hundred Miles Is Already
Under Construction.
GIGANTIC ENDEAVOR.
Many Thousand Men Will Be
Employed on Work.
Gossip and Matters Of Interest
in Railroad Circles.


St. Paul. May flames J. HIS
Canadian transcontinental line will re-
quire but two years for completion.
Hill, who discussed the enterprise the
other day. Considerable mileage is
already under construction.
Mr.. Hill plans the construction of a
line from Vancouver. B. c., to Win
nipeg. Manitoba. Part of the route
has been decided upon, but as yet the
course through the territories of Al
berta and Assiniboia is a matter for
determination. Several surveying par
ties are in the field. and are skirmish-
ing in more than one section Of Can
ada.
Construction work is progressing at
several points The Great Northern
has about 500 miles Of line under con-
struction and the plans call for APP
proximately 1900 miles. Between
5000 and 1000 men are at work
building lines AS soon as the weather
gets more favorable. additional thou
sands viii be put at work
The longest stretch on which con-
struction is under way IS from Van
couver over the coast range easterly
to Princeton. The route follows the
south bank of the Fraser river and
inclining. northerly it strikes just
north of the Tu1ameen river. The line
will cross near where the Pasayton
and Similkameen rivers come to-
gether in a fork at Princeton. It pro-
ceeds along the Similkameen valley
through the copper district. After
crossing the Okanegan the route
swerves in a northerly direction to
Midway, B. c.
From Midway the Great Northern
/ has line built to Nelson, Grand fork
1 and Marcus hpf1cr
/ tant points along it, while going down
to Spokane and Bonner's Ferry con-
nection is made with a line that runs
from Bonner's Ferry north to Kush-
| onook. The Great Northern already
extends to the coal fields at Fernie.
From Fernie the line will strike
across to Winnipeg. Surveyors are in
/ the field to see what route can be
taken. The distance from Fernie to
i Winnipeg is approximately 900 miles.
On the Canadian Pacific the distance
from Winnipeg to Vancouver is 1856
miles.
Another link in the transcontfnental
/ line which soon VIII be built is q line
from Winnipeg to Brandon. The dis
lance is approximately 100 miles. The
building of this line has been ordered
and work on it viii be started soon.
Throughout the new line branch
feeders are being extended, which will
give immediate traffic, and these re-
gions to the north and south will be
continued until the line across the con-
tinent is completed.
Plans for the east and west line are
/ well mapped cut, and an exciting rail-
| laying contest will start soon among the
Great Northern, the Grand Trunk Pa
cif1c and the Canadian Northern. Con-
/ struction is in progress on two Great
Northern lines from the United States
| into Manitoba. These north and south
| lines not only viii act as feeders to the
! east and west Canadian line, but will
furnish coal and lumber for Canadian
points from the American side.
| The Great Northern is building a line
toba. The crews are just over the
| border. The rails are already on the
| ground, and it IS expected to have them
| all laid some time In August. The dis
lance is 70 miles, A line Is also build
/ ing from Neche, n. D., to Portage La
| Prairie, Manitoba. The rails are on the
/ way. The connection is SO miles long.
The Great Northern is considering a
line from Emerson, just above the in
| ternationaI boundary line in Manitoba,
to Winnipeg. At present it is operating
its freight and passenger trains over
| the Canadian Northern tracks between
Emerson and Winnipeg.
The building of the Great Northern
from Hibbig, Mimi, to Winnipeg, $50
miles, which will be completed by next
January, viii afford an outlet for the
Superior long before the eastern part
of this line is completed from Winnipeg
to Montreal Already traffic to and
from the Canadian Northwest is going
by way of the lake route through Min
nesota and North Dakota, but the Hib-
| Winnipeg cutoff will shorten the
distance to the far Northwest several