The Topeka state journal., 1906-06-12
RAILROAD NEWS.
Hill and Hartman Fighting in
3 Rock Tunnel.
Are Running Rival BOres
Through Cape Horn.
BATTLE TO COME SOON
Mastery of Columbia River
Trade Goes to Victor.
Gossip and Matters Of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

In the heart of a great rock on the
north shore of the Columbia river the
decisive battle in a railroad war Will
soon be fought. The fight is between
Jane J. Hill and his transportation
system and E. H Hartman and his.
The rival railway kings are racing
to get possession of the only available
right of way along the river on the
Washington side. The Hill forces.
building from the east, have reached
Cape Horn, a giant rock that towers
high above the stream. and have be
gun to tunnel through it. The Harri-
man crews. approaching from the
west, have made start on bore IN
Cape Horn from their side
The surveys indicate that the two
tunnels are to cross. But one will run
seven feet above the other Hence
both cannot be used. Sooner or later
one Of the opponents must back down.
Rumors that Hartman and Hill
have reached an understanding
over this road and will build line
for their joint use are denied by
President L. Gerlinger of the Colum-
bia Valley road, the Hartman PROPOSE
ton. He has made the positive declar-
alton that Hartman will build along
the bank of the river from Wallula TO
Vancouver, and that work VIII pS
rushed to completion. The Portland
and Seattle road-the Hill properly
has the lead thus far.
Those who have followed the for
tunes of this controversy declare that
at first Hartman had no intention or
hlYfIdfne A line. his sole desire being to
control the right of way so that the
Hill road could not come in and COM
pete in what Hartman regarded as
his territory south of the Oregon Rail
road & Navigation company But
ca1 In CT
HIN. The obstacles he has thrown in
his opponents way have only caused
temporary aalts, SO that now he IS
forced to build.
Seven large construction crews nave
been put along the line of the pro-
posed Hartman road, and the force IS
being enlarged every week, While the
Hills gangs are even more numerous.
When the clash comes two formidable
armies will oppose each other
Both generals realized that the rall-
road supremacy of the northwest
largely depends upon the control or
use of a water level road down the
Columbia river Efforts TO erect a
Joint agreement, made by the Harrl-
man men having failed, the Hill peo-
pie soon were hard at work. It is un-
derstood that their tunnel into cape
Horn already has been bored 2oO feet
into the rock.
road will be 1880 feet long;
1t will be several weeks before the
excavations are parallel to each other.
and the vital question of the grade OF
the crossing will have to be settled
soon The Portland and Seattle IS
seven feet higher than that of the Co
lumbia Valley
The difference in grade will prevent
tracks being laid by one of the com
panies and unless some compromise is
made one of the tunnels will be rem
dered useless. Railroad men cannot
recoIect any similar condition to that
at Cape Horn. The construction Of two
tunnels which viii intersect. one with
grade lower than the other, is some
thing unheard OF.
Should the tunnels be bored parallel
and close together before the crossing
is made, the excavations will be so
close to each other that the dividing
wall will be blown out by the heavy
blasting which is more than liable to
cause loss of life.
ing said President Gerlinger recently.
The work will be pushed through to
completion. Work on our tunnel
through Cape Horn has begun already
and that shows we mean business We
have the first right of way and the
first location, and although our tunnel
will cross that of the Portland and Se-
attle and we are seven feet below their
grade, I think we will be protected. The
other road evidently thinks it has the
right of way, but we shall maintain our
SUPREMACY and our rights.