The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-26
st. Paul Engaged in Big En-
cheering Enterprise.
Are Pushing 5000 Foot Tunnel
Through Bitter Root Range.
WELL UNDER WAY.
Western Extension Will Be
Completed Within a Year.
Other Items of Interest to
Railway People.

St Paul. Mimi, Sept. 26.-Nearly all
of the preliminary work connected with
the driving Of the new 5000 foot tunnel
through the main range of the Bitter
Root mountains on the Pacific coast
extension of the St. Paul has been COM
pleted. The location through this dis
trict has been finally settled and a few
hundred feet of the tunnel have already
been driven.
Along the St. Joseph river from Fer
rel Idaho. TO Lake Chatcolet the line is
about one-tenth completed. During the
summer all of the right of way has been
been opened; also considerable light
grading In the vicinity of ST. Joe and
St Maries has been finished. The
heavy cut through the village of st.
Maries is just being opened by steam
shovel
The specifications for the main. line
call for 0.S per cent maximum grade
and degrees maximum curves. but
along the river between St. Joe and st.
Maries considerable temporary line.
with some 10 degrees curve, is being
built. This line is a detour around
hill which will eventually be pierced by
a tunnel This tunnel will be through
solid rock ali the way and the tenn
porary track around 1t is being built
with the intention of having trains in
operation by the spring of 1909, some
time before the tunnel could be finish
ed.
Two locating parties are now engaged
In locating a branch from St. Maries
UP the St. Maries valley, through Santa,
Idaho, and thence over the divide into
the Palouse wheat country. This will
be the first branch to be built on the
western extension and will tap some of
the richest timber land in Idaho.
1t is now generally admitted even by
officers of the company, that trains will
be operated by electricity from the
eastern end of the big Bitter Root tun-
mel westward for about 100 miles down
the St Joe valley and through eastern
Washington to some point west of
Tekoa. to be determined later. This will
probably be the first stretch of trans
continental trunk line in the country
to be operated by electricity.
The power will be obtained from the
St. Joseph river between Ferrel and
North Fork The fiowage rights have
already been secured: during the sum-
mer the surveys for the location of the
dams were completed. Plans are now
being drawn and active work will COM
mence in the immediate feture.
1t is proposed to build eleven dams
across the rivers. varying in height from
20 TO IS feet The total development
will be 10000 horse power. making it
one of the biggest hytlro-electric pro-
positions in the west. This amount of
power will be considerably in excess of
the requirements of the railroad. and
to dispose of the residue high-tension
transmission lines are to be built to
Spokane. and also to the Occur dAlene
mining district In the vicinity of Wal
lace. Idaho.
Progress during the summer between
TexOa and Ellensburg, Wash, has been
made more rapid than I'm Idaho. Con-
siderable of the grade has been finish
ed, probably 35 per cent. Between Ell
lensbuTg and the Cascade tunnel the
work is in a much more advanced
stage. Miles of line, including the tres
ties, have been finished Considerable |
progress has been made on the steel
bridges Easton, near the eastern end
of the tunnel. will be made a division
point.
Between the tunnel and Seattle the
line is nearly finished and it is possible |
that the track Will be laid this winter. |
Work on the grade between Seattle and |
Tacoma has been actively pushed all |
summer and will soon be finished. But !
little terminal work has been done eth |
er in Seattle or Tacoma.
Roughly speaking. the line between
Puget Sound and the Columbia river is |
so per cent nearer completion this fall /
than is that portion between the Col !
umbia river and Butte. 1t has been /
announced that the line from Seattle |
to eastern Washington. using the tenn /
porary switchback over the Cascade /
divide will be in operation in time for !
the next years eastern Washington |
wheat crop