New-York tribune., 1908-09-01
ERIE To USE s15,OOO,OOO
IMPROVEMENTS TO ROAD.
Plans Aggress:us Competition for
Through Heary Freight Tonnage.

49, r-r;. Eeuroad Company. It was learned yes
t,rdsy intends to spend about Aov0'V' @ -
provcarents come OF which are sreaoS ui.o :;
7-,,eee include the elimination OF high ereoes " -.
-. .t. ca-rvius capacity of the road. cut-o1s
20 Iessen length OF haul. reso3ustnlehe oi lis us
-,eots ard the Bergen Hill opening Inc 49,,
for those improvements IS exclusive OF 'ie ~ -
-.nenaitrres for maintenance Of way wfich Ai'
being made. a., .cr,
rb.,ber cr NOT II is tie intention Of the corn
many 20 finance these expenditures entlreiS oS ~
co,,aos funding scheme adopted early Ii Tue - 80
Is not known So far. it has made aTranseissles'
!. go \, ,,s counon. for q year, and has SUM-
,.-t cash az, hand 4. is said 10 press F-sOfV"s''
the work OF betterTnenf- g,
The intention Of the management IL Is ,
so mt the Erie in condition 20 compete aesiesS
lv for through heavy freight tonnage from @ 'ile
increased business obtained, as wen as
economy in operation. owing 20 straiehter aiis
,nent better condition Of roadned anu ieg %
grades II is expected that the company "N
able TO make better showing OF he' L e
when the improvements are nnlsheu Imam 60
foze in its history 49,,
A low grade line is being constructed from m lis Us,
land Mills " y. the Newburg orancil. In
Campbell Hall and otisville 10 Guymafo' snol'
distance east of Port Jervis where II JOINS 'he
main line a distance OF forty miles The cost OF
this work will be about ssooo.eo. The Work IN
cludos double-track tunnel more fhan d llliie ~ ~
length and a viaduct over Moodna creek S7V ieet
LONG end las feet high. BY this route the present
h,--v GRADES over the Shawangunk Mountains
east of Port Jeryis will be avoided 1t is expected
that this improvement viii be ready Tor ouslhess
within six months.
a new line is also being built west of James
town Y y known as the Columbus Erie. at
q cost Of nearly s1,eaoOo0. This will reduce q
ssfoot grade TO twO-tenths per cent eastbound
and three-tenths per cent westbound, and eliTni-
nate a number of curves The distance is twenty
eoa,r miles part of which is already being used
fo- traffic and the rest viii be completed soon
Work is also being pushed on the Genesee River
Railroad from Portage the Buffalo division. TO
Cuba. Y y. on the main line The work being
done I. reduction of heavy grades and the elirli-
nation Of bad curvatures at Of about 5000
oaa This viii be finished early next year Some
s4enesee River 312o feet in length and 1a5 feet
IN height. ana another viaduct at Rush creek 4SlO
feet long and 80 feet high.
Perhaps the most interesting work being done Is
the four-track cut through Bergen Hill to Jersey
CITY as this will materially assist the company IN
handling suburban business Incoming and out
hours. with three tracks for incoming trains in
the morning and three outgoing trains at night
Through an arrangement of over and under cross
ings there Will be no danger from collisions or
side wipes from mistakes of switchmen This I'M
provenlent means relief from the discomforts OF
the present tunnel The work will cost about
q SOC eaA. and will probably be finished within e
year
These are the main improvements being carried
on but there are many smaller ones which will
be of material benefit in increasing the efficiency
Of the service and the economy of operation