The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1908-12-31
Conditions of Western
Railroad Building
Letter Written by H. Batten Formerly of Baraboo Now
in the West

The following letter has been receiv-
ed by M. Riney, superintendent OF
bridges, from II. w. Batten, formerly
connected with the G. & n. w. with
headquarters at Baraboo, now superln'
tending construction work west from
Missoula, Mont, for the G. NJ. and ST.
P. road:
Missoula, Mont,
December 18th, 1908.
Dear Sir and Friend: Since writing
you in latter September, the past three
months have shown marked change
in the condition of the two lines being
constructed and revised in western
Montana.
The earth and rock quantities that
were washed out on both lines be-
tween Missoula and Garrison, have
been replaced, partially with team
work. but in the larger bulk with
steam shovel outfits. Considerations
of enlargement of the water way at
various points along the Hellgate rlv-
er. DELAYED the starting of the work,
especially as the decisions were JOINT
on the part of the engineer depart
ments of the Northern Pacific and =.
M. & st. P. Rys. In addition to re-
placing the embankments, as hrsG
graded, there were additional quant1-
ties on the score of rise of grade and
then there are the largely added
amounts of rip-rap, which were not
figured in the original schemes, out
the necessity forlwhich was shown at
the time of the flood. The last OF the
decisions as sto rip-rapping, has not
reached us yet; to such quantities as
have been authorized, both roads are
steadily adding Few amounts. Ihe
outfits devoted to rip-rapping are now
thoroughly organized, but the WORK Is
of such a magnitude that its COM
pletion appears to be probable IN the
early or middle spring of 1903. Al
anv rate, the most exposed embank-
ments will be thoroughly protected
against anyspossible stage of water by
the time that high water comes in this
part of the country. In view OF the
limited area of cross-section OF the rlv-
er for stretches of couple miles In a
place, there is strong necessity for
heavy rip-rap, hand placed. Much OF
the material is loaded on four-yard
cars, and taken to place with narrow
gauge equipment, but the remainder
will be loaded on standard gauge flats
fitted up with four-yard cars; the lat
ter are placed on the flats, and bolted
down with U bolts to the sills. You
can readily see that time will be saved
with this class of equipment, when it
comes to unloading on standard gauge
track, where traffic is moving. The
ability to dump a train of rs or more
cars in few minutes, means little de-
lay to existing. business. All our SHOW
els work high enough to load over the
tops of the dumps, even when resting
on fiat cars. With the naturally soft
lock of western Montana, care has been
taken to select the hardest ledges for
the quarrying of rip-rap. The larger
part of the shooting is done with the
"gopher-hole" methOd;i. e. excavatlng
holes of size large enough for men to
work in, and then loading them up
with large quantities of powder at a
time, as high as 900 kegs half car }
being used in one shot. The result is
large rock in general, but individual
blocks are bull-dozed to size that can be
handled into place with men and bars.
The condition of work on the n. L.
is about as follows:-Grading ofsecond
track and revision of line and grade
between Garrison and Missoula, COM
plete. .Riprapping in progress. Second
track adjacent to the old main, all laid
and much of it ballasted. Double track
mostly laid on the line changes, but
| OhlldSbluS OA1y oval UCO' Il WOAOJ NV w
thirty miles (in seventy of double
track in use. Work on concrete piers
and abutments pretty we'll along to-
ward completion, and possibly one
half of the iron work in place for the
crossings of the river between GARRISON
and Missoula. With the speed main
tanned on the bridge work, which has
shown itself in the past, it will be the
middle of 1909 before the n. P. is ope1'
ating all of the double track in the
limits mentioned. On the st Regis
Paradise cutoff, track is laid and most
" ballasted;a wasting construction of
couple of big iron bridges over the
Missoula River before putting the line
under traffic. This line, when in use
will relieve the old main line over the
hills, of lot of freight traffic, it being
| rumored that all the dead freight will