The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-09-12
THE IDAHO SCIMITAR.

Washington, over 400 miles, connecting with the
Northern Pac1hc at point near the Idaho boundary.
1t IS the edition de luxe of freight roads for no
passenger trains are to be allowed to trespasS upon
its tracks. The essential that Mr. Hill has sought
has been not easy to achieve, route where no
grades would exceed three per cent or any curvature
more than two-tenths of one per cent In a hill
broken country the feat would seem to be impossible
but by following river banks closely it is said to
have been accomplished Washouts are also to be
avoided and delay resulting from high water so that
at point does the projected track come nearer than
ten feet to the high water mark
Some parts of the road are already in operation
and a completion has been promised this year
thousands of men have been working for months
from one end OF the state of Washington to the
other filling, blasting, cutting and laying tracks
route that will allow freight trains three quarters of
a mile in length to be operated from Idaho to tide
water. President Elliott of the Northern Pacific
is authority for the statement that except for the
Cape Horn tunnel the whole line will be double
racked One of the most difficult pieces of the
work, cut through solid rock at a town called
Cheney, few miles south of Spokane has been
finished and illustrates the difficulties which have
beset the engineers The road here will through
a cut made in solid rock for between three and four
miles at depth of not less than ten feet at any
point. 1t is hardly surprising that more than 5000
men engaged at this one spot.
Competition of transcontinental nature,
from the Hartman lines has never so seriously
threatened Hills supremacy in the northwest does
that of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, which is
extending its territory from Glenham S. D., to Puget
sound, distance of 1900 miles This is no mere
fond project like so many northwest railroads, exist
ing only upon paper for the surveying parties have
come and gone construction is far along and thous
andS of dollars have been expended daily in order
to have the road running to capture part of the
expected tourists rush to the Seattle exposition next
year. From Glenham the road is to north to
Miles, follow the Yellowstone river to Butte, thence
to Loo pass in the Bitter Root mountains and along
the St. Joe river nearly to its outlet crossing the
Washington Idaho line at point Tekoa, Wash
Then the line bends northwestward crosses the Col
umbia river over bridge which will be 27O0 feet
long, followed by 34OO-foot tunnel Another tun-
ne two miles in length, takes the trains through
the Snoqualme pass and third, 5000 feet long, is
encountered in the Bitter Root mountains at ele
walton of 1900 feet From Taft Ida, to St. Joe
Idaho, sixty miles, the line will cost 100000
mile, or $11, 100000 which breaks the worlds record
The total cost of the extension, including terminals
and equipment has been estimated at $77 100000
$4,000 mile. The surveyed line crosses the North
ern Pacific tracks not less than eleven times that
it may be that competition of the keenest kind
is to follow Towns already plated along the
route, sites have already been sold by auction
and with the rich districts traversed and the
attention of the government and private persons
to many irrigation projects along the route, the
new road should greatly augment the wealth of the
northwest