New-York tribune., 1909-08-08

Engineers Say 1t U'W approximate
$50 400 q .Uif.

The unnitiated quite likely 10 wonder now
a railroad can spend money in the lavish way
In which some roads 90 in Improvements and
continue 10 pay dividends. Statistics seem to
show that the most prosperous reads are those
which spend the most in making improvements
that reduce the operating expenses. That cX-
plains why the directors of the Delaware, Lack
awanna & Western Pailroad lave thought il
worth while to spend more than Sl3,UOp,Ou0 for
the construction Of u cutoff which Will save
only eleven miles il the journey between New
York and Buffalo. Tie cost Of the cutoff.
which will lie 2S.45 miles long. will approximate
S450000 a mile, a cost which viii make it one
of tie most expensive pieces of cross country
open railroad building in the United states.
This cutoff. which leaves the present main
line Of the railroad about quarter Of a mile
west Of the land station at Lake HopatcOng
strikes north across Sussex County n j., to
Andover and then west TO the Delaware River
In nearly a straight line. After crossing the
Delaware River the line. which Will be OF two
tracks, will swing around 10 tie right aud thus
down to tie level Of the present tracks at a
point just south OF Water Gap.
One of the great problems OF the anthracite
roads has been that cf getting the coal over the
hills which shut IN the ccal fields. To this has
been added. in the case Of the Lackawanna
Railroad the problem Of getting the black dia-
monds over the divide between the Delaware
meant a forty y-mile detOur to the south Of a
direct westerly line. with grades Of sixty feet 10
the mile and tunnel through the backbone at
Oxford in order TO reach these valleys of this
approximately thirteen miles were of curved
track comprised Of ffty-seven curves many Of
which were sharp. Curves mean great wear on
wheels and rails. not 10 mention increased dan
ger of derailment with the resultant damage to
property and the possibility of loss Of life. The
Oxford TUNNEL also has been a thorn in the
flesh OF the Lackawanna Railroad f5r only one
train can pass through the tunnel at a time, and
trains coming in the opposite direction are
forced to await It's passage. The frequency OF
passing trains made the problem OF the enlarge
ment # this bottle neck very serious one, so.
having 4 surplus in its treasury, the company
set out TO get around the bottle neck ard the
accompanying curves and grades
Northern NeT Jer-ey cannot boast Of the Rat
ness Of its surface. The country is q series of
ups and downs. IN order 10 obtain a COMPARE
lively level line the engineers found that their
problem was literally that of fulfilling lsaiah's
prophecy regardiI. the levelling Of every noun
,ain and hill and Strengthening of everything
ihat was crooked. Making straight their high
way however. net case Of laying it
through a desert. for Sussex aEi Warren
counties not only delight the eye but there are
plenty cf cattle the thousand. more or less, Of
hills in:o which their surfaces were heaped in
the day Of their creation. The new line there
fore, will be series of alternating cuts and en-
bankments. Some CT these OF such a mag
nitude that they Will probab:. becoH known
among Tgineers from one end of the country to
the other. Near AT dov viii be a cut through
granite one-haH Of :, mile in length and 152 feet
-eep at one point 1he amount of rock which
will e excavated Will be $4,000 cubic yards, or
two and one-half tines much would be re-
Qu,red to .,ulA the 4J0-fOOt bridge across the
Delaware Ris~, the 1.10O-foot yiaduct across
Pauns Kill and the sixty-three other bridges