The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-14
Trans-continentaI Route of
Canadian Northern Has
Low Grades Advantage.
COMPETITION FOR U. S.
ONLY ONE MOUNTAIN RANGE IN
STEAD OF THREE AND ELEVA.
TON ONLY 800 FEET INSTEAD
OF 5000 FEET.

ment that the Canadian Northern
Railway will extend it's line to Van
couver, giving the United States as
well as Canada new route to the
Pacific, has been officially confirmed.
Negotiations to secure the assistance
of the provincial government of Brit
ish Columbia. it may be assumed,
have been successful and work will
probably be begun by summer.
The Importance to the United States
of this latest move of the Canadian
road builders lies in the fact that one
of the terminals of the Canadian
a result of the purchase of the Du-
luth, Rainy Lake and Winnipeg Rail
way which was announced less than
two months ago. This line put Du-
luth for the first time on direct
short line between Chicago and Win
nipeg, and insured to the United
States larger share in the shipments
to and from the prairie provinces of
Western Canada. The Duluth, Miss
abe and Northern Railroad was also
affected by the change in control.
Will Be the Seventh.
The new line will be the seventh
transcontinental railroad to be built
across Western America, and will be
unique in it's engineering features.
The route as planned runs from Ed
monitor, which is the present western
terminus of the railroad through the
Rocky Mountains at the Yellow Head
Pass, down the North Thompson riv
er in British Columbia to the inter
section of the Fraser river, and from
there through to New Westminster
and Vancouver By this route the
road will cross but one range of
mountains, and that at an elevation
in this country have three ranges of
mountains. the Rockies, the Sierras
and the Coast Ranges. The Union
Pacific crossed the highest point at
an elevation of 5000 feet. This means
that the Canadian Northern Railway
will have a very favorable grade both
from Port Arthur and from Duluth
to the sea. The present lines Of the
Canadian Northern form network
of rails covering the richest sections
of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and
connecting the ports of Port Arthur
and Fort William on Lake Supe rior
with Edmonton in Alberta. Further
extensions are planned to Calgary, in
southern Alberta. and to- Toronto and
Ottawa to the east.
Has Unique Record.
The Canadian Northern has the
unique record of having extended its
lines at the rate of mile a day for
eleven years. Obstacles which have
checked railroad building in the
north of the boundary line and Cana
da now has more railroad mileage per
capita than any other country on the
globe. This is partly due to the en-
terprise of men in charge of the Cana
dian railways and partly to the tre-
mendous growth of the Western Cana
dian provinces, particularly the wheat
growing provinces, which have been
coming up by leaps and by bounds.
Much of this wheat traffic is now
handled by the Canadian Northern
w uiCu Has euOlluOuS uOChS anu Ter
minal facilities at Port Arthur. in
Guiding the largest grain elevator in
the world.
The project of continuing the COM
panys lines to the coast had been I'M
der consideration for several years,
but the first time that it was an i'm
mediate possibility was contained in
a speech made by D. D. Mann. Vice
president of the road, in Victoria only
a few days prior to the official an
nounceme Mt. In this speech he said:
1T is our particular ambition to con-
struct our line of railway from the
shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific
coast. have called upon the premier
of this province With the view of seek
ing such assistance from the provin-
cial government as will enable us and
at no distant date to build our trans
continental road right down through
your province, until it reaches tide
water"