The sun., 1909-05-02
ERE HURRIES BETTERMENTS
srRAIGHTENING IT'S LINES AND
CITING DOWN GRADES.
ovsrrnbus and Erie Done Alresdy-The
Ceuesee River Railroad 10 he FIN
i.hcd by October and tho -Four
Track BERGEN IiiN Cut by November i.

The management OF tho Erie Railroad
has sent out orders to the heads OF de-
,,rtrepts to proceed with the improve
,,ent and construction work under their
rbarpe With all speed The orders were
uyen out after conferences Of the prin-
dnal operating men of the road following
m. order of the Public Service Commis-
.ion. which assures the success Of the
Man for the sale OF the long proposed
sso ooo. 900 bond issue. The completion
NJ the work in the various divisions means
according to Erie officials, that President
lJnderwoods plan Of making the Erie a.
Inv Grade a road between New York and
chicago as any other trunk line will be
practically completed by November /.
Even while the bond issue was held
in Allowance by the Public Service Com
mission the management had proceeded
With improvement work rapidly enough
n complete the Columbus and Erie Rail-
road, a branch designed to reduce grades
and afford q more direct line. The COM
oleted work consists Of fifteen miles Of
double track west of jamestown and
reduces a former grade Of sixty-two
feet to the mile TO one Of eleven feet east
hound and sixteen feet westbound. In
oorporated In this work is a revision of
nne miles Of the old line to conform
With the new grade.
The most Important. pieces of work
don has been ordered are the Genesee
River Railroad and the big cut through
bergen Hill The former has a route
thirty three miles long and Is designed.
Ike the Columbus and Erie. to reduce
bsd grades and afford speedier route.
The Hns Is from Cuba to Hunts and the
frsde reduction from forty-eight feet
% the mile to eleven feet eastbound
and sixteen feet westbound. As an 40
oampaniment TO its construction there
Is in progress q revision of the present
line from Hunts to Hornell, twenty-siX
miles. Mr.. Underwood predicts that the
entire work will be finished by October 1,
The out through Bergen Hill near this
city Ia of direct interest to commuters,
bat II will greatly tend to increase the
facilities Of one Of the best Of freight
roads as well as to increase facilities Tor
suburban travel. The new route will
enable the company to use its freight
terminals every hour Of tho day. whereas
now the movement OF freight into this oity
s suspended four-f1fths OF the time be-
cause OF the demands of suburban pas
ssnger traffic. Four tracks are to be CON-
structed through the new cut and the
company will continue the use OF its two
tracks through the tunnel. According to
President Underwood's orders this line
must be completed by November /.
through test Of one OF the new lines
put In operation several weeks ago has
now been made. This line. tho Erie and
Jersey. was designed to give q low grade
through the Shawangunk Mountains east
OF Port Jervis. The test shows that under
al but exceptionally severe weather CON-
.'ihons locomotive can haul q seve' ty
or train as compared with a train haul
Of twenty-five cars over the old route.
h is this same idea OF economy in opera
ton that forms the underlying principle
Of the other work under way.