Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-01
$500 Miles Are Now
Under Construction
In wast ington, Idaho, Mon
tana and Oregon.
The New Work Involves Expendi-
ture Of $50, 900, 900 In 1909.

Spokane, Y ash, March 30-More miles
of railway ! les are under construction
in the Inlar Empire. taking in 10000
square mile Of territory in eastern
Washington, nefthern Idaho, western
Montana nor lie; stern Oregon and south
eastern Brit \ Columbia, than in any
other similar ara on this continent.
The mileage Washington alone is $500
and the wor in the other three States
and province me 1tioned will bring the
total to 400 ! les
The Grand unl Pacific. the Canadian
Pacific, the &; madam Northern and the
Great Northern and its subsidiary COM
panies have also made plans for an ac-
tive construction campaign in western
Canada. one engineer estimating that the
new work involves an expenditure of
more than Sgo00000o for 1909. The first
named expect running trains from
Edmonton, All . the Great Lakes by
next fail and t announced that the
express servic, f., the West to Winni-
peg will start lie.
Approximate : 'l miles of line was
built in Mont; ID. last year. when that
state headed me st of the Union for
new work. I'll are at present 45s5
miles of main lines. branches, yard
tracks and sidiaes in Washington. which
was second with between 800 and 600
miles built in 1fr The completion OF
the main line q | Chicago, Milwaukee
& Puget Sound H gay will add as much
more. In addit ol this approximately
| 1r St. ,,l oil wit ar a
projected to be ,upleted before 1911.
Steam roads low n operation in the In
land Empire ar. the Great Northern,
Northern Pacific. Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy. Spokane Falls & Northern (Hill
property, Spokane International Cana
dian Pacific system. Oregon Railroad &
Navigation Compauy Chairman system).
Central Washington and the Idaho &
Washington Nor Robert f. Stra-
horn, president o. the North Coast Rail-
way Company, bidding from Spokane to
the Sound. announces it will be part of a
transcOntinental system, the name of
which he will not give out at present.
The Canadian Pacific also will be eX-
tended from Spokane to the Pacific coast.
In addition to these activities, it is I'M
officially Announced that the Canadian
Pacific and the milwaukee, systems will
be connected by a new line to be built from
the Canadian boundary south down the
Flathcad valley to Kalispel. Mont, and
from point on the Milwaukee. north to
that city. With this stretch of road. 60
miles north of Il alispell and 10 miles
south, the Milw IKE will be able to
reach the coal fees ia British Columbia,
and the Canadiar Pacific road will find
an outlet traversed by the Milwaukee's
coast line for lumber and coal products
on its lines north OF the international
boundary.
The Canadian p. ia, will be a factor in
the Inland Empire already has en-
trance to Spokan" oN the Spokane In
ternational line, fullt oy ID. C. Corbin of
Spokane, and it ~ Low stated that a
further extension WI be obtained to
Portland over thr Oregon Railroad &
Navigation Compa ny's lines, and there
are indications thai it will eventually get
into Puget sound territory. While this
will cut into the Hill. Hartman and Earl
ing fields. there is enough business in
sight for all.
Economy of operation and facility in
handling freight from the East to south
western Washington and western Oregon
by way of Spokane have been greatly
promoted by the opening of the Spokane
Portland & Seattle line along the column
hia River giving an outlet over practical
~ water grades for tranc which formerly
went over the Northern Pacific and the
Great Northern lines.
G. +. Pridei hydraulic engineer of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Rail-
way says that contracts will be awarded
shortly for two electric power plants in
the Bitter Roor mountains to furnish
power for the operation Of more than 100
miles of line on the Idaho division, be-
tween st. Joe, Idh., nd St. Regis. Mont.
The plants. to furnis 1000 horse power,
will be on the st. ] river. at st. Joe,
Idh and on the Mis- >ula river. 40 miles
below Missoua. Mo t. The grades are
heavy. ranging from 2h to per cent.
Several other sites ave been located,
and if il is deemed a visable later to in
stall electrical opera on over a greater
portion of the road ditional plants will
be established.
More than 10000 h, se-power electrical
energy is developed Il and near Spokane,
and there is at least 10000 horsepower
available and undeve red. TIE eXpcndi-
ture upon electrical plants and service
amounted to $3,0O0,000 in 1908. The Wash
ington Water Power Company, of which
Henry NJ. Richards is president announces
that SIG OOO. GEO will be expended at the rate
of 100000 a year in extending its city
and interurban electric railways and light
and power plants, and the Spokane & In
land Empire Electric Railway system.
headed by Jay p. Ora IS. also has paas
for extensive works addition to the
projects now under y. rms company
is surveying 4 line o the Big Bend
wheat belt.
There are numerous Their electric rail
way projects, one of ese being pas
senger and freight lin from Nighthawk
to Brewster, WASH, the OkanoSan
Electric Railway Con any, headed by
Colonel Albert NJ d, 'ey of Spokane.
The building of this means an eX-
penditure of $2,5O0OOO The Big Bend
Transit Company will lso build line
to penetrate the whes belt. west of
Sy,,Al .af n