Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-04-09
The Extension of the Chicago. Mil
Wdukee & st. Paul Railway to
the Pacific Coast
the Pacific Coast

COcSt III tlit ucdl lutuiO VI 1IiS OAtouSluL
of the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Pau
Railway Called the Chicago, Milwaukee
& Iuget Sound Railway one more of the
great railroad systems of the west will
rank as a trans-cOntinental line. For
the beginnings of this great railway sys-
tenn We must go back to the year 1865,
when the Minnesota Central, now knOwD
as the Iowa and Minnesota Division of
the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
Railway, was competed to Farlbault,
Minn. This road reached the Iowa line
in 1866, and was completed to St. Paul
in 1867. Since that time the growth of
the system has been rapid, the total
mileage reaching 4,72l miles in 1884,
6,065 miles in 1892, 6,372 miles in 1903,
1884 miles in 19 7, and 7,45l miles in
1903. The total length Of the extension
now being completed from the Missouri
River to the coast is l,40O miles, and by
the time it is opened the total mileage
of the whole system will have reached
5000 mics.
By the time of its completion the new
line will have created record for ra-
pidlty of construction. Work was begun
in April, 1906, and if the expectations Of
the engineers and contractors are full
filled, the last main line rail will be laid
by April l., 1909, and the whole stretch
of 1,4OO miles will have been built in the
remarkably short time of three years.
During this period 100000 cubic yards
of material will have been excavated,
100000 yards Of tunnel driven, 70 miles
of bridges erected, anu 100000 tons of
So pound rails laid, at a total cost of $50,
100000.
The new line being the latest Of the
transcontinental roads to be built, has all
the advantages which come from accumu-
lated experience in the construction OF
similar roads that have already been
built.
From the standpoint of operation, the
most important q estlon Is that Of
grades, and particularly what is known
as the ruling grade" this last being
the maximum degree of grade occurring
on any given stretch of the line. The
new line is characterized by favorable
gradients aud easy curvature.
The new line begins at the t Wn of
Mobridge in South Dakota. and crosses
the Missouri at point about LOO miles
due west of Aberdeen by handsome
ateel bridge. Ii is carried .opon four
concrete and stone piers, the foundations
| for three of which were put in by the
Pneumatic caisson process. Pier No. 3
was suLh to depth Of 80 feet 6 inches
below low water. The bridge consists
of steel through-truss span Of i2S feet
on the east approach, followed by three
steel through-truss spans each 423 feet
4 inches in length, which form the main
bridge The west approach consists OF
2Sl feet of steel viaduct and 1899 feet OF
timber trestle. The filing of the timber
trestIe will be completed this season.
After crossing the Missouri the line par
alleis the State inc through the Stand
ing 4 ok Indian Reservation and swings
into North Dakota, touching several
small towns, including Marmarth on the
Little Missouri River, Whtre one of the
division points will be established
Thence. it proceeds to Terry, Mont. on
the Yellowstone River, and miles tC
the west of Terry it crosses the Northern
Pacific by an overhead bridge, and fol
lows the line of the Yellowstone River tC
Miles City, Mont, where large division
terminals are being built. The rOaC
passes through the valley of the Mus
seisheil River, and at HarlOWtOn joins
the Montana Railroad, on which large
amount of work has been done in tht
way of reducing grades and curvature
to accommodate the expected heay.
traffic. At Lombard the new line agaiI
crosses the Northern Pacific Railway
and then climbs the great continental
divide between Piedmont on the eastern
side of the Rockies and the city of But
on the west. At an elevation of $685.
feet, the road pierces the mountains a
the head of Pipestone Pass.
From Butte the road will pass by tn,
way of the broad and fertile Deer Lodg
valley to Garri on and Miss0ula, Mont
and at Haugan, Mont. will cOmmenc,
the climb over the Bitter Root Mountain
range. At the summit it will pass thru
tunnel 1851 feet in length, and afte
crossing St. Paul Pass at an elevation o
4,160 feet it will pass through the famou
Cour d'Alene district. At Beverly, Wash
the line reaches the Columbia River. Th
last stretch of the new road passes thru
the virgin timber lands of Snopualmi
Pass in the Cascade Mountains, whicl
are probably the richest timber lands il
the State of Washington; and then afte
following the Cedar River valley t.
Maple valley, it runs into the populou
and thriving cities of Seattle and Tao
coma on the Pacific coast. The line t.
Tacoma runs through Kent and Auburn
passes through Sumner and North Puy
allUp, crossing the river of that name
and then entering the famous seaport o
:, Tacoma.
Although for considerable portion o