Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-04-08
The Extension of the Chicago,
Milwaukee and st. Paul Rail-
way to the Pacific Coast,


of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
Railway (called the Chicago. Milwau-
kee q Puget Sound Railway one more
of the great railroad systems of the west
will rank aa a transcontinental line. For
the beginnings of this great railway
syytem we must go back to the wear
1865, when the Minnesota Central. now
known as the Iowa and Minnesota
Division of the Chicago. Milwaukee &
st. Paul Railway, was completed to
Fairbault, Mimi. 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 4.121
miles in 1884, 6,O65 miles in 1892, $3.50
miles in 1908, 1864 miles in 1907, and
7,451 miles in 1908. The total length
of the extension now being completed
from the Missouri River to the coast is
1,4OO miles, and by the time it is opened
the total mileage of the whole system
will have reached 5000 miles.
By the time of its completion the new
line will have created a record for
rapidity of construction. Work was
begun in April, 1906, and if the expect
ations of the engineers and contractors
are fulfilled, the last main line rail will
be laid by April 1, 1909, and the whole
stretch of 400 miles will have been
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three years. During this period 10000,
600 cubic yards of material will have
been excavated, 800, 600 yards of tunnel
| driven 20 miles Of bridges erected, and
200,0 900 tons of So pound rails laid, at a
total cost of $50 900 900.
The new line being the latest of the
| transcOntinental roads to be built, has
| all the advantages which come from
accumulated experience in the con
struction of similar roads that have
already been built.
From the standpoint of operation, the
most important question 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 gra-
dents and easy curvature.
The new line begins at the town of
Mobridge in South Dakota, and crosses
the Missouri at point about 100 miles
due west of Aberdeen by a handsome
steel bridge. 1t is carried upon four
concrete and stone piers, the fOunda
tiOns for three Of which were put in by
the pneumatic caissOn process. Pier
No 3 was sunk to a depth of 80 feet 6
inches below low water. The bridge
consists Of steel thorough truss span Of
1873 feet on the east approach, followed
by three steel thorough truss spans
each 423 feet four inches in length,
which form the main bridge. The west
viaduct and ,289 feet of timber trestle.
The filling Of the timber trestIe will be
completed this season. After crossing
the Missouri the lines parallels the
State line through the Standing Rock
| Indian Reservation, and swings into
North Dakota, touching several small
| towns, including Marmarth on the
| Little Missouri River, where one of the
| division points will be established.
Thence, it proceeds to Terry, Mont, on
! the Yellowstone River, and 4 miles to
the west Of Terry it crosses the North
ern Pacific by an overhead bridge, and
| follows the line of the Yellowstone
River to Miles City, Mont, where large
division terminals are being built. The
road passes through the valley Of the
| Musselshell River, and at HarlOwtOn
joins the Montana Railroad, on which
a large amount Of work has been done
in the way Of reducing grades and cur
| heavy traffic. At Lombard the new
line again 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 Butte on the west At an eleva-
ton of $3.50 feet, the road pierces the
mountains at the head Of PipestOne
Pass.
From Butte the road will pass by the
way of the broad and fertile Deer Lodge
valley to Garrison and Missoula, Mont,
and at Hangar, Mont, will commence
the climb over the Bitter Root Noun
tain range At the summit it will pass
trough tunnel s, 751 feet in length, and
after crossing st. Paul Pass at an eleva-
ton of AGO feet it will pass through
the famous COur d'Alene district At
Beverly, Wash, the line reaches the
Columbia River. The last stretch Of
the new road passes through the virgin
| timber lands of SnOqualmie Pass in the
| Cascade Mountains, which are probably
the richest timber lands in the State of
| Washington and then after following
the Cedar River valley to Maple valley,
it runs into the populOus and thriving
| cities of Seattle and Tacoma on the
| Pacific coast. The line to Tacoma runs
! through Kent and Auburn, passes
| through Sumner and North Puyallup,
crossing the river of that name, and
then entering the famous seaport Of
| Tacoma,
Although for considerable portion
of its distance the new line traverses
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