The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-10-05
RACE TO CAPTURE
CASCADE PASS
GREAT NORTHERN AND MIL
WAUKEE SAID TO BE RACING
TO GET CONTROL OF VANTAGE
POINT-CASCADE PASS.

Bellingham, Oct. 5.-Civil engi
neers representing the Great North
ern and the Chicago, Milwaukee G
st. Paul railways are engaged in a
race for the possession of the Cas-
cade pass, in the Cascade mountains.
At the present time the Great North
ern has a force of seventy-five men
in the field running lines up the east
and west slopes of the mountain
range. The Milwaukee road has had
surveyors in the field for almost
year, it is stated, and have almost
completed the surveys, which will be
the proposed railway.
Two weeks ago today party of
surveyors under the direction of
Chief Engineer Brinkley and Engi-
neer Gaines of the Great Northern
railway went into the upper Skagit
region. They located headquarters
four miles east of Rockport. A large
crew of men has been at work since
that time. 1t is stated by those in
touch with the situation that the sur
veyors have completed six miles OF
right of way. Three separate lines
are being run, it is stated, evidently
for the purpose of getting the best
grades.
At the same time another crew OF
engineers is coming over the Cas-
cade mountains, headed for the Cas-
cade pass The entire force is said
to consist of seventy-five men, and
recruits are added daily. 1t is said
that the instruments of the engineers
are marked &c. N. R." so that there
is no question of the identity Of the
surveyors. Both crews appear to be
headed for common goal, which is
declared to be the Cascade pass.
It has developed that the surveys
that have been made during the. past
year have been backed by the Chi
cago, Milwaukee e st. Paul railway.
The work of running the lines was
completed during the past summer
and the engineers left the field of
operations. Recently, however. a
small crew was sent back, and Is at
work now correcting the surveys that
were made. This force is said to con-
sist of about ten men. Five right
of-way were secured drought the
Washington national forest by the
Skagit, Cascade & Stehekin railway,
the shortest being up the Cascade
river to Cascade pass.
It now looks as thought the Great
Northern would build a line, to Bel
lingham by way Of the south fork of
the Kooksack river. A feasible. route
would be to build a road out of Bel
bingham to Acme, then follow the
south fork as far as Lyman pass, and
from there to the Skagit river. six
miles east of Hamilton, to connect
with the present Great Northern
line. This road would make tribu
tary to Bellingham 100000 900
feet of standing timber, according to
pioneers and cruisers, and would also
tap some of the finest silver mines
and marble. tale and limestone de-
posts in the county.
1t is anticipated that within
short time the actual battle for the
possession of the Cascade pass will
be opened. 1t is believed that the
Great Northern has already made
large number Of surveys in the vi
entity of the "toboggan slide" 1t is
now cutting off all the curves pos
sible, and reducing the grades to
minimum to meet the demands of the
Milwaukee road for a short route
over the mountains. The running of
the surveys is only the first step in
the war for the mastery for the nor
thern pass, which lies in an almost
Jirocf limo hotuoop PoJlin oh m ap6
Spokane.