The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-04-01
GREAT RAILROAD PROJECT

The Extension of the Chicago, Mill
waukce & st. Paul Road to the
Pacific Coast "a Great Thing.
With the completion to the Pacific
coast in the near future of the ex-
tension Of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul Railway (called the Chica.
go, Milwaukee G. Puget Sound Rail
way) one more of the great railroad
systems of the west will rank as q
trans-continental. line. For the begin
nings Of this great railway system we
must go back to the year 1865, when
the Minnesota Central, now known
as the Iowa and Minnesota Division
OF the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
Railway was completed to Faribault,
MINI. 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 A.
721 miles in 1884, 6,065 miles in
1892, 1882 miles in 1903, 1924
miles in 1907, and 7,451 miles in
1908. The total length Of the ex-
tension now being completed from
the Missouri River to the coast is
1,4O0 miles, and by the time it is
opened the total mileage of the whole
system will have reached 5000 miles.
By the time of it's completion the
new line will have created a record
for rapidity of construction. Work
was begun in April, 1906, and if the
expectations Of the engineers and
contractors are fulfilled, the last
main line rail will be laid by April 1,
1909, and the whole stretch of 1,4OO
miles will have been built in the re-
markedly short time Of three years.
During this period 60, ZOO 900 cubic
yards of material will have been ex-
cavated, 100000 yards of tunnel
driven, 20 miles OF bridges erected,
and 100000 tons of 85-pound rails
laid, at a total cost of $S5,000,OO
The new line being the latest of
the transcontinental roads to be built
has all the advantages which comes
from accumulated experience in the
construction 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 char
acterized by favorable gradients and
easy curvature.
The new line begins at the town
of Mobridge in South Dakota, and
crosses the Missouri at a point about
100 miles due west of Aberdeen by
a handsome steel bridge. 1t is car
ried upon four concrete and stone
piers, the foundations for three of
which were put in by the pneumatic
caisson process. Pier No. 8, vas sunk
to a depth of 30 feet 6 inches below
low water. The bridge consists of a
steel t~hrough-truss span of 1913 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 ap-
proach consists Of 281 feet of steel
viaduct and 1889 feet of timber
%trestle, The filling of the timber
trestle will be completed this season.
After crossing the Missouri the line
parallels the State line through the
Standing Rock Indian Reservation,
and swings into North Dakota, touch
several small towns, including Mar
marth on the Little Missouri River.
where one of the division points will
be established. Thence 1t proceeds to
Terry, Mont, on the Yellowstone
River. and 4 miles to the west of
Terry 1t crosses the Northern Pacific
by an overhead bridge, and follows
the line of the Yellowstone River to
Miles City, Mont, where large divis-
ion terminals r being built. The
road passes through the valley of the
Musselshell River, and at Harlowton
toins the Montana Railroad, on which
"a large amount OF work has been
done in the way of reducing grades
and curvature to Accommodate the ex-
pected heavy traffic. At Lombard
the new line again crosses the North
ern 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 elevation of $3.50 feet