East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-06-21
.DESCAuTES ROAD
UP TO HARTMAN
RIGHT OF WAY APPROVED
BY SECRETARY BALLINGER

RIGHT OF WAY APPROVED
BY SECRETARY BALLINGER
said That New Loopholc for Delay
Has Been Found by Hartman,
HowcVcr-C Condemnation Proceed
ings May BE Delayed Until Fall
Railroad OFFICIALS Are Non-COm-
mittal-Survey Are Made and the
/ Work Could Begin Promptly.
Although there snn't solitary OBJ
stacle in the way to prevent Harrl-
man from advertising for bids for the
obstruction OF a considerable por-
ton of the road into central Oregon,
a new loophole for delay has been
found that may throw the entire
matter over until next fall, says the
Telegram, 1t all depends on whether
the legal department of the Harri-
man service wants to push the con-
demnation suits that now pending
through the present term of court, or
whether the cases are to be passed
over until the fall term.
W. w. Cotton. general counsel for
the Hartman interests, is uncertain
as to just when these cases will be
/ advanced for trial When pushed for
a definite answer as to when actual
construction on the road might be in
augurated he declined to fix the time
that might elapse, even in terms of
months. His answer was a dubious
sake of the head and non-commit-
tai. "I don't know I can't tell. 1t
depends on Mr.. O'Brien."
General Manager O'Brlen. imme-
dlately upon his arrival in Portland
from the east today, went home and
denied himself to everybody. Mr..
/ Cotton failed to add whether Mr..
O'Brien had ventured any opinion on
! this point during their five-day trip
across the continent, which ended
this morning. But, at the same time,
Harrimans legal light was in a
pleasant frame of mind and dis
cussed the central Oregon project in
a cursory manner without divulging
any particular state secrets.
He said that Mr.. O'Brien had been
directly instrumental in getting ac-
ton on the approval of the right-of-
way maps by the secretary of the in
terror by taking a little side trip to
the national capital from New York
No Official Notification.
"Of course. you must bear in mind
my young friend, that We know moth
ing further about the matter thar
what you have published in tho
PAPERS" he said, land we can d,
nothing until we receive official not
fication of the approval Of these
maps. The impression seems to pre-
| vail that 1t was the maps for th'
| lower line which Secretary Ballinge'
y has approved. That is not so. HI
approved the Nighttime surveys
/ which will throw us up in the al
' more than 100 feet above the lowe
} surveys. will add enormously to th'
: cost of construction, and later t.
I operating expenses. We go, In othe
l words. above any point at which tn
l government might construct its pro
jected dam site. We would mucl
= prefer building on the water grade
and If we can we will figure ou
= some way of doing it, although
= don't see how we can at the presen
Y time"
: Attorney Cotton isn't at all con
r vinced that the government ever ex
4 poets to make use of the dam sit
s which 1t has reserved. but he doesn'
; like to admit 1t. He Is outspoker
Y however, regarding the oregon trun
; line. whose surveys were approved
t with the same stroke Of the pen tha
Y cleared the way for the Deschute
River company.
"I don't think they ever had an
idea of building up the Deschute
e canyon" he stated, "and they Ger
g tainly could not have made any sur
e veys that would be worth anything u
q the brief time their crews were in tn
n field"
J, BY inference, at least, Mr.. Cotto
: conveyed the impression that tn
c Hartman interests would not hav
q any competition when they got dow
v to actual construction of their roa
Il into central Oregon.
y Surveys All Made.
l. Chief Engineer George W. Boschk
d this morning confirmed what ha
}. been stated in the Telegram on
former occasion: that his office ha
estimates and all other engineerin
prelimlnaries in such shape that the
N would go right ahead with the wor
at once. He showed series of ph1
n tographs which graphically pol
q trayed some Of the titanic engineer
Al ing problems, such as heavy roc
q work through perpendicular basalti
n cliffs, long tunnels through simila
s. formation, and long bridges leapin
:. chasms at dizzy heights. For exam
9. pie. the bridge across Willow cree
k at the 121-mile point will be 11O
% feet long and more than 100 fee
d above the river. The bridge acro'
# Crooked river at the 10S-mile poir
will be cantilever structure 3O2 fe'
n above the gorge and $50 feet lonI
If the cantilever span being $50 feet
10 length.