Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-30
PORTLAND CUTOFF
MAY Be PLANNED
To Run Line Over Lake and Is
lands to Raft River,
Idaho.
FOLLOWING HARTMAN POLICY
New Route Would Save Mileage and
Would Cut Out Some Very
Heavy Grades.
FOLLOWING HARTMAN POLICY

Another explanation of the activity OF
the oregon Short Line engineers In
taking soundings of the lake from
Ninth North street across to Antelope
Island IL offered in the suggestion that
II is me first MOVEMENT in the con-
struction OF the proposed Raft River
cutoff, by which a matter of about 70
miles could be saved over the present
route between Salt Lake and Portland.
as well as the climb OF 80 feet now
made daily over the Cornish hill.
The route which seems most feasible
to be followed by the proposed cutoff
would be to build across the lake from
Salt Lake city 10 Antelope island,
traVersing this and also Fremonts
island. bridging the water lying be-
tween F'remonts and the Promontory;
following the western slope OF Prom
outory to an intersection with the
original line of the Southern Pacific,
probably at Monument, thence north
westerly through the great Curlew
valley across the line into the Raft
river valley in Idaho; taking In the
towns OF Bridge and Conant in the
Raft river valley. across to Albion,
the capital of Cassia county and
thence northwesterly TO Burley. where
u
Twin Falls branch of the Short Line.
AVOIDS TWO BAD HILLS.
From Burley the route OF the Twin
Falls branch would be followed to Bull,
the present terminus OF the Twin Falls
branch. 1t is planned, however, to ex-
tend this branch on through the Bru-
neau country to junction with the
present main line at or beyond Glenn's
Ferry, thus giving the Short Line n
double track between Ipcatello and
western Idaho, and effecting a saving
in distance by way of the proposed
Raft river cutoff and the Bull extern
sion as we'll as avoiding the climbs
of the King and Merbury hills.
The distance between Salt Lake city
and Pocatello as covered by the present
road is III miles; from Pocatello to
Bull, over Twin Falls branch is 81
miles. making a total OF 252 miles be-
tween Salt Lake and Burnley. Along
the proposed line across the lake and
through the Raft river country. the
distance to Burnley is about IT'S miles
The elevation at Monument on the old
line OF the Southern Pacinc, which Is
perhaps the highest point TO be touched
in the across lake route, is $3.50 feet.
The elevation at oxford, beyond Cor
nish on the present line is 4,75s feet,
or difference Of 800 feet tin the grade
In favor OF the proposed route.
IN LINE WITH POLICY.
The constant aim of the Hartman
roads has been for years to cut down !
the distance and thus shorten the run
ming time, reduce grades and eliminate |
curves, making for better, safer, |
cheaper and more rapid transportation. |
In line with this policy, the Sherman |
hill on the backbone of the Rockies /
was out down; the old arduous, heavy |
climb over the Promontory mountain |
was done away with by the construc- |
ton of the bridge across Salt Lake
the Lucin cutoff; and now the PROPOSE |
ton to reduce the distance and cut /
down the grades between Salt Lake |
and Portland by the Raft river cutoff; /
the continuation Of the Bull branch |
the level valley to the Snake |
river, and thence through the box can |
yon west of Huntington down the /
Homestead valley TO Lewiston and over |
an all-river grade down the Columbia |
to Portland would seem TO be in line |
with this policy and among the strong |
probabilities OF the near future.
IL has been already announced that /
the Short Line had approved OF 81 /
project to extend from Saline. a point |
Of the lake along the Iucin /
cuton. into the Raft river country. |
to Burnley; and the proposed line across
to Antelope island and into the city by |
Ninth North is doubtless the continue
ton of the new cutoff to Portland.