Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-17

down by this company during the year
1902 at a cost Of $4,000. This trackage
covers eight miles in Nebraska, from Kelley
to Northport; thirty-three miles from
Onaga to Marysville, Kan; twenty-six
miles Greeley TO Briggsdale, Colo. and in
the same state eighteen miles from Sand
Creek to st. Vrains, and thirteen miles
from Cloverly to Hungerford. At the pres
ent time about twenty-five miles Of track
age is being finished up in Colorado.
L. z. wants Bigger station.
The UH10u Pacific road is trying to get
the Union station in Omaha enlarged, as 1t
is far to small for the amount OF travel
coming through here. BY an average made
by the station authorities, over 1900 people
pass through the setation each day This
does not mean that that many go away,
but many visit tho station to meet friends
or see them off The enlargement will
cost over $5OO,OOO, but as it is necessary TO
get the consent of the eight OtLef roads
using the station, the Union Pacific road
cannot go ahead until word from them is
received.
over 100000 people travel over the
Union Pacific trains each year, and the
problem OF caring for the safety and lives
Of it's passengers has become one of para
mount Importance among the officials OF
the road. No railroad anywhere has a bet
ter system Of train dispatch than is shown
In the rush hours over the Gate to the
West" the big railroad over the Missouri
river leading into the Union station. Hun
dreds of trains a day pass over the stretch
Of tracks between Council Bluffs, Ia, tc
Summit, Neb., where the Lane Cutoff
comes off from the old Union Pacific and
practically no accidents are had on tht
line.
Millions of dollars have been spent by
this road on block signals and other safety
devices, and now 1t is the proud boast OF
the Union Pacific that 1t has the Safe
route to the Pacific coast. The entire line
from Colorado to San Francisco is covered
by means OF an elaborate system of signals
and each train passes its progress is re-
ported by the silent hands that signal fol
lowing trains to stop until the first trair
has left the block.
u. +. Has Big Block system.
One-third OF the block system OF thu
United states is on the Union Pacific
lines, nearly 5000 miles being placed on it,
lines. Installation costs about $1,50O pei
mile, and the annual cost per mile fo
maintenance is $3.50. Prevention of &C
cidents by no means covers this cost, &C
cording to one railroad official. but thu
added safeguard that the public knows 1
has, more than recompenses the roads. anC
the volume OF business in passenger trave
makes up for the expense Incurred.
Probably no other road in the world ha'
put SO much money into the construction
OF its roadbed for the mileage obtained
and 1t is safe to say that in recent year,
the Union Pacific has built works of en-
cheering of a magnitude never undertaken
by railroad before.
The first OF these Is the famous Lam
Cutoff, saving nine miles Of travel anC
costing s3,OOO,0OO. About 100000 cubic
yards of embankment were built in It
Other great works not so near Omaha
were the Sherman Hill cut, the Dali
Creek crossing, the Asen tunnel, anC
the greatest work Of all, the Great Sal
Lake Cutoff. The last is 102 miles lonl
and save forty-three miles in the road ant
thousands of dollars in the yearly opera
ton of trains.
Irrigation Helped Roads.
| When the idea of a road 10 the Pacifi
was first proposed It was thought that