The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-23
WILL MIDLAND
EXTEND ROAD
Railroad Man Thinks This is lmprob-
able Under Existing Condi-
tions.

Salt Lake, Dec. Concerning the
reported intention of the Burlington
to extend the Colorado Midland rail-
road TO Salt Lake. prominent rail
road man this morning said. 1T does
not look reasonable that the Midland
would be. extended to Salt Lake under
present conditions. as the Denver
Rio Grande. the most direct competit-
or Of the Burlington. owns half the
Midland.
Granting. however, that the Bur
linZton wishes To reach Salt Lake for
4 connection with the Western Pa
cific, If II should build from Newcas-
tie II would then have line l,6l0
miles from Chicago 10 Salt Lake.
crossing the range at an elevation OF
] 900 feet, the entire line through
Colorado already constructed being
over steep grades. requiring an I'M
mense amount OF extra power and an
enormous expense TO handle the bus
mess. and would involve the con-
struction OF 600 miles OF costly con-
structlon work from Newcastle to
Salt Lake much OF which would also
be over steep grades
"On the other hand il the BurllnG-
build from Cheyenne to Salt Lake,
not to exceed 500 miles, over COM
paratively easy grades as compared
with the Colorado Midland. The cost
OF construction probably would not be
much greater than to build the 800
miles from Newcastle and they would
then have a line /. .542 miles from Chi
cago TO Salt Lake, crossing a range
at an elevation of not TO exceed 5000
feet. about 5000 feet lower than that
OF the Colorado Midland with 116 miles
less mileage.
According to conservative esu-
mates. the approximate cost of con-
structlng the 500 miles from Chey-
enne TO Salt Lake would be 100000 per
mile, or a total of $4,000. 900, while
the cost OF building the 800 miles from
Newcastle would be at least $4,000
per mile, or n total of Sl2 100000 The
81. 900, 600 additional cost of construc.
ton via Cheyenne would he saved In
two years operation or less. on ac-
count of 116 miles less mileage on all
through traffic and 1900 feet less ele-
walton. besides much easier grade at
other points.
Furthermore. the Denver & Rio
Grande. owning n half interest in the
Colorado Midland, would at least have
something TO say as 10 the latter line
paralleling the Denver & Rio Grande
to Salt Lake.
'In view OF the above. does It not
look more reasonable that the line
from Meekcr is being built TO handle
the business from northwestern Col
orado and the Uintah basin. giving
them a direct outlet east. that the
Moffat road has been tawen over by
the Denver &Rio Grande and Will be
at Dotsero. requiring only
about 40 miles new construction which |
viii shorten the Denver C Rio Grande |
about 125 miles from Denver to Salt |
Lake, which with the construction of |
the Meeker line into Routt county,
Colo, and Uintah basin will tap the !
best of the country which the Moffat |
line intended to cover? represent |
alive OF a prominent eastern bond |
house recently made the statement in |
The Denver & Rio Grande and will be |
100000 in the Western Pacific railway, |
md in order to protect their holdings |
md make IL paying proposition. they |
would have 10 advance additional !
money to complete the Mof(at tunnel |
md connect the Moffat line with the
Denver & Rio Grande, and he further
predicted this would be done"