The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-26
SEND ROCK ISLAND
THROUGH TO COAST
Project Takes Shape for Great
Railroad Line in South
ern Utah.
DEVELOP RICH COUNTRY
To Cross Colorado River Near
Confluence With San Juan;
Thence Build Westward.
DEVELOP RICH COUNTRY

A gigantic project involving the eXten
sion OF the Rock Island railroad 10 the
Pacific coast and the development OF a
wonderfully rich country In southern
Utah Is contemplated by that great rail-
road system Latest activities In south
ern Utah indicate that the Rock Island
proposes to proceed with It's plans with
out delay.
Fl. N Cowles. Il weliknown catueman
or Escalanie. arrived in Salt Lake yes
ferdsy bringing news OF recent move,
ments on the part Of the Rock Island
officials
CoWles. II took across the river Mr.
Giddlngs. for a long time n high sta.e
official of Michigan and nov In the
banking business al Taos. y. NJ, and w.
These two men are intimately associated
with the Rock Island people ana knVW
their plans. Mr.. G'ddings ana Mt,
wanamaker engaged me 10 guide them
along the proposed route or the ROCK
Islands extension, and when we hed
completed the journey Mr.. Glddings SAID
THE plan s for the Rock island 10
build northward from Cortez, Colo,
which place Will be reached by line
from tic Park. \. NJ. AT the end ~ the
Rock Islands branch from Dalhart Okla;
From Cortez the proposed line northward
and westward will reach the Utah line IN
the southeastern part OF san Juan couh
~. Then II will come westward by way
Of Grayson. which ia south OF Mon'lceilo
and north OF Bluff StirtinG the south
ern end OF the Elk mountains, the road
WILL cross the Colorado near that
streams confluence with the san .nan,
The Colorado al that point Is about Hho
fec, wide. and there Is an ideal site for
a railroad bridge.
Find Easy Grade.
The line will then strike northwest :
erly just south Of the kaiparE;w,eI ~, owl
line from the Colombo. was told by
Mr. Giddings that the grade from Esca-
lan'e TO the. river crossing VIII be less
than one half 81 one per cent. 49,
From Escalante the new road will
make for Panguitch just south OF the
Aquarlus plateau. crossing the south foTK foTKS
OF tho SEWER river. Then the route will
he west Ia Parownn by either the Bear
VALLEY or the PanGuiich lake route. I,eav (.
ing Psrowsn, u will round the south end
Of Rush lake and continue oyer the des. .
er1 into Nevada. Fioche viii be the nrs'
Nevada town touched.
Following out tho plan 10 build to
the coast tho understanding is that tie
lei the Salt Lake Route and Will proba ,
bly, use the southern route surveyed
when the washouts crippled the salt
Lake Route TWO years ago.
"The Rock Islands coast extension VIII
he n total OF about 1900 miles from Cor
tez. The line from Cortez to Escaiante
will be about 800 miles In lenetn- II VIII
tap one Of tho most wonderful regions
in the world Right near Fscalante there
is coal area thirty by siNt% miles In
extent. whose deposit Is eighteen feet
thick. All the way 20 tho Colorado river
there is the finest fruit land 10 he found
anywhere. Tha, section is I'm the same
belt as the Grand Junction fruit district.
Is Rich Country
Experts have been in the Escalante
country looking over the oil situation.
and they tell us that the prospects in our
country are better even than those that
are the rule either at Bluff or Green
River.
"The building of the Rock Island. as
have indicated would mean the develop
m"nt Of an immense area of as fine a
country as the sun ever shone on. There
IS really no limit 10 the resources down
that way. and the only thing that has
retarded development has been the lack
OF transportation facilities.
For the last eight years Rock Island
railroad surveyors have been in the field
n, various times, but II seems that they
always went back with the report that
tho routes presented tremendous cnGi
neering difficulties. Mr.. GiddingE tells
me that these engineering difficulties do
not exist IN fact. and that there Is a
perfectly feasible route along the gen
eral line I have outlined. Tho people
down our way certainly would hail the
coming Of railroad with delight 1t
would mean millions for them