The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-08-04

After e1ght years OF persistent re-
ports of the building of railroads,
trains are at last in operation in Nc
Kenzie county. OF course they are
not running regularly as yet but there
are supply lines over which real en-
gines are moving, bringing in great
quantities. of materials for the Great
Northern line which will traverse the
county. 1t is expected that by the
middle of October the o will be
completed between Fairview on the
border line between Montana and
North Dakota and Watford, four miles
southwest of Schafer. 9.1
This line will be part of the extern
sion connecting Lewiston, Mont, andd
New Rockford, N. D. The object IN
building this part of the road is to
hasten the final completion of the
line. Supply lines or cowlines, as they
are generally known, have been bullt
from Mondak to Fairview and from
Watford to a point on the Missouri
river directly north. Material for
roadwork is freighted over these lines,
that coming to Watford being shipped
by boat down the Missouri river 70
the head Of the cowline. The build
ing of this track will enable the con
struction crews to operate from four
points next year. They will build
from Lewiston, east, from Fairv1eW
west, from Watford east and from
New Rockford west. $
s.Spurred on by 500. I
While the Great Northern officials
are naturally DESTROYS of completing
their work as soon as possible, tney,
are being spurred to greater activity
by the fact that the 500 will begin
as possible. The 500 now has several
parties Of surveyors in the county
selecting the final route for their line.
The construction of the Great Mort
thern line presents, several difficult
engineering feats and the cost per
mile will probably be the highest OF
any line constructed in the state. FROM
New Rockford west the work Will be
| comparatively easy until the nne
| strikes Elbowoods where it crosses the
| Big and Little Missouris. Here It
must cross the river not once but
| several times. This is in the heart
of the Red Lands and the hills be-
| come steep bluffs, facing the river.
AS the Little Missouri makes several
sharp turns here it was a case OF
| crossing back and forth over the
or going through these bluffs n the
engineers chose to go over the river
ShoveIs Are Overcome.
Shortly after getting over the riv-
er, the engineers struck n Of the
most remarkable conditions found IN
ra%ilroading. In attempting to make
a cut through the hill, they found that
nature had a method Of filling up the
cavity as fast as two steam shovels
could make it. For more than q
month the two shovels were kept at
work and every morning the cut was
as full as the day before. AS work
has been abandoned on practically all
the line except between Watford ana
Fairview, this problem has not vet
been solved. The explanation OF the
unusual condition given by the en-
gineers in charge of the work Is that
the hill was formed under m kind
of great pressure and that as soon
as the crust was removed that the
soil which was held in bondage be-
gan to come UP.
Two miles west of Watford the con-
%struction gangs have another difficult
task, although 1T does not present any
unusual features. Here it becomes nee
essary to grade a big valley. To do
this viii require approximately 1000
600 cubic yards Of dirt. AT one point
the grade will be fifty-six feet high.
1.-TWO steam shovels are at work cutting
down the adjoining hills to secure this
dirt and about 200 small cars are being
used to haul the dirt on the improVised
tracks which have been built.
Series OF Cuts and Grades.
AT distances of one or two miles all
through the county are camps of con-
slruction gangs and the entire track
is a series of cuts and grades. "A few
miles east of Fairview a tunnel a
lquarter of a mile long has just been
dug through. While a passage way
has been made. there still remains
much work to fit it for service.
In attempting to cross the Yellow
stone river the engineers met with
considerable difficulty. Three times
the bridge which they were trying to
build was partly forced out. Twice
during the winter the bridge was al
most completed but twice the river
broke up, and the great masses OF Ice
coming down at terrific speed smashed
the bridges to- pieces. The piles FOR
the fourth bridge had all been driven
and III will be completed so as to with
stand the breakup Of the coming year.
] While the entire line Wi~Il4probably
mot be completed for two years. the
HRaH Ne.M