The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-08-02

1&SeT eISHL years OF persistent re.
ports Of the building Of railroads,
Kenzie county. OF course they are
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
line which will traverse. the
county. 1t is expected that by the
middle Of October the road will he
completed between Fairview on the
border line between Montana and
North Dakota and Watford. four
miles southwest of Schafer.
This line will be part of the extern
sion connecting Lewistown. Mont.
and New. Rockford. N. D. The OBJ
ject in building this part of the road
is to hasten the Anal completion of
the line. Supply lines or cowlines. as
they are generally known, have been
built from Mondak to 'Fairview and
from Watford to a point or the Mis-
river directly north. Material
Tor roadwork is freighted over these
shipped by boat down the Missouri
river to the head of the cowline. The
building Of this track will enable the
construction crews to operate from
four points next year. They will
build from Lewistown east, from
Fairview west, from Watford east
and from New Rockford west. .
Spurred on BY 500.
While the Great Northern officials
are naturally desirous of completins
their work as soon as possible, they
are being spurred. to greater activity
by the fact that the 500 will begin
operations on a parallel line as soon
possible. The 500 now has several
parties of surveyors in the county
selecting the final route for their line.
The construction Of the Great Nor
tnern 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 line
strikes ElboWoods where it crosses the
Big n Little M%issouris. Here it
must cross the river not once but
several times. This is in the heart
OF the Bad Lands and the hills be-
come steep bluffs facing the ~'ver,
AS the Little Missouri makes several
sharp turns here it was a case of
crossing back and forth over the river
or going through these bluffs and the
engineers chose to go over the river.
Shovels Are Overcome.
Shortly after getting over the riv.
Ell. the engineers struck one of the
most remarkable conditions found in
railroading. In attempting to make
a cut through the hill. the found thai
nature la a method of filing up the
as fast as two steam shovels
could make 1t. For more than. q
month the two shovels were kept al
work and every morning the cut was
as full as the day before. AS work
a peen abandoned on practically all
the n except between Watford and
Fairview, this problem has not We,
been solved. The explanation of the
unusual condition given by the en-.
gineers in charge Of the work is tina,
the hill was formed under some KIND
OF great pressure and that as soor
as the crust was removed that thu
SOIL which was held in bondage be.
gan to come up. =.
" miles west Of Watford the
construction gangs have another. DIFF.
1cuit task although it does not pre-,
sent n unusual, features. Here
becomes necessary to grade a biz, val.
ley. To do this will require approx,
mately 1000, 900 cubic yards Of dirt
At n point the grade will be fifty.
six feet high. Two steam shovel.
are at work cutting down the adioin.
ing hills to secure this dirt and abou,
1Vo smaIl cars are being used to hau'
the dirt on the improvised tracks
which have been built.
Series Of Cuts and Grades.
At distances of n or two mile,
all through the county are camps Of
construction -,ngs and the entire
track Is a series Of cuts and grades
A Few miles east of Fairview a TUNE
a quarter of a mile long has Just beer
dug through. While a passage way
a been made their still remain,
much work to fit it for service.
In attempting to cross the Yellow.
stone river the engineers met with
considerable difficulty. Three times
bridge which they were trying to
puild was partly forced out. Twice
curing the winter the. bridge was al.
most completed but twice the river
o up and the great masses of ice
coming down at terrific speed smashed
the bridges to pieces; The piles fol
n 1t will be completed so as to
Withstand the breakup of the comfne
year.
While the entire line will probably
not be completed for two. years. the
people OF Mckenzie country are tubi-
liant over the prospects of being able
to ship their grain and receive their
supplies by rail this fall. While the
north from Watford is a very