Evening journal., 1917-08-21
RUSH Preparation
FOR j. 5. SHIPYARD
Railroad Rapidly Closing
Up Gap in New
Line
SINGLE TRACK
LINE AT FIRST

PHILADELPHIA. Aug. 21.-Rush- /
ing wagonloads of creosoted tie, I
pushing wheelbarrows Of muck into
the Back Channel putting trainloads
Of earth along a fill in a largo
swamp section and laying rails as
fast as the lies can be laid and the
spikes driven, the Pennsylvania Rail
road is rapidly closing up the few
remaining gaps in the new line that
IL is running through Essington to
connect with .he mammoth Govern
ment shipyard site Of 900 acres lying
along the Delaware.
The railroad has purchased ten
acres adjacent TO the Government
tract for a large freight yard 10
handle the business of the Govern
ment plant exped.tiously The Ph'la-
delphia Railways Company is plan
ming to renew an abandoned line
from is carbarn at Penrose Ferry TO
the cas- ern end of the site. Govern
ment engineers have commenced their
surveys.
Connections at North Essington with
the Baltimore and Ohio road under
an agreement between he two sys-
temG pending the completion OF the
Pennsylvania Inc through TO its rails
az Marcus Hook have been made and
cars run in on the new track 20 un-
load ties by the hundreds Teams
Cake the latter to the places along the
new line where rail is We. % be laid.
Only one track is being put down
now, and It is going right on the sur
face with very little preliminary grad
ing and no tamping for the most part,
a NnA
bitches and through last years corn
stubble, now overgrown with clover
crop.
One Of the gaps Is close 70 the
Westinghouse plant which is hum
ming with construction activity.
Dump trains from the. EXCAVATIONS Of
this development are filling in where
til line traverses a large area Of
swamp. and the track will soon be
connected up there.
Ties by the hundred are being rush
ed forward every day to the various
working points. and particularly at
the advance end OF the new line
where it Is rapidly approaching the
Fort Mifflin in army and navy reserva-
ton At the latter point gangs OF
men are widening out the roadbed
where Il lies close to the Back. Chan
mel separating Hog Island from the
surrounding 'lowlying. level country
and filling in where Il crosses. this
channel at the beginning OF r. vide
curve 10 the northeast. IL then
heads toward the point where II viii.
cross the Schuyikill and connect with
the Pennsylvania railroads river ter
minal at Girard Point.
Tho gap made by the Back Channel
will be closed quickly by a timber
bridge as temporary structure. At the
other gap the tracks run up on either
side 20 a bit Of property upon which
some Poles are farming. Obstinately
refusing 10 let the railroad forces lay
their line through. IL is expected thN
resort 10 legal action will bring about
an agreement.
The Government engineers are work
ing along the Delaware river bank
picking mp triangulatiOn points ant
prepcring TO run out their base line
froI which the entire plan Of the grea
shipyard with ifs nifty ways, many as
scmhling shops and construction
buildings. will be laid out.
Forcsecing that thousands Of labor
ers, artisans and ship craftsmen vii
be swGIming over the immense ship
yard before long. the Philadelphi,
Railways Company is making prepara
tions 90 handle them direct. An ole
abandoned trolley limo that needs main
ly new rails, ties, poles and wtrei
strung. is TO be pressed into service
again. It will provide half hours
run on the nearest route to the resi-
Dental district OF South Philadelphia
where building operations are steadily
increasing the continuous rows o
dwellings.
on the. new ten-acre PennsyNani
Railroad tract it is planned to con
slruct a large freight yard with plent
OF tracks 10 take care Of the score
Of freight cars that will be used {
handle the shipments to the shipyarC
The railroad is waiting now for in
'structions from the Government eng