The Dalles Weekly Chronicle, The Dalles, OR., July 26, 1907, page 2
INSPECT NORTH BANK
Chief Engineer Darling and Head Contractors Visit Scene of Railroad Work Today
Reported That Road Will Be Completed November 1st. Twohy Bros.
Contract About September 15.
Yesterday afternoon the steamer Burton arrived at the Regulator dock having
onboard chief engineer Darling of the Northern Pacific accompanied by Sims &
Shields head contractors on the north bank road whose headquarters are at St.
Paul and who now have 600 miles under construction, and N.B. Miller chief
engineer, who are on a tour of inspection of the new road.
This morning they crossed the Columbia and in company
with Judge John Twohy, who has the contract for fifteen miles from Klickitat to
a point above The Dalles, H. A. Whitley, vice-president of the Western States
Construction Company, who is now connected with Twohy Bros. and T.C. Hanford,
division engineer, drove over the road inspecting work thoroughly and conferring
with contractors with the view of completing the road as soon as possible. The
chief engineer found work moving smoothly and satisfactory and was assured that
this portion of the road will be completed by the middle of September.
Returning to The Dalles and they took the local train
for Celilo where they will take the steamer Relief and inspect the road along
the upper river.
Thursday night the road was completed to Roosevelt, a
little town opposite Arlington, and work trains are running that far. Track up
there is being laid at the rate of a mile and a half a day and the terminal will
be moving on. The road so far as built is said to be a model of railroad
construction. The grade is wide enough for a double track, and where the soil
was found to be light is everywhere heavily ballasted with broken rock, the
entire grade for miles of being riprapped with the very best material known to
railroad builders. The curves have been eliminated wherever possible, in many
instances at great expense, and the road will be one of the straightest in the
Northwest. Heavy steel rails and hewn ties are used in the construction of the
track and above the town of Roosevelt and scattered clear along the road to
Columbus and Pasco, the sidings on the new road are said to be covered with cars
bearing railroad material for the completion of the road to this city.
A large force of men is at work laying track, and the
most modern machinery is used in the work, insuring a rate of progress in the
construction of the road never before equaled in similar work on this coast.
Being interviewed concerning the dates of the
completion of the work the visitors merely hinted that it would be sometime
during the early part of November. The work of laying steel from Vancouver will
be commenced by August 15. All tunnels have been completed and within the
exception of that through Cape Horn they have been lined with concrete. The
Cape Horn tunnel will not be lined for some time, if at all. It is not expected
the Portland & Seattle will operate passenger trains over the line until the
bridges across the Willamette and Columbia rivers are finished, which will be
about six months.