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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 1910)
THE BEE: OMAHA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1010. jn-:afy is ii i n',kmi fi rr.S Railroads :.V.:.:::.:.-:: : ' . :W j m OMAHA IS A GREAT RAILROADCENTER Ten Large Systems Ran Lines Into This City from All Points. CHIEF CITY ON THREE ROADS Union Pacific Lets $1,000,000 Con tract for Building. ALL ROADS SPEND VERY HEAVILY Vast Sums Are Being Expended on Improved Facilities Here. NOW TALK OF A BIGGER DEPOT t'nton Pacific Merita to Have I nlon Mtntlou Eailarircd Uecanae Pres ent Una la Too Small far Im mriiae I'niaengrr Traffic. Among the elites of the great west Omaha stands pre-aminsnt as the railroad center. Ten systems run their lines into this city, the splderltka web of their rails radiating Into all directions and covering the greatest grain and produce valley of the world. Since the first slender line was fist projec ted Into the Immense Missouri valley three roalA have made Omaha one of their chief polnTS, and today they handle the bulk of the traffic passing Into and through here, They handle trains from Chicago to San Kranclaco over a wide breadth of territory, developing the country that directly bears on Omaha In shipping and trade liiterestH. The Union Pacific has manifested the Im portance that It considers Omaha on lta road by Just letting the contract for their new 11,000,000 headquarters building, work on the twelve-story structure, to hold their office force, having started at Fifteenth and Dodge streets. A total mileage of 2.&6.M miles Is owned by this system In single track lines, and added to this are 624 miles of double track, making a total of 3,411.02 miles. ' There are at the present time over ITS miles of double track being constructed In points west of here, chiefly In western Ne braska. Block signals are already placed on 1,526 miles of this and additions are being made all the time. Hat Manx Short Branches. The road has a number of short branch lines In Nebraska and Kansas directly run ning into Omaha, handling a large grain trade every year and bringing Immense trade to Omaha. ' Expenditures made by the road through the Omaha office amount to enormous yearly sums. For the year ending June iiO, 1008. a total of $18,000,000 was spent In wages alone, approximately 22,000 men, not Includ ing the contractors' forces, being kept busy. In the Omaha shops alone 2,100 men at a yearly salary of $1,600,000 are employed. Last year $280,000 was placed on Improve ments In the shops. On the Improvements and In building of new lines a sum of $2,197, 000 was laid out. Nearly 100 miles of new track, exclusive of second track work and sidings, was laid down by this company during the year at a cont of $2,206,000. This trackage covers elKht miles In Nebraska, from Kelley to Noithport; thirty-three miles from Onnga to Marysvllle, Kan.; twenty-six miles Greeley to Brlggsdale, Colo.; and In the earns state, eighteen miles from Sand Creek to St. Vralna, and thirteen miles from Cloverly to Hungerford. At the pres ent time about twenty-five miles of track age Is being finished up In Colorado. I. P. Wants Bla-ner Station. The L'Blwn Pacific road Is trying to get the Unlim station In Omaha enlarged, as It Is far to small for the amount of travel coming through here. By an average made by the station authorities, over 16,000 people pass through the setatlon each day. This does not mean that that many go away, but many visit tho station to meet friends or see them off. The enlargement will cost over $000,000, but as It Is necessary to get the consent of the eight cu.er roads using the station, the Union raclfic road cannot go ahead until word from them ts received. Over 6,000.000 people travel over the Union Pacific trains each year, and Hie problem of caring for the safety and lives of Its passengers has become one of para mount Importance among the officials of the roud. No railroad anywhere has a bet tor system of train dispatch than Is shown In the rush hours over the "Oate to the West," the big railroad over the Missouri river leading Into the Union station. Hun dreds of trains a day pass over the stretch of tracks between Council Bluffs, la., to Hummitt, Neb., where the Lane Cut-Off comes off from the old Union Pacific and practically no accidents are had on the line. Millions of dollars have been spent by this road on block signals and other safely devices, and now It is the proud boast of the Union Pacific that It has the "Safe" route to the Pacific coast. The entire line from Colorado to San Francisco Is covered by means of an elaborate system of signals, , and each train passes Its progress Is re ported by the silent hands that signal fol lowing trains to slop until the first train has left the block. t. P. lias Bis; Block System. One-third of the block' system of the United States Is on the Union Pacific lines, nearly 6,000 miles being placed on Its lines. Installation costs about $1,500 per mile, and the annual cost per mile for maintenance Is $160. Prevention of ac cldents by no means covera this cost, ac cording to one railroad official, but the added safeguard that the public knows it has, more than recompenses the roads, and the volume of business In passenger travel makes up for the expense Incurred. Probably no other road In the world has put so much money Into the construction of Its roadbed for the mileage obtained, and It Is safe to say that In recent years the Union Pacific haa built works of en gineering of a magnitude never undertaken by a railroad before. The first of these Is the famous Lane Cut-Off, saving nine miles of travel and costlnar $3,000,000. About 4,000,000 cubic yards of embankment were built in it Other great works not so near Omaha were the Sherman Hill cut, the Dale Creek crossing, the Asen tunnel, and the greatest work of all, the Great Suit Lake Cut-Off. The last Is 102 miles long and save forty-three miles In the road and thousands of dollars In the yearly opera. Hon of trains. Irrigation Helsed Roads. When the Idea of a road to the Paciflo waa first proposed It was thought that It 9 W. M. Bushman STORAGE 1013-15-17-19 Leavenworth St. Best trackage and etorage building in Omaha. United States Government bonded warehoute. Receiving, forwarding and financial agent. U. S. Customs Broker Pacific Storage & Warehouse Go. CHAS. H. GRATTON, Frera. 1007-1000-1011 Jones Street Merchandise Stor Excellent Trackage and Unloading Facilities Sprinkler Protection With Automatic Alarm Low Insurance Rate CAREFUL ATTENTION GIVEN TO "POOL" OARS Safe Fireproof Storage We take great pride la saying what we know te he an aheolnte faet, and that la that we have the FIMJSsT AMD ATJbT MOOnBVM n raVOOr storage house In the west. When yon store anthing with ns 7 oar worry and responsibility tn regard te Its safety ends. Ton are snre ot earsfol fcaudilng, tale from riavB or burglars and taederate In cost for roar Insurance. Don't watt until you Inour A LOS a BUT SO XT MOW. Moving and fire proof storage la our business. Wl KNOW MOW i let ns do It. TOU ABM XMTXTXD We eordlaUr Invite yon te Inspect our new, beautiful, fire proof warehouse- An attendant will gladly show yon every part of the building. Ul Willi TOVB YAX.UABX.Bt) ABB BAFBOUABSBB Omaha Fire Prool Stor-aflc Co. Call Douglas 176SI lad. A-133S. 604-glg MOUTH UTXf ITTBMT. could never succeed because of the desert through which It would run. But In the years which followed the untiring efforts! of Irrigation experts and of hopeful rail road anxious for the development of the country have changed it Into a land of the greatest prosperity. Crops worth millions of dollars are grown and the shipping and Jobbing Interests of the new country are centered In Omaha, which is steadily becoming recognised as a real factor In the trade of every great com mercial house of the west. In the network of the Burlington rail road system, Omaha Is placed In what is the geographical and the real center. One of the two headquarters of the road is situated In this city, some 1.600 persons be ing given employment by the road In OmahA. From Omaha the Burlington radiatts everywhere, reaching points In twelve states, and connecting directly or through their connections all of th great com mercial centers of the country. The Mis souri river valley from Sioux City to Kansas contains the greatest part of their trackage, although their lines from Bill ings, Deadwood and Denver to Omaha are, of coume, the long ones. Between Omaha and Chicago a network of lines throuth Iowa and Illinois carry a grsln trade that Is not equaled by any such amount of mileage In the country. BurllBHton Handles Mnrh Traffic. Although the Burlington In Iowa, and, Indeed, all east of the Missouri, does a large shipping and passenger trade, It Is the division west of the Missouri that has developed the trading and Jobbing Inter ests of Omaha greatly during the last few years. Omaha and South Omaha together handle what Is approximately one-tenth of what Is the entire trade of this Immense system, 25,000 cars of grain and 86,000 live stock cara a year being handled by the road In the two cities. When the point Is considered that there Is a car loading of 1,800,000 ears a year and that Chicago Is the only center which has a larger tonnage than Omaha, It can be seen that Omaha Is really In need of the road. An average working day of the Omaha freight house Is about 2,000,000 pounds, all put through the freight house Itself. A look at the passenger tatlon of the Burlington at Omaha In one of the rush hours, perhaps t In the morning or better at : to In the afternoon, forces one to realise the Immense amount of travel coming into here from both east and west. Four fast trains to and from Chicago are run dally, and as a standard of their ex cellence and time service the mall from Chicago to Omaha Is csrrled by the Burl ington, and also from Omaha to Seattle on the western service. One of the most remarkable records of train service on reoord was made by the Burlington aystem during the month of June, 1B10. For the thirty days of that month the four trains appeared on time every day In the case of two of them, one train once and another late three times.' The record in detail la as follows: v Fast mall No. 7 on time every day. Fost mail No. 15 late one day out ot the thirty. Passenger train No. 6 late three times In the thirty days. Passenger train No. 2 on time every day. A record like this reflects without further proof the condition of the road and the service and shows the perfect or ganization behind it. An .equally good July record was made also. Bond Always Improving. Improvements are always going on on the road, the greatest one of the lest year being the new line from Guernsey to Thermopolls, Wyo., opening up a new water level line from the great northwest to Omaha and connecting this city with the Big Horn Basin country, a land that Is sure to draw an immense amount of trade to the Omaha markets through this new connection. Another connection be tween the Burlington and the Northern Pa cific line just being finished Is the Scrlbner-Fromberg line, affording ad ditional transportation from the Omaha markets and the Jobber to the northwest country. Several extensions on the east ern section are being considered, on a southerly line Into Fartiucha, Ky., being one of the most Important. The Hudson Oreely line, to be a airline route between Denver and Cheyenne is now under course of construction. In Omaha the new Burllnfitou freight depot, an Improvement which the Omaha officials have hoped for for some Ufa, Is already started, and it will undoubtedly Improve th freight service of the road In this city and maks It possible to ).andl any amount In the quickest manner known. The building will run from Farra.tn to Jackson streets along Eighth, aa.l will entail a cost of over ll.OOb.OOO to th road. Purchases Xew Cars. Other Improvements In operating is the purchase of 8.761 curs and eiiKn during the last year, the recent puruhm ) of the Col orado & Southern, Colorado Isid'and, Fort Worth & Denvor City, Wlc!U:a Vulley and Trinity St Biaios Valley itHroads. Alto gether, with the S.84K mil's of the Burling ton proper and the 2, miles purchased, titers are 11.742 miles of track which th road controls. On their own lines west of the Micso-ai', before these new roads were h.vjj)',. t Uere was an Increase of 2220 2 miles of track. Over $t,000,00u were spent by the road tn ballasting track last year and an other sum of I2.0UO.OOO spent tn the Mllford cut-off, near Lincoln. Improvements In the shops at'Havelock mean an expenditure of IM,W. One of the Interesting purchases of the road was the Investment In 600 automobile freight cars, the cars needed having to be especially wide and high for the shipment of thece machines. As an Illustration of the trade opened to Omaha through the Burlington, tak a glance over the development ot Wyoming, a state tributary to Omaha trade. Ten years ago there were 0,000 farms, and property was cf the ai&essed value uf 111.- 0,000, and now there are 20,000 farms of the value uf l 46.000.000. The land in the dry sec tion, especially In the great Big Horn Banln, la rapidly being brought under the Influence .of irrigation methods, thus increasing greatly th number of people to the mile and the trad and produce of the region. The Burlington is spending thousands uf ! dollars a year In simply placing people on j tiio.se lands, In order to Improve the coun I try and incidentally their trade. H i All Through Trains Via urliotoo Route Now Electric Lighted Throughout from locomotive to observation platform To inaugurate this service, it has been necessary to entirely re-equip, elec trically, seventy-tvro complete trains and practically all the reserve passen ger equipment of the entire Burlington system, consisting of locomotives, baggage cars, mail cars, coaches, chair cars, dining cars, sleeping cars and observation cars. In the history of American railroading no such extensive and costly improvement af coach lighting has ever been attempted up to this time. These electric-lighted trains operate between Chicago, St Louis, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Omaha, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Denver, Billings, Spokane, Seattle, Tacoma, Portland and intermediate points. The dynamo system of electric lighting the most satisfactory known is used. An electric dynamo installed in the baggage car of each train gener ates the current and supplies the entire train with a brilliant, steady light, not only when the train is in motion, but also when standing still. Further more, a skilled electrician is on duty on each of these trains for its entire run, to see that the train is properly lighted, ventilated and heated, both by day and by night On the trains of no other railroad are exclusive train elec tricians carried. L W. WAKELET, General Pamper Agent OMAHA. NEB. Burlington trains run "on time" with astonishing regularity bp: aWCQ I I ! I 1 3p Leave : Union Station daily 7:00 a. m., 12:05 p. m., 5:20 p. m., 6:00 p. m., 6:05 p. m., 8:50 p. m., 11:45 p. m., 12:40 a. m. Convenient departures and arrivals. Fast schedules and unrivaled equipment; dining car service unequaled. St. Paul. Minneapolis and Duluih ftT1-ree splendid trains a day via the North Western Line leave the Union Station, Omaha, at 7:50 a. rn., 7:00 p. m., and 9:00 p. m. There are hundreds of cool northern resorts in the woods and on the lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Lake Superior District. South Dakota Hot Springs Located in the heart of the Black Hills, at an altitude of 3,000 feet. Its summer climate is charming and the medicinal waters and big plunge baths restore health and provide recre ation. t Good hotel accommodations. Endorsed by the U. S. Government as a National Sanitarium. Direct train service, through Pullman sleeping cars and free reclining chair cars to Deadwood daily, leave Union Station at 3:55 p. m. Summer Rates Low rates to Black Hills, Wyoming, the lakes and resorts of Minnesota and Wisconsin and to Chicago and the seaside and mountain resorts of the East Liberal return limits and favorable stopover privileges. For tickets and full information apply at Ticket Office ,, 1401-1403 Farnam Street, Omaha Neb, IB EES i annsnChaSuTuOunsI 1 13 IB BV - - AVI w --mm