13 " THE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1908.
MHQ NORTH! SFffi
IL BMBGI)
City Has Only Fresh Water Haven On the Pacific Coast, and
One of the Greatest Wheat Shipping Ports in the World
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BETTERMENTS ON HARRIMAN LINES
Large Sums Expended for the Improvement of Oregon Railways
During 1907 Heavier Rails Laid and Many Steel Bridges Built
By J. F. O'Brien, Manager firnrrtman Lines
In Oregon.
WHILE the general public has
knowledge that some work is
being done by railroads in the
Northwest in bettering and improving
their physical condition, and increasing
their facilities for conducting the trans
portation business,. It is not generally
known to what extent such improvements
have been carried on and are still being
prosecuted on the lines of the Oregon
Railroad & Navigation Company and the
Southern Pacific Company's lines in Ore
gon. The object of this article, therefore,
is to give a brief resume of this subject.
More or less work of this character has
already been done on the Oregon Kail
road & Navigation Company's lines, but,
It was not until April, 1904. when the re
organisation of the Harriman lines took
place, resulting in the merging of the
lines in the Northwest and the placing
of same under one management, that a
definite plan of improvement as to track,
bridges, equipment and facilities in gen
eral was adopted." permitting the use of
heavier power and larger capacity cars
made necessary by increased business,
resultant from the marvelous develop
ment of the country contiguous to those
lines.
With the general policy of improvement,
there was also adopted and carried out,
plans to surround the conducting of busi
ness, both passenger and freight, with all
modern safety appliances. In pursuit of
She above mentioned policy, the following
work was uone up to and Including June
Jft. 1W, Ihe end of the last fiscal year of
:he corporation:
Nearly Three Miles or Steel Bridge.
Bridges, with few exceptions, were of
light iron or wooden construction, and to
replace same sixtyspven new steel struc
tures, aggregating 13.S17 feet in length,
nd designed to carry the heaviest loads
have been erected at a cost of $2,317,774.
This work has been done in the most
lubstantial manner and without- regard
to cost. Bridge foundations are all of
concrete sunk Into bed-rock.
Alino-t Seven Miles of Trestle Filled
In all 4.324.919 cubic yards of filling has
been done, eliminating 34,633 lineal feet
sf trestles, which Involved an outlay of $t.
147,000. Where it was not possible to make
fills existing trestles were strengthened
and renewed at a cost of J400.(XiO. To pro
vide sufficient and substantial drainage
for the water courses crossed by these
filled trestles, cast iron and concrete arch
culverts were used in all cases. To pro
tect the roadbed from inundation and
damage by waters $300,000 was expended
for rlp-rapplnr and changing channels of
dangerous streams.
Over 800 Miles of New Steel Ralls.
A greater part of the roadbed was also
of llaht construction and to remedy this
MS miles of light rail has been replaced
by heavy steel rails varying In weight
from 75 to 90 pounds per yard, at a cost
of J2.138.345. Three hundred and eleven
miles of main track have been fully bal
lasted at a cost of S4S6.OO0, and 191 miles
of embankments widened, costing $90,000.
$1,000,000 for Line Changes.
On certain sections, the lines as orig
inally located were of such sharp curva
ture and abrupt gradient as to prohibit
the operation of passenger trains at high
speed, or locomotives from hauling their
full capacity of freight. At such points
extensive line changes have been made,
which, briefly described, are as follows:
Total length. 21 miles: line shortened 2.150
feet, curvature eliminated 1,728 degrees
or about five whole circles, at an approxi
mate cost of $960,000. The most important
of these changes is from Troutdale to
Bonneville, and the magnitude of this
work is quickly observed by any traveler
passing over this section of the road.
Tunnels have been retimbered and en
larged to permit of the passage of larger
equipment at an expense of $43,000.
Electric Block Signals.
To reduce the liability of accidents to
the minimum and to avoid delays to pas
senger trains, it is the intention to equip
all main lines between Portland and
Ashland, Huntington and Spokane, with
the latest type of automatic electric block
signals. At the present time this work
is about one-half completed, and has en
tailed an expenditure thus far of $442,000.
It will, perhaps, be of Interest to know
that such signals require the expenditure
of about $120 a mile per annum for main
tenance and operation.
Adoption or Oil as luel.
Owing to the difficulty in securing a
suitable supply of wood and coal for loco
motive use, and the gradually increasing
price of same: also with a view of adding
to the comfort of passengers, and avoid
ing the setting of fires along the right of
way crude petroleum was adopted for
fuel on the entire Southern Pacific lines
in Oregon' and on the Oregon Railroad &
Navipation Company's lines between
Portland and Umatilla, including
branches. For this purpose, steel storage
tanks and pumping plants have been con
structed at numerous points, creating a
storirse capacity of 126.500 barrels, or
9.513,000 gallons. This improvement en
tailed an expenditure of J2SS.000. In order
to consume this oil. a remodeling of loco
motive fireboxes was necessary which .in
volved an additional expenditure of about
$00,000.
Enlargement of Albina Shops.
To provide adequate facilities for the
prompt repairing and overhauling of
equipment. It was necessary to enlarge
the general shops at Albina, which re
quired an appropriation of about $450.
000, made up as follows: New machine
shop. $100,000; .22-stall addition to round
house. $56,500: new paint and coach re
pairing shop. $45,000; new transfer table,
$26,000: new storehouses. $16,000; air. heat
ing, water and sewer systems. $27,000;
traveling cranes, $03,000; fire protection.
etc., $30,000: additional equipment and
tools. $66,000; electric power plant, . $15,-
S00; new tracks. $14,709. The division
shops at La Grande were also enlarged
and improved at an expense of $208,000.
Many Xew Passenger Stations.
To provide for tne large increase in
passenger travel it was necessary to
erect a number of new passenger sta
tions, the most important of which were
as follows: At Spokane, a substantial
brick building with commodious plat
forms and train sheds was erected at a
cost of $95,000; a similar brick structure,
but somewhat less pretentious, was built
at Wralla Walla at a cost of approxi
mately $32,000, exclusive of the cost of
the ground. Thirty-eight new station
buildings have bren constructed at other
points, involving an outlay of $62,000. In
addition to these, about $75,000 will be
spent to build passenger stations at Eu
gene. Albany, East Portland, Troutdale,
Winona and Tekoa.
' Xew Docks at Albina.
In September. 1905. the Oregon Railroad
& Navigation Company's grain elevator
and export docks at Albina were de
stroyed by fire. In their place new mod
ern docks, 'equipped with the latest type
of electrical contrivances for loading and
unloading vessels have been erected at
a cost of $111,000.
To meet the demands of increasing
traffic, $3,370,000 has been expended for
new equipment, divided as follows:
Locomotives $1.430.no
Passeneer cars 421.000
Freight cars 1.4S7.COO
Miscellaneous .' 32,000
Cnt-Orr Lines Built.
In addition . to the enormous sum dis
bursed for improvement to roadbed and
rolling stock, considerable money has
been expended in constructing cut-off
lines which permit of better time and
less haul on freight shipments and im
prove passenger schedules materially.
A line has been built between Lafayette
on the Yamhill division and St. .-Joseph
on the West Side division of the South
ern Pacific lines in Oregon, at an ex
pense of $60,000. for the purpose of bring
ing the Yamhill division in closer touch
with McMinnville. the county seat, and
also to avoid nine miles haul over the
unproductive section between Lafayette
and Whiteson.
A connecting link has been constructed
between the Woodburn - Springfield
branch at Springfield and the main line
at Springfield Junction, costing $150,000.
which lessens considerably the haul of
freight originating on the branch and
destined to points north and south of the
junction on the main line. By its con
struction people living along the Spring
field and Mohawk branches have been
given passenger train service to Eugene,
the principal jobbing center of the south
ern part of the Willamette Valley and
the county seat of Lane County.
Another cut-off line, and probably the
mort important to Portland people, but
upon which work has been temporarily
suspended owing to the money strin
gency, is one from Beaverton, on the
Southern Pacific West Side line, to Wills
burg, on the main line, a distance of
10.1" miles, which involves also the con
struction of a ' high bridge across the
Willamette River near Milwaukie. -The
line will cost about $)00,000 when com
pleted. This cut-off has been projected
for the purpose of giving better time and
shorter haul on products of the West
Side division destined to California points
and Kastern points, and also to provide
better transportation facilities to the
large industries on the Yamhill division
between Portland and Oswego. The prin
cipal object of the construction of this
new line, however. U to" avoid the run
ning of heavy laden trains up the steep
grade through Fourtl street, in the city
of Portland.
.Although not in the nature of a cut
off line, the extension of the Ilwaco
Railroad, 13.6 miles up the Columbia
River from Ilwaco,. is a matter of con
siderable interest to the people of Port
land who mhake it a practice to spend
the Summer season at North Beach, the
cost of which extension will be approxi
mately $350,000. It was expected that the
entire line would be completed by the
FIFTY Mll,ES OF NEW
' WATER MAIN" LAID.
Records of the Portland
Water department show a net
Increase during 1907 of 50.63
miles of water mains, including
20.20 miles Of main four .inches
or more in diameter and 30.42
miles of smaller sizes. Of the
larger new mains there are 4.7"
miles 12 inches and over in
diameter, including" 5,200 feet of
2D-inch; 5.130 feet of 16-Inch,
14.4S4 of 12-inch. The complete
system of the Portland Water ,
Department owned by the city,
now consists of 267.488 miles of
mains, of which 37.062 miles
are four-inch and over, and '
33.426 miles are smaller.
Under the present system all
expenses of the water depart
ment are paid out of the water
rents. At the last June election
the charter was amended to
provide for the laying of mains
by direct assessment. This
measure has been held Invalid,
because It was illegally Initiated
but It is probable that the ques
tion will be again voted on dur
ing the present year.
end of the last Summer season, but un
forseen difficulties encountered In drill
ing the 900-foot tunnel, together with the
swampy nature of the country through
which the line will run, has delayed the
work.
The completion of this extension will
avoid the vexatious delays heretofore ex
,perienced by boats running on tide
schedules between Astoria and Iswaco,
and, while a definite schedule has not as
yet been worked out. it is probable that
that we will be able to inaugurate a
daily round-trip service by daylight "be
tween Portland and the end of the new
line, at which point commodious dockage
facilities have been put in, will be inau-aurated.
PORTLAND GRAIN EXPORTS INCREASE
Fleet Carrying Breadstuffs, Lumber and Other Oregon Products
Shows Gain of 394,000 Tons, Net Tonnage, Over 1906.
By K. W. Wright.
IN NO other, branch of Industry were
more satisfactory gains shown in 1907
than in Portland's shipping business.
During the year there entered and
cleared from this port 1220 ocean-going
vessels registering more than 1.700,000
tons, net, and with a carrying capacity
of approximately 3.500.000 tons. While the
number of vessels engaged In this trade
was but 87 more than in 1906, the in
creased size of the steam and sail craft
was sufficient to show an Increase in net
tonnage of 394,000 tons over that entering
and clearing the year before, 4the carry
ing capacity being about 800,000 tons
greater than that of the 1906 fleet. This
fleet carried, foreign and, coastwise, more
than 175,000,000 feet of lumber and (flour
Included) approximately. 18,000,000 bushels
of wheat, in addition to thousands of
tons of barley,-oats, bay, fruit, fish and
other. products. It Included In the foreign
trade 84 steamships with a combined car
rying capacity of 500,000 tons.
These steamships carried Oregon prod
ucts to China, Japan, Siberia, Australia,
South America. South Africa and Europe,
and during the latter part of the year,
for the first time on record at this port,
had relegated the sailing vessels in the
grain fleet to second place. The improved
condition of the Columbia River was such
that there was no lighterage, and no de
tention anywhere in the river between
Portland and Astoria, although the aver
age draft of the 1907 fleet was more than
six inches greater than that of the 1906
fleet, two of the vessels which cleared
drawing 26 feet of water, with drafts of
24 to 25 feet quite common.
As it was the wheat business which
first brought Portland into prominence as
a shipping port, that cereal still holds
front rank as a factor in our over-sea
traffic. With it, as with other branches
of the marine business, there have been
new records established In 1907. Not only
was the average net tonnage of the ves
sels engaged in the trade the largest on
record, but with December wheat ship
ments, exclusive of flour, Portland broke
all records for a single month's ship
ments from a North Pacific port, with ex
ports of approximately 3,000,000 bushels of
wheat.
Growth of 40 Tears.
The wheat trade being the most promi
nent factor In the maritime growth "of
Portland, offers in its growth and de
velopment, an accurate history of the
growth and development of the entire
shipping trade out of Portland. It is
not yet 40 years since the first cargo of
wheat was sent foreign from Portland,
the pioneer vessel In the trade being the
American bark Helen Angler, which was
cleared by J. McCraken in April, 1869.
with 36,943 bushels of the cereal. ' The
American ship Adeline El wood, dis
patched six months later by Corbltt &
Macleay. with 22.400 bushels of wheat,
completed the fleet for the year. Three
vessels were cleared in 1870 with cargoes
totalling; 7L3b8 bushels and in 1871 the
fleet included eight ships ranging in size
from 399 tons to 871 tons register, the
big ship of the fleet being the Mont
gomery Castle, which had the distinction
of bring the first metal ship to load at
Portland. The fleet of 1872 included 17
vessels, two of which were of more than
1000 tons register. When It is recalled
that even the diminutive craft of 35 years
ago, were always subject to delays in
getting up and down the river, as well
as over the bar, and that lighterage was
a necessity on nearly all of the largest
vessels, the remarkable Improvement in
Portland's channel .to the sea can be un
derstood. The appended figures showing the aver
age cargo carried by the ten largest
vessels loading wheat at Portland for a
number of years since 1872, presents in
a striking manner the increase in the
size of the vessels loading at Portland.
Bushels.
- l 5
7.-...".0
, 114..HI3
1 6X..109
226,620
Tear.
1872
1SS2 .
1S!2
1902 .
1907
Whlle the average capacity of the ten
largest vessels .of the 1907 fleet was more
than 60.000 bushels greater than that of
five years ago, . and more than 110,000
bushels greater than that of 15 years
ago. there was no lighterage and there
were no delays in 1907. while in 1892. be
fore the Port of Portland began clearing
out the channel, lighterage was a serious
burden on shipping entering the port.
With the appearance of larger ships
there has been a steady decrease in the
freight rates and as the, producer pays
the freight, it Is thus quite apparent
that every wheat producer in the Co
lumbia basin has profited by the improve
ments made in the channel from Portland
to the sea.
In the days of small sh'lps and a poor
channel in the river, shipowners were
paid from 60 to 105 shillings a ton for
carrying wheat to Europe, and 10 or
15 years ago 40 shillings was consid
ered a normal rate. Last year. In spite
of a temporary spurt caused by a
booming wheat market in England and
very heavy offerings in the Pacific
Northwest, the average rate to Europe
Was only about 30 shillings and some
vessels were secured at less than 25
shillings.
Differential Is Removed.
In June, the International Sailing
shipowners' Union, which controls more
than three-fourths of the available sail
tonnage of the world, abolished the 30
cents per ton differential which was
placed against this port four years
ago. As a result, there nas been a pro
nounced Increase in the wheat ship
ments from this port, and with the
completion of the North Bank road to
this city, this increase will be still
more noticeable.
The" 1907 wheat crop In Oregon,
Washington and Idaho was from 10,
000.000 to 12,000.000 bushels greater
than that of 1906, and as the propor
tion which will seek tidewater by way
of Portland will also be larger than
that of 1906, the export: ..i this port
for the remaining six months of the
fiscal year will break all existing rec
ords. The practical . nment of
wheat-growing in California has com
pelled the Californians to draw on
Oregon and Washington for wheat and
flour in large quantities, more than
1,200,000 bushelB of wheat and 160.000
barrels of flour being sent to San
Francisco and Port Los Angeles from
Portland last year.
xne remaraaoie gams wnicn i-ori-land
made over all other Pacific Coast
ports in the shipment of breadstuffs
the December bulletin of the Bureau
of Statistics of the Department of Com
merce and Labor. This official publi
cation places the value of all bread
stuffs shipped from Portland during the
11 months ending November SO, 1907,
at $10,536,234, compared with $4,717,
433 for the same period in 1906. The
combined shipments from Seattle, Ta
coma and Everett for the 11 month
ending November 30. 1907, were $13,
989,178. compared with $13,066,250 for
the same period. In 1906. The figures
for the same periods in San Fran
cisco were $4,143,592 in 1907 and $3,
961,620 in 1906. It will thus be seen
that while Portland showed a gain
of something more than 120 per cent,
in exports of breadstuffs, " the three
Puget Sound ports gained but a trifle
more than 7 per cent, and San Fran
cisco less than 5 per cent. In flour ex
ports alone, Portland's gain over 190
was nearly 130 per cent, compared with
a gain of less than 10 per cent for the
Puget Sound ports.
Maximum Not Reached.
While Portland's foreign lumber trad
ran well up towards 100.000,000 feet. It fell
at little short of the 1006 business. This
was almost wholly due to the decline in
the Oriental demand, which ceased al
most as soon as orders absolutely necei-.
sary for repairing the ravages of war
were filled. Toward the close of 1907
there were signs of a revival in this
trade, and there is also an improvement
In the California demand. These two
great staples, wheat and lumber, form
the base on which practically all of our
foreign trade rests, and with both the
possibilities for expansion are practically
unlimited Thft cnmnletion of the North
Bank road, with the extensions now
building into the Clearwater country, and
Into the Wallowa country, will increase
the output of the Pacific Northwest sev
eral million bushels annually. Since the
Condon branch of the O. R. N. Co.
was opened three years ago. the yield
of the region traversed by that line has
nearly trebled and has by no means
reached its maximum of production.
A still greater area of good wheat land
awaits the coming of a railroad in Cen
tral Oregon, and if this season's prices,
which were the beat ever secured during
a "big crop" year, are maintained, there
will be enormous increases ltr wheat acre
age throughout Oregon, Washington and
Idaho.