Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1916)
Extensions and Better Roadbeds Are Completed In Addition to New Construction, Development Programme In cluded New Terminals and Ship Lines Electrification Large. vtap op OMOON : I 5YSTEM6 and FEEDERS J if . . L !ZL c l 'i ! r m r V j l ' Ml . . . -VI I I f I l A . . ' II II . . .... I I I -V 1 1 "Vn. J II . 1 --t I I I -V . v 1 1 -tti s v -' v ryjiix ll II Hggf . i M ' ) -Z M , C" ! n ( j . xN. ' I I i om i. I JMAMnrAr 11 V V 1 V I oy t- . m. a IrS f -a l j?: V A Map Showing Railroad Lines in Oregon jrans"- , JL. -A in 1907. . WJ V n!T!lLT!!n.'iT rri"j '' rj', f ft. 1 "wv ' -v . ... -n L i f 1 Kc-T" mm jco3r3l 7 J N - . -y- VU M r (MM M -i 1 I 7 11 U1(MIVIUJ ' -Ok I ''kW, V j y SooacW . ' ' ' j 1 rxow3 v. W M.i-. r Li I yv. J , t V VtN-V .tT. . LAxtvitw j dropped tor at least the time being after the Pacifio A Rastern had been extended to .Butte Falls. 23.44 milea toward Bend. A recent development of the Hill system haa been the construction ot ocean terminals at. Flavel. near the mouth of the ColumDia, and the opera tlon of a line of ocean steamers from its rails at this point to San Francisco. . Railroad Competition Waa Keen. But the Harrlman forces were not quiescent while their territory was being- raided from the north. The strategy of the Union Pacific contemplated a counter Invasion of the Hill system on Puget Sound. A truce eventually was made which provided for the double-tracking of the North ern Pacific's line between Portland and .Fugei sound i.na its use m luuiiii"" by the Union Pacifio system and the two Hill lines, the Northern Pacific and Great Northern. The net result of the war was to bring the Great Northern and Northern Pacific into active competition with the Union Pa cifio system in Portland, the Willam ette Valley as far as Eugene, and in Central Oregon along the DeschuteB. while the Union Pacific was given ac cess to Puget Sound by way of Port- land- ... The plans of the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific contemplated the building by the former of a line east and west through the center of Oregon, from Ontario up the Malheur River, through Harney Valley, to a point near Odell Lake, where a junction would be made with an extension of the Des chutes Railroad from Bend southward. In the meantime the Southern Pa cific lines were to be extended from Weed. In California. northward to Klamath Falls and up the Klamath Lakes, while an extension from Natron, in Lane County, was to be made up the middle fork of the Willamette River across the Cascade Mountains to meet the Klamath Falls line. The Mal hour Valley, Deschutes and Weea Natron lines would thus meet in the northern part of Klamath County. The Weed-Natron line has been constructed in part; but the building of the re maining 40-mile gap through moun tains has been deferred, apparently pending the determination of the suit by the United States to divorce the Central Pacific and Southern Pacifio systems. The Union Pacific has con structed 106.61 miles of the P,roJ,ect east and west line from Ontario to Riverside, and construction work is prog"sstng on the 33.61 miles from Kwfrslde to Crane Creek Gap. Harney County. Reads Were Reconstructed. Since the beginning of the year 1907. tlfe O -W R- & N. Company and the Oregon Short Line, forming the local constituents of the Union Pacific bys tem have been practically reconstruct ed throughout to accommodate heavier and faater traffic Terminals h.v . been reconstructed, heavier rail and bridges sTpp"ied throughout., rock ballast and automatic block signals i"" changes of line made to reduce curva tSJJSSd grades, more and longer pass ing tracks built, and many miles of second track added; while rolling Block ha. constantly been increased in ca pacity. Besides. the Deschutes and Mal heur Valley lines already mentioned brache. have been con.tctrf by SETnhta tNh,Crlcrnwailo0waEVaney rthi.m.Inh;f to Pilot BOA the ki .rid wool section of umatmu. County; and by the short 1. Jrom Vale to Brogan. from Nyssa to Home dale (both in the Malheur country) and down the Snake River from Hunting ton to Homestead. In the development of Its terminate in Portland, and to permit access to Aimbia River bridge, a iunnel was constructed, under the Pen?nsula in Portland and an exten sion made from St. Johns to Trontdale to afford a water grade for freight, traffic. The fleet of the system has been strengthened by the addition of . three steamers In Coastwise service be tween Portland and San Francisco. Llnea S. P. Extended. The Southern Pacific system has been greatly extended in Oregon dur ing the paat eight yeara-both by ac quisition of small connecting inde pendent lines, and by the construction of new branches. The company ab sorbed the Corvallis & Eastern, the Pa cific Railway & Navigation Company from Hillaboro to Tillamook; the Cor-.,,- . Aiaoa River line from Cor vallis to Monroe; the Sheridan & Willamina line, and the Salem, r ails City and Western from Black Rock to Salem. With the exception of the Cor- . vallia & Eastern and 13 miles of tne Salem. Falls City & Western, these ere all roads recently constructed. The Oregon & California Railroad constructed the Salem-Geer, Springfield-Springfield Junction, and Crab-tree-Lebanon lines. A subsidiary known as the Beaverton & Wllllsburg con ' structed a cut-off, 10.35 miles in length between the West Side Tamhlll divisions and the main practically amounted to a belt line around the City of Portland. The ma n fine and branches have been completely rehabilitated. An important better hMbeen the complete electrifica "on of the old Yamhill and West Sid. divisions between Portland and Wbite on. and of that portion of the Beaver-ton-Willsburg cut-off between Beayr ion and Cook. The long-deferred line to Coos Bay is so nearly completed that It may be included in this summary. City la Interarban Center. The electrification of 106 miles of steam line of the Southern Pacifio has been mentioned, as well as the con- - struction of the electric systems of the United Railways and Oregon Electric railway companies. These lines, with the electric interurban lines of the Mount Hood Railway & Power Com pany (acquired by Portland Railway, Light & Power Company, and added to its existing system) and the Portland Mr Oregon City Railway Company now constructing to Viola.. Clackamas County; Kenton Traction Company, run ning to North Portland: Portland & Troutdale Electric, and Willamette Valley Southern, all radiate out from Portland and make the city a rival of Indianapolis as an Interurban center. A surprisingly large mileage has been constructed by independent lines. Construction of the narrow gauge line of the Nevada-California-Oregon Rail- ' way has connected Lake County with the outside world by rail, by way of Alturas. CaL An extension of the Sumpter Valley from Austin to Prairie City took the rails into Grant County. The Columbia & Nehalem River line, but recently completed, opens up the ' fertile Nehalem Valley and traverses a great belt of virgin timber. Besides these, other minor lines have been built since' 1907. Space does not permit consideration of the growth of the street railway systems of the state, or of the inter esting and Important project of Robert E. Strahorn and his associates to fill in the gaps in Eastern Oregon by the construction of lines from Bend to con nect with the rails of the other great syBtems as now pushed into the in terior of Oregon. i