Great Northern Races to Finish Its Newport Cut-off by September

Progress of Work on the Cut-off and Bridge. Rumor of Change of Route. There is a fairly well authenticated rumor that the Great Northern is going to 'do things' between Newport and Spokane during the coming year. The Miner has it that the road, while not giving Hillyard the go-by entirely, will not run its through trains through that town in the near future. Instead the line will leave Spokane and, instead of climbing the hill to Hillyard, will skirt the same on the south and then follow the low grades in that locality to Colbert, where they will strike the main line and the S.F.N. At Colbert the line will again leave the old track and strike toward the foothills adjacent to Mt. Carlton, and gradually raise until they mount the bench land east of Camden. From there to Newport the grades will be easy. It is understood that the new line runs somewhere near Tweedie before striking the main line again. This is almost the same line that was selected by the proposed Spokane & Newport electric line, the principal difference being that the latter survey ran nearer to Elk. If the plan is adopted it will cut off Chattaroy, Milan, Elk, Camden, Scotia and Penrith from the main line of the Great Northern. The new line would be of great benefit to the territory near Mt. Carlton and between that point and Newport. What makes the plan seem reasonable is the statement that the S.F.N., now operated as the Great Northern, has given the electric line a 99-year lease on the old right of way of that road between Spokane and Colbert. It is also stated that the portion of the electric line between those points will be constructed this year. It is barely possible that, after the improvements have been made by the Great Northern, the plan is for the electric road to take over the old grade of the Great Northern between Colbert and this city. An electric line could be profitably operated in that city. The engineers in charge of the work for the Great Northern at Albeni Falls and at the meadows near this city state that the bridge over the river, the fill at the long trestle and all other work in connection with the improvements in this vicinity will be completed by Sept. 1. They also say that trains will be running over the bridge and the new track by that time. Both of the concrete abutments for the bridge and one pier have been completed, and work is being rushed on the remaining piers, in order that the steel workers may begin the erection of the bridge. Contractor Dahlquist, who has had charge of the rock work, has completed the cuts and is now engaged in removing the debris so that the company may lay tracks. Two steam shovels are kept at work continually removing the earth to straighten the tracks and furnish material for the fill. Four work trains are used in connection with the steam shovels. Thus far the crew on the Newport side of the river has excavated and dumped over 100,000 cubic yards of earth. The shovel gang on the opposite side did not start until some time after the Newport shovel and has only handled about 55,000 yards. The latter crew is also handicapped from the fact that they are working in a clay bank, and the ground is so full of moisture that it is impossible for the shovel to work well. A slide occurred on Sunday morning on the Newport side. The sand bank for quite a distance back from the temporary tracks slid down on the shovel and pushed the tracks and shovel both out of line. The shovel was out of commission for some time, but it was not damaged to any appreciable extent. Luckily nobody was injured.