INSPECTION TRIP OF THE WESTERN SOCIETY OVER THE TRACK ELEVATION WORK OF THE PITTSBURG, FT. WAYNE & & MICHIGAN SOUTHERN RY., AND THE JOINT ELEVATION AND DEPRESSION OF TRACKS AT SIXTEENTH AND CLARK STREETS, OCTOBER 15, 1898. (From The Railroad Gazette, N. Y., Oct. 21st, 1898.) On Saturday afternoon, Oct. 15, a special train of four cars furnished by the Pennsylvania Lines, took a party of 158 members of the Western Society of Engineers to inspect the track elevation work of that road, the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. The train left the Union Station at 1:15 o'clock and was run to a point below South Chicago, where it was turned on a "Y." The track elevation commences at South Park avenue, and on the return the first stop was made at State street, where the elevation of the tracks of the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago is nearly completed, while that of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific is well under way; a new union station for the joint use of these three roads is being built on the south side of Sixty-third street. A new freight station has already been completed by the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago at State street, and one of the notable features of the work of this road is that stone ballast is placed between the ties and the bridge floors to reduce the noise of passing trains. This has so far not been done by any of the other Chicago roads. The next stop was made at Garfield Boulevard, which bridge is completed, and north of which the tracks descend to meet the old grade near Fifty-first street. The train was left near Sixteenth street and the extensive work at the Sixteenth street crossing was inspected. At this point all the tracks have now been brought to the new grades, the retaining walls and abutments have been built, and there remains to replace the temporary bridges with the steel work. The steel for the viaduct in Clark street was in process of erection on the day of the excursion, and it is expected that this will be in place by Oct. 19. The question of adjournment, as it was getting late, was brought up for consideration and promptly voted down. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Ry. work was described and means used explained by Messrs. W. L. Webb, W. A. Rogers and Albert Reichmann. Mr. Geo. H. Bremner read a paper relating to the part in the elevation taken by the C. B. & Q. R. R. At the conclusion of which the meeting adjourned. At a meeting of the Board of Direction, 1st of October, 1898, Mr. E. B. Clark was elected to active membership in the Society, and John C. Whitridge transferred from junior to grade of active member. The membership recommended Messrs. Edward J. Rosencrans and John H. Warder for active membership. At meeting of the Board on the 8th of October, 1898, the membership committee recommended Messrs. Charles H. Mercer, Joseph Henry Prior and Walter A. Rogers for active membership. On the afternoon of the 8th of October, 1898, 140 members and guests of the Society, were, by the courtesy of the Chicago & Northwestern Ry. Co., afforded an opportunity to inspect the work of track elevation of that road and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul road. At different points along the route stops were made to view the work. On Saturday, the 15th of October, 1898, the Society was the guest of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. At 1 P. M., 160 members and friends left Union Station and spent the afternoon in examination of the track elevation of the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago Ry., also 63d street crossings of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Ry. and Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. NELSON L. LITTEN, Secretary. LIBRARY NOTES. The Library Committee wishes to express thanks for donations to the library. Back numbers of periodicals are desirable for exchanges and aid in completing valuable volumes for our files. Since the last issue of the Journal, we have received the following as gifts from the donors named: Onward Bates.-The Superintendent of Bridges and Buildings. U. S. Bureau of Foreign Commerce. Consular Reports, September and October, 1898. Mohonk Conference Ass'n. Report of 4th Annual Meeting of the Lake Mohonk Conference on International Arbitration. 1898. The Philadelphia Commercial Museum. American Trade with India. F.M.F.Cazin.-Old and New Methods applied in planning Pipe lines and U.S.Dept.Agri.-Experimental Tree-Planting in the Plains. Institution Civil Engineers, London. Minutes of the proceedings-Vol. cxxxiii. Report of Committee on the Thermal Efficiency of Steam BY PURCHASE. Ganguillet & Kutter.-On Flow of Water in Rivers and other Channels. |