Selections From The Splinters - Volume 12

This is not a history. | The Splinters - Volume 12 | The Splinters - Volume 14 The Splinters - Volume 23

ORGANIZATION OF THE ENGINEERING FORCES

Late in 1885, when a definite decision was reached, Mr A A Robinson had Mr C P Morse of Kansas City place a check in a bank in St Louis, who in turn made a deposit in a bank in Keokuk, subject to check of Mr B F Booker.

Mr Booker and Mr J W Snow, his confidential office man, went to St Louis and purchased twelve complete sets of equipment for as many locating parties, from the Alloe Instrument Company, with instructions that they be shipped to Mr Booker at Keokuk.

Mr Booker then went to Keokuk and rented office space and employed men to fill eight locating parties. These men were instructed to give out no information as to who they represented and their reports written in the field were either on blank paper or on the stationery of the hotels where ever they happened to be.

By the end of the year 1886, matters were so developed that it became known that the Santa Fe was behind the project and his office at Keokuk was closed and he moved to Kansas City and opened an office at 1214 Main Street, Room 13 Bayrd Building, as Chief Engineer of the CSF&C of Iowa and Missouri, in charge of construction - Big Blue Junction to the Des Moines River.

Mr P F Barr opened an office at Chicago in the Rialto Building, as Chief and had charge of construction from Ancona to the Des Moines River, and also the rehabilitation of the purchased lines from Chicago to Ancona.

Due to ill health, Mr Barr resigned, effective April 30, 1887 and was succeeded by Mr G W Vaughn, as Assistant Chief Engineer.

Mr Octave Chanute was employed as Consulting Engineer. Had an office at the same location as Mr Booker and had charge of the design and construction of bridges over the Illinois River at Chillicothe; the Mississippi River at Ft Madison; the Grand River near Dean Lake; the Missouri River at Sibley. These men remained in charge of the construction until the line was placed in operation.

(A. B. GRIGGS - July 5, 1941)

Volume 12 Splinters transcribed in altered form for the web by Matt Lee.

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