Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1909 — Big Sternberg Dredge Ready to Cross Track. [ARTICLE]

Big Sternberg Dredge Ready to Cross Track.

Monon News —The big Sternberg dredge between here and Guernsey is now ready to cross the air line division of the Monon. It will require three days to clear the tracks if everything works without hindrance. The Monon company thought of detouring their trains over the main line and Panhandle via Reynolds, but this was abandoned Monday when it was found that the curve at Monticello was too short for the long coaches, which was demonstrated by a special train run from this place. The detour will therefore be made by building a new track where the dredge is operating. The dredge will be mowing its way east of the Monon tracks inside of ten days and trains will be crossing the ditch on a new bridge. It is expected that the canal will find an outlet in old Tip by the time snow falls next winter. There will be a fall of 76 feet in the last mile before reaching the river, whereas the present decline is at the ratio of a foot to the mile. It requires a sev-en-foot stage of water to float the big digger which throws out the dirt five yards per minute, or two and a half yards per dip.