THE
McCarthy weekly news
Entered as second class matter. Septeni
ber 17th, 1918. at the l ost Office, at
McCarthy. Alaska, under the Act of
March 3. 1879.
Subscription Rates
Single Copies 25
Three Months 1 .25
S*ix Months 2 .50
One Year 5 .00
Payable In Advance
C. F. M. COLE. Manager
M. M. COLE Editor
Saturday Sept. 3rd. 1921.
Alaska Road Commission
Determined To Solve Nizina
Bridge Question Effectively
Our fears that the needs of
this section of the country had
been forgotten by the “powers
that be” were groundless, and
that hereafter it will receive its
share of attention as far as its
bridges and roads are concern
ed is good news to all.
Last mail brought us a letter
from»Colonel Jas. 0. Steese, the
president of the Alaska Road
Commission, and as it contains a
considerable amount of valuable
information about the bridge,
which has not before been made
known here, we are very glad
to print it in full.
“I have just returned from
Irom an extended trip inside to
find a copy of your issue of Ju
ly 30th . As the editorial therein
concerning the terrible accident
which resulted in the drowning
of Mr. Underwood indicates
some misapprehenson as to the
Nizina Bridge situation, I am
taking the liberty of quoting
from several communications of
mine to the Territorial Board
dated May 19th, 1921, I wrote
as follows:
“In accordauce with the law
recently enacted by the Terri
torial Legislature, plans are be
ing made for the construction
of the Nizina Bridge.
In order to keep you informed
of our plans for this structure
and to enable you to anticipate
our requisitions upon you lor
funds, the following is the pre
liminary plan for this work:
“ It is planned to complete
this structure in five stages:
“1, Reconnaissance and Ex
ploration.
“This will involve the necces
sary surveying of the s te and
(exploration by test pits & drills
for the nature of the foundations.
“2. Design of Sub and Super*
Structu re.
“This'involves the complete de
sign of the abutments and piers
and of the bridge span with the
necessary approaches.
'^Procurement of material &
| plant foe transportation to site
for sub structure.
“This involves all work con
nected with the piers and abut
ments.
“4. Placing of sub structure
and procurement and delivery
of material for super structure.
“This involves completion of
piers and abutments and deliv
ery of all material for spans &
and approaches.
“4 Erection of super-structure.
This involves the completion
; of the bridge.”
Under date of May 30th. I a
gain wrote the Territorial Board
as follows: Referring to my
letter of the 19th inst, this
I Board is now prepared to enter
into an agreement with your
Board in accordance with the
provisions of the Act of the Terri
! torial legislature approved May
5th, 1921, for the construction
! of a bridge across the Nizina riv.
’ er.
As required by the act, this
Board agrees to expend at least
&25,0o0 of its own funds in the
construction of such bricge.
Until our investigations are
completed it will not be known
exactly how much the bridge
will cost but it is contemplated
that this Board will eventually
j contribute towards its construc
tion about 490,000 of its own
funds.
It is needless to recapitulate
here the past experience of an
earlier Alaska Road Commission
& of a former Territorial
Board with this river. It was
of course, a physical impossibil
ity for territorial lunds becom
ing available June 30th, 1921 to
take any measures 'that would
have prevented the regrettable
accident of July 27th. We
could of course, rush in and
build a pile trestle across the
river wdiicfi would probably go
out this month before being
completed.
OUR SYSTEM OF BANKING BY MAIL
BRINGS THIS BANK TO YOUR VERY DOOR. •
To open an account, place the amount of your deposit
in an envelope and mail to us. By return post you
will receive a bank book showing amount of your deposit.
THE FIRST BANK OF CORDOVA
THE CONCRETE BANK
ESTABLISHED 1909.
DRAFTS OK AI,I, PARTS OF THE WORLD, MONEY REMITTED RY WIRE
TO ALL PARTS OF TOE UNITED STATES & CANADA.
Copper River
and Northwestern Railway
THROUGH SERVICE TO CORDOVA TWICE WEEKLY
CALEB CORSER Supt.
P. W. SOMMER Agent,
The solution of the Nizina Riv
er situation is a real man’s
size job, and this Commission is
determined to solveit effectively.
Our Supt. Dan Jones, left for
Nizina as soon as he got the Val
dez-Fairbanks road opened and
is now making necessary sur
veys- Our Bridge Engineer is
also on the way to the Nizina
River and will secure necessary
data to permit the bridge and
its supports to be designed this
winter, in accordance with the
approved program.
With reference to the remain
der of the project, some$18,000.00
were spent on the McCarthy -
Nizina road last season, and a
substantial amount has been al
lotted for continuing this work
this season, which latter work is
now in progress. The Chi
sana trail was restaked last win
ter and it is expected that this
trail will continue to be main
tained by us.
Trusting that the above may
serve to allay the apprehensions
of the citizens of the McCarthy
district, and trusting that you
will not hesitate to call upon us
for any further information re
lating to this situation, I am
Very truly yours, -
Jas. G. Steese
F. H. FOSTER
ATTORNEY
Notary Public Real Estate
Transactions of all Kinds
Legally arranged.
Cordova, Alaska
JOB
PRINT
ING
GOOD WORK
News OFFICE