IS RECOUNTED
CHAIRMAN OF ENGINEERING
COMMISSION WRITES INTER
ESTING MAGAZINE STORY.
TRANSPORTATION NECESSARY
Future Development of Territory De
pends on Facilities for Moving
Products of Mines, Fields and
Forests.
William C. Edes, chairman of the \
Alaskan Engineering commission, in!
the August number of Alaska maga-;
zine, which is published at Juneau, has i
an interesting article reviewing the |
history of the government railroad
and telling of the progress made in its
construction.
“Previous to the commencement of j
the government railroad, little had j
been done in the way of railroad con
struction in Alaska,” writer Chairman !
Edes. “The Copper River and North
western railroad, leading from Cor- j
dova to the great copper mine at |
Kennecott, a distance of 191 miles, and j
the Alaska Northern, extending from
Seward to Kern Creek, a distance sev
enty-cne miles, with a few short
pieces of railroad leading into the
mining regions near Fairbanks and
Nome, comprised the list. These roads
were all built by private enterprise.
None of them have proved to be pro
fitable investments until recently
wljen the abnormal activity in the cop
per industry has contributed greatly
to the revenues of the Copper River
and Northwestern.
There has been but little induce
ment for the investment of private
•?api%al in railroad construction in the
erritory, especially since the with
drawal of the coal fields from entry.!
In order to make such investment pro
fitable, a corporation would have had
to receive considerable subsidies in
land, or government guarantees of
bond interest, neither of which is in
accordance with government policy.
transportation .bssential.
“The future development of the ter
ritory depends almost entirely upon the !
providing of proper systems of trans
portation. Alaska undoubtedly has im
mense resources in coal, coppei-, gold,
and other minerals, as well as great
agricultural possibilities, oil awaiting
the means of transportation. In the
days of the rich bonanzas the products
of the mines could be profitably moved
by dog teams to the steamers, but in
the days of the dredge and the quartz
mill some cheaper method of trans
portation must be provided. Consider
ing the enormous contribution that
Alaska has made to the wealth of
the nation, the territory is clearly en
titled to much consideration.
“In the Act of March 12, 1914, con
gress empowers the president of the
United States to locate, construct, and
operate railroads in the territory of
Alaska.
Left to President’s Discretion.
It is left to his discretion to either
operate such railroads or to lease
them to responsible parties. There has
been considerable criticism in con
gress and elsewhere as to the desir
ability of the government entering in- '
to such an undertaking, the critics
claiming that it should have been left i
to private enterprise. To those ac
quainted with conditions in Alaska:
construction of a railroad by the gov-1
construction of a railorad by the gov
ernment- was the only way that the!
ends could be accomplished.
“Closely following the passage of
the Railroad Act of March 12, 1914,
the president directed the secretary of
the interior to proceed with the sur
veys and gather all necessary data
to determine the most available route:
for a standard gauge railroad leading
from the coast to the navigable waters
of the interior. To accomplish these
purposes the Alaskan Engineering
commission, consisting of three mem
bers, receiving their appointments
from the president, was created. A re
port was made in the winter of 1914,
and on April 10, 1915, the president
announced the Seward-Fairbanks
route as the one selected. A descrip
tion of this route has appeared in var
ious publications and will not be re
peated here.
Alaska Northern Purchased.
“As a part of the system the Alaska
Northern Railroad, leading from Sew
ard to Kern Creek, a distance of sev
enty-five miles, was purchased. This
road, which was built during the
years 1904 to 1909, had fallen into a
► very dilapidated condition, and exten
sive repairs and changes were neces
sary to make it safe for the operation
of even light equipment.
Following the announcement of the
rffute selected, the president, by execu
tive order, directed the Alaskan En
gineering commission to proceed with
\
the construction of the road. From the
northerly end of the Alaska North
ern Railroad at Kern creek, the line
of the new construction follows the
north shore of Tumagain Arm of
Cook’s Inlet, for a distance of 30
miles. The country is very rugged and
the construction excessively heavy and
expensive. In many places the roadbed
has to be blasted out of the side of
perpendicular rock bluffs.
Important Object of Railroad.
“One of the most important objects
to be attained by the building of the
road was to bring the products of the
Matanuska coal fields to tide water at
the earliest date possible. The line
after leaving Tumagain Arm follows
over a broken country for about 15
miles and reaches tide water on Knik
Arm of Cook's Inlet, near the mouth
of Ship creek, where the town of An
chorage is now located.
“The ocean steamers have made this
their northerly terminus on Cook In
let, and it has in the past been known
as Knik Anchorage. It was determin
ed to make this the base for the com
mencement of active operations, and
from here has been carried on the
larger part of the new construction,
extending in either direction. From
here to the Matanuska coal fields is a
! distance of seventy-five miles, thirty
! six and a half miles of which is on the
I main line leading to Fairbanks, and
1 the remainder on the branch.
I ‘‘Construction began at Anchorage
j in the spring of 1915 and has been
carried on actively during the work
ing season, since that time. The point
| where the branch line to the coalfields
leaves the main line is known as Mat
| anuska Junction and is thirty-six and
a half miles from Anchorage.
roint Keached in 1916.
“The track reached this point in
1916. It has now been further extend
ed a distance of twenty-three miles to
the crossing of the Little Susitna riv
er. Grading is in progress for a furth
er distance of seventy miles and it is
expected to extend the track thirty or
forty miles before the end of the sea
son. On the branch of the coal fields
track has been laid a distance of twen
ty-five miles, and by September will
reach the terminus at Chickaloon, in
the heart of the coal fields. Consider
able of the work on this branch has
been progressing in a northerly direc
tion from Anchorage. Much has been
done towards closing the gap towards!
Seward. Track has been laid a dis-.
tance of fourteen miles southerly, and j
grading has progressed rapidly over a
further distance of eighteen miles.
“Additional contracts have been au
thorized. As stated before, the work j
along Turnagain Arm is of a very for- j
midable character. The material being j
rock, much work was carried on dur- j
ing the winter of 1916-17 and will be
during the coming winter.
Fairbanks Division.
“During the summer of 1915 con
struction work was started on the
Fairbanks division, it having been de
cided that owing to the scai’city of
fuel in that country and the desirabil
ity of reaching the Nenana coal fields
from Fairbanks, the additional ex
pense was warranted. A construction
base was established at Nenana, the
point where the located line crosses
the Tanana river, about twenty-seven
miles from Fairbanks. A wharf was
built, warehouses erected, and var
ious buildings necessary for the car
rying on of the work were erected.
The right of way has been cleared for
a distance of over 100 miles. Consid
erble grading has been done south
from Nenana, and it is expected that
from forty to fifty miles of track will
be laid before the end of this season.
“The government has recently ac
quired by purchase the Tanana Valley!
Railroad, a narrow gauge line leading
from Fairbanks to the mining regions.
The total length of this road is about
forty miles. This should prove a valu
able feeder to the main line.
Varies in topography.
“The country through which the j
government railroad passes varies!
considerably in its topography. There'
are no great valleys like the San Joa- j
quin valley in California, for instance, i
The so-called “valleys” are usually ta- j
ble lands cut through by numerous |
glacial streams, or else small stretches ;
of level land on either side of these
streams. A general description of the
route followed by the railroad is given
in the report of the engineering com
mission and also in several publica
tions, so will not be repeated here.
“Between Seward and Fairbanks
three summits are crossed; the first at
Mile 12 from Seward, an elevation of
705 feet above sea level; the second at
Mile 45, crossed at an elevation of
1063 feet is the summit of the Kenai
range; and the third at Mile 314 from
Seward, crossed at an elevation pf
2418 feet. This last is the summit cf
the main Alaska range and is known as
Broad Pass.
Grade to Summits.
The first two summits, both of
which occur on the Alaska Northern
Railroad, are reached by a maximum
grade of 2.2. per cent from either di
rection. The Broad Pass summit is
reached by a 1.75 per cent grade going
north and a 1.0 per cent grade going
south.
“To reach the Matanuska coal fields
from Matanuska Junction a maximum
grade of 1.0 per cent is required.
“The construction of the railroad in
volves some very heavy work. Certain
portions of the Alaska Northern Rail
road were expensive to construct and
expensive to rehabilitate.As stated be
fore, the longest continuous stretch of
heavy work is the thirty miles along
Tumagam Arm.
“A number of these miles will cost
as high as $100,000 a mile for the
grading and bridging alone. Ap
proaching the Broad Pass from the
south, in the Chulitna canyon are a
number of miles of very heavy con
struction, and descending from the
pass to the north, through the Nenana
canyon, are several miles of heavy
work.
“For many miles the road traverses
a rolling country, with numerous
crossings of glacial streams, involving
considerable bridging and numerous
cuts and fills containing many cubic
yards of material. There are two
wide crossings, namely the Susitna
and Tanana rivers, which will require
steel bridges costing nearly three
quarters of a million dollars each.
While for a number of miles the line
crosses a comparatively flat country,
this is so brokenup with swamps and
small lakes that the construction is
quiteexpensive. In fact there is very
little work that can be considered
cheap construction. To be sure, there
is no one feature of the work of stu
pendous magnitude, as a very long
tunnel or an enormously expensive
bridge, but there are so many costly
features that the railroad as a whole
will be expensive.
Constructing railroads in Alaska
under the conditions prevailing there is
of necessity expensive. The active
working season is only about seven
months in the year. Practically all
construction material has to "be
brought from Puget Sound at heavy
expense. There are no wagon roads in
the country, and even after these are
constructed the frequent rains render
them almost impassable for several
mouths during the working season.
The distribution of supplies and con
tractor’s construction outfit has most
ly to be done over the snow in the
winter, excepting where the work can
be reached by existing waterways.
These are the problems which present
themselves to the engineer and fre
quently prove to be harder to solve
than the excavation of rock cuts or the
boring of tunnels.”
Twenty-two prisoners, who are
held in the federal jail here on the
charge of having failed to comply
with the registration provision of
the selective conscription law, will be
arraigned Monday before United
States Commissioner Leopold David.
Seven of the prisoners were
brought here from Matanuska last
night by United States Deputy Mar
shal A. F. Hoffman. They have been
doing construction work on the main
line of the government railroad.
Their names are George Guskovich,
Alexander Agoff, Michael Kibioff,
Samul Sahoff, Alexander Razoff, Al
exander Sagoff and Samuel Zakoff.
Of the remaining fifteen alleged
slackers, twelve were arrested Thurs
day afternoon as they were about to
board the outgoing army transport
Crook, and three were brought here
Thursday evening from Turnagain
Arm.
Those of the prisoners, if any, that
are held to the grand jury probably
will be sent to Valdez on a steamship
next week, as the grand jury will be
convened there October 15.
$40,000 LOG HOUSE.
STEVENSVILLE, Mont., Sept. 27.
—A log house which will cost $40,000
is being erected in the upper Bitter
Root valley for two eastern men who
own a big ranch in the valley. The
house will be used as the summer
home of the ranch owners.
The house is being built out of lodge
pole pines. The bark is being left on
the outside. On the inside the wall
logs are surfaced, planed and polish
ed.
The wire drag ship L. Roscoe,
which has been working in southeast
ern Alaska waters during the past
summer, has completed its work for
the season and the officers have left
for the south to reduce their notes of
the summer’s work to paper. The
party ^started work at Berner’s bay
and worked south through Favorite
and Saginaw passages into Stephens
passage and as far south as Point
Young, the entire area was dragged
to a depth of 85 feet and few shoals
were found which showed less water
than this, and the few discovered
show over forty feet.
(From the Alaska Railroad Record)
Anchorage Division.
.following are the progress reports of the various de
partments of Anchorage Division for the week ending Sep
tember 15:
Bridge and Building.
Work on the roundhouse progressed favorably. At the
close of the period the roof was 90 per cent complete and
70 per cent of the side walls had been placed. The excava
tion for the turntable was 95 per cent completed. The con
crete base for track scales was put in and forms built for
the rest of the foundation. The carpenter work on the
radio station was finished, except for the windows. The
extension for the Soldiers’ Mess was completed. All work
in connection with the improvements at Anchorage school
house were finished with the exception of building a stage
platform in the assembly hall, painting the fire escape and
oiling the floors. The lean-to being built to house the
bowling alleys, at the Y. M. C. A. was 25 per cent com
pleted.
A piledriver has been placed on a barge and will drive
piling for a temporary dam across Ship Creek, which will
be utilized by the dredge in harbor improvement work.
Mechanical Department.
The work in connection with the assembling of Lidger
wood No. 1 was 95 per cent completed. Considerable work
was done in fitting up four new caboose cars and in con
nection with dredge equipment.
Electric Light and Power.
The electric plant and wiring of the dredge Sperm was
installed; the boat Diebienna was wired for lights and stor
age battery equipment; the installation of the electric fix
tures in additional rooms in the school building was com
pleted; additional fixtures were placed in the telegraph and
telephone building; two transformers and one. oil switch
were placed and primary and secondary wires were strung
as a part of the extension of the distribution system in the
townsite.
Radio.
The new building of the radio station was nearly com
pleted; the concrete foundation for a direct current gen
erator was poured, and the electric wiring was continued.
TURNAGAIN ARM DISTRICT.
All grading work is now covered between Bird Point
and Potter Creek. The contractors in the vicinity of Miles
84 to 80 are getting their work opened in good shape and
satisfactory progress is being made, considering adverse
weather conditions.
The Commission force at Mile 98, Sheep Creek, made
good headway in the rock cut at that point. The Commis
sion force stationed at Mile 99 moved to Mile 89 to do
scratch work between Stations 2134 and 2089.
The grading has been practically completed from Miles
98 to 101 and track will be laid there next week. A grading
contract was let to John Anderson & Co. for work at Mile
85, and a contract for about 15,000 ties was awarded to L.
O. Nyberg during the week.
MATANUSKA DISTRICT.
Matanuska Branch.
Construction on the branch line to the Matanuska coai
fields has been completed and the line turned over to the
Maintenance of Way Department. The only employees re
maining, aside from the operating and maintenance forces,
are the engineers, who are finishing up their notes.
Main Line.
Track has been laid on the main line as far as Big Wil
low Creek. All contractors south of this point, with the
exception of two gangs engaged in ditching and miscel
laneous finishing, have completed their work. Camp 180
has been turned over to the Maintenance of Way Depart
ment.
No. 1 piledriver crew is now engaged on the Little Wil
low Creek structure. No. 2 piledriver crew is driving the
south approach trestle of the Kashwitna structure and is
due to finish that work within a week.
The contractors north of Little Willow Creek are mak
ing satisfactory progress, and will complete their several
assignments in ample time for tracklaying.
WEEKLY FORCE REPORT.
Anchorage Division.
The number of employees of the Anchorage Division
as shown by the payrolls on Saturday, September 8, 1917,
was as follows:
Commissioner’s Office . 41
Shops and Yards. 252
Transportation Service . 60
Store and. Dock Departments . 452
Accounting Department . 20
Disbursing Office. 9
Townsite Office . 66
Employment Bureau and Terminal Mess. 18
Hospital Department . 19
Harbor Improvement . 3
Telegraph and Telephone Department . 82
Track, Bridge and Ballast—Main Line . 592
Mining Department . 105
Locating Party No. 4 . 33
Tumagain Arm District. 424
Matanuska District . 237
Talkeetna District . 20ft
2619
Stationmen and Laborers—All Districts.1269
Grand total all employees Anchorage Division .... 3888
CONTRACT SETTLEMENTS.
The total amount paid to contractors by the Anchorage
Disbursing Office during the period September 8 to Sep
tember 14 was $54,481.04, as follows:
Fred Gibsov & Co.$ 5,766.10
N. Eleven & Co. 11,510.78
E. D. Collins & Co. 5,184.89
Metropolitan Auto Service . 79.00
J. Bordin & Co. 3,597.63
Thompson & Co. 3,273.08
Doherty Coal Co. 11,286.74
Geo. Poropat & Co. 7,739.21,
E. Schedin & Co. 3,339.97
Subat & Co. 2,703.64
U. G. Donston, surgeon’s assistant at Matanuska, has
resigned and will leave on the transport Crook to tender
his services to the Government.
The total disbursements of the office at Anchorage for
the period September 8 to September 14 were $229,959.00.
The payment of salaries and wages amounted to $173,
994.43; to contractors $54,481.04; local purchases $217.11;
other expenditures $1,266.42.
AGREE 10 BUI
E
FORTY-ONE FIRMS AND MERCH
ANTS SIGN PLEDGE TO USE
HOME-GROWN VEGETABLES
SIGNATURES MADE PUBLIC.
Forty-one firms and business men
of this city have formally agreed to
use exclusively home-grown vegeta
bles. The agreement was circulated
for signatures as the result of action
taken at the public meeting Septem
ber 15 in the Chamber of Commerce.
The text of the agreement and the
names of the signers fqjlow:
"We, the undersigned, hereby agree
■IPIPIFIPIPIPIFIPIPIFIFIPIFI
and pledge ourselves to purchase and
use locally raised products, such as
potatoes, turnips, cabbage, rutabagas,
carrots, beets, lettuce and other prod
ucts of that kind, and of which there
is raised a sufficient supply to meet
the local demand, and that we will not
at any time in the future use, pur
chase or import any such products
from the states.
“We agree to do all that we can
within our poweV to get others to use
the locally-grown products and that
we will discourage anyone from im
porting these products from the
states.
“We further agree that we will not
patronize or deal with any person who
violates this agreement.
“A. A. Shonbeck, Z. J. Loussac, D. B.
Paterson, Charles E. Herron, Leopold
David, Arthur G. Thompson, Matt
Raich (Frisco Cafe), P. O. Sundberg.
F. M. Boyle, Pacific Grocery Co. (G.
W. Fowler), J. H. Smith, Brown &
Hawkins, I. E. Hensler, Dohrmann,
Herning & Co., A. E. Lathrop, Jas. E.
O’Reilly, Andrew Christensen, Frank
W. Redwood, Carstens Packing Co.,
Jaffe & Bayles, Ship Creek Market,
Bon Marche, Larson & Wendler, J. R.
Harman, Polley Bros., F. E. Parker,
Cosmopolitan Market, W. C. Edes, J.
L. McPherson, F. Mears, D. V. Vuce
tich, A. Shyman, G. M. Campbell, Wm.
Maitland, Royal Cafe, Tony’s Cafe,
White House, by Albert White; Crist
Hotel, by P. M. McMahill; City Bak
ery, by P. M. Gozovich, W. L. Hugel.
The agreement has not been submit
ted to all residents of Anchorage, but
only to such as could be conveniently
reached. Only two or three that were
asked to attach their signatures de
clined to sign the agreement.
A chapter of the American Red
Cross was recently organized at Cor
dova, with Mrs. W. W. Council as
president, Mrs. W. H. Chase, vice
president; Mrs. Sam Hedges, secre
tary; and Mrs. Clifford Philips, treas
urer. The chapter starts out with a
j membership of 400 and has $1,000 in
I the treasury.
PAINLESS DENTISTRY
BY DR. E. J. HALFORD
DO YOU WANT THE BEST RESULTS FOR THE LEAST MrNEY?
Dental ailments as treated by me are relieved of all their horrors
and the best results are obtained in the minimum amount of time.
My several courses in advanced dental work have fitted me to
give you the best results for the least money.
Your knowledge of business teaches you that you should get the
best results for your money in any transaction. I am prepared to give
you the best results in dentistry at the lowest price and consider myself
an expert in my line.
You can make no mistake by coming to see me. In my new
location in the Kyvig Building.
DR. E. J. HALFORD
Kyvig Bldg.
Over Anchorage Drug Co.
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