WHERE RAILS AND RIVERS MEET
THE NENANA DAILY NEWS
VOL. HI. MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
NENANA, ALASKA, TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 1920.
NO. 11
PAYNE WANTS TRAVEL COSTS REDUCED
PRESIDENT SELECTS BOARD TO CONSIDER STRIKE
MEARS ISSUES STATEMENT REGARDING RAILWAY PLANS
POLES ARE MiG
FROM RUSSIAN REDS
WARSAW, April 13—The pen- j
eral staff of the Polish army reports j
a pronounced victory for the Polish J
troops which are opposing the Bol- j
sheviki on the southeastern front, j
The report states that at the con-'
elusion of several days’ hard fight
ing the Bolsheviki were forced to
withdraw, having sustained severe
losses.
A Brower stage, with eight pass- j
engers, reported at Donnellys this
morning.
SECRETARY INSISTS ON CUTS
IN TRANSPORTATION CHARGES
SEATTLE, April 13.—The Seat
tle Post-Intelligencer has been in
formed by its Washington corre
spondent that Secretary of the In
terior John Barton Payne has taken
firm hold of the transportation prob
lem in Alaska and will exert to the
utmost the influence of his office to
bring aboift an improvement in con
ditions in the Northern territory.
The advices state that Secretary
Payne has notified Senator Jones
that quick and reasonably low
priced transportation in Alaska wa
ters must be provided, with the es
tablishment of an advertising bu
reau, the purpose of which shall be
to attract tourists first, and later
settlers.
The advices state further that
Secretary Payne has asked Postmas
ter-General Burleson and Admiral
Benson to appoint representatives
to co-operate with Alfred H. Brooks
and the interior department in put
ting a real Alaska policy in effect,
so that the house committee on ter
ritories can be asked to assist inj
promoting the interests of the Ter-1
ritory.
The letter to Burleson outlines
the needs of Alaska, based on de
tailed information supplied by the
Seattle Chamber of Commerce,
Southern Pacific officials and Frank
lin K. Lane.
The very prompt action of the
postofficp department and the ship
ping board is urged by the secre
tary.
KING UP BUSINESS
| LONDON, April 13.—The gen
| eral strike which was called yester
day in Ireland, as a protest against
the treatment of political prisoners,
begun this morning and is spreading
rapidly throughout the island, near
ly all lines of industry being in
cluded. The only exceptions are
newspapermen, telegraphers, and hu
jmanitarian food workers.
• Two loads of passengers, inbound,
iwere reported at Copper Center (his
! morning.
STATEMENT MAKES
ROAD PLANS KNOWN
Nenana, Alaska, April 13, 1920.
Editor The Nenana News.
My dear Sir: Agreeable to the
request of the executive committee
of the Nenana Commercial club, at
a meeting held in Mr. Browne’s of
fice yesterday afternoon, to make
public various matters discussed at
this conference for the information
of the residents of Nenrna, I am
taking occasion to address you this
letter, with the thought that you
would wish to give it space in the
columns of your paper.
The meeting was attended by
Robert Joseph Diven, R. S. McDon
ald, Herman Anderson, William
Coutts, and J. H. Scott, represent
ing the Nenana Commercial club,
and by Mr. Browne, engineer in
charge of the Northern division;
Mr. H. P. Warren, engineer in
charge of the supply division, and
the undersigned, representing the
A. E. C. The following topics were
taken up at the meeting:
1. Tanana river bridge construc
tion.
2. Nenana river bridge construc
tion.
3. Steel and wooden viaduct con
struction, Nenana Canyon district.
4. Coal delivery to Nenana.
5. Operation of commission com
missary at Nenana. :
6. Wages of married employes re
siding in Nenana.
7. Kantishna wagon road eon-j
struction.
8. Plans to secure reliable data
setting forth the resources of trib
utary country for the compilation
of an official bulletin to be issued
by the Interior Department at Wash
ington.
All of the above subjects were
discussed at some length during the
conference, with the net result that
the following information was given
to the committee, with respect to
each topic, which may be briefly
summarized as follows:
Tanana River Bridge.
Considering the poor foundation
offered in the bed of the Tanana.
river, and along the south bank, for •
the construction of bridge piers; the
menace of ice to the channel pier?
during the spring breakup; the War
Department requirements for bridge
construction over a navigable river,
as well as the large cost of this
structure, involving as it does the
expenditure of a million and a quar
ter dollars, it was desired to obtain
the best expert advice before pro
ceeding with actual construction of
the bridge. Accordingly, during
my recent trip to Washington, the
services of one of the foremost
bridge engineering firms in the Unit
ed States — Modjiski & Angier —
were secured to act as consulting
engineers to the A. E. C. in the
matter of the location, design and
construction of the Tanana river
bridge.
One of the members of the firm
—Mr. Angier—is no’v enroute to
Nenana, and will arrive here next
week to commence his studies and
investigations and to view the
spring breakup of the river ice. He
will be accompanied by Mr. Fogel
strom, the engineer of bridges of
the A. E. r., and sevrra' other
engineering assistants, to enable him
to make a complete record of his
investigations.
Naturally, it is not possible to
state at the present time just what
action can or will be taken with
reference to the construction of the
bridge, nor will this be possible un
til Mr. Angier’s studies are com
pleted. However, as soon as Mr.
Angier’s definite plans and recom
mendations are in the hands of the
Commission, and the bridge plans
have been approved by the War
Department, I can assure you that
no time will be lost in starting
work on this important project.
It should be understood that in
the construction of a bridge of this
nature it would be impracticable to
secure complete fabrication in suf
ficient time to warrant shipping the
bridge material via the river route.
In fact, I know, from our recent
experience in handling the large
steel bridge which spans the Susit
na river at Mile 264, that we will
have to work fast in order to get
the Tanana river bridge ordered
and fabricated in time to ship in
over the completed railroad line.
The steel mills ih the United States
are running short-handed, and they
have orders booked ahead about one
year in advance. At the earliest
calculation it would take over a
year for the design and fabrication !
of a bridge of this nature.
Upon approval of the plans bv ]
the War Department, and the actu- j
. al placing of the bridge order with
j the steel mills, consideration will
be given to starting work on the
bridge piers and approaches. 1 am
of the opinion that this preliminary
work should be done ahead of the
arrival of steel from the coast end,
and will so arrange, unless the es
, timates of cost seem to make such
action prohibitive.
Nenana River Bridge Construction.
As is well known locally, the
present crossing of the Nenana riv
er, at Mile 370, is made on a tem
porary trestle bridge, which remains
in place about seven months of the
year, going out at the spring break
up each season. This leaves an in
terrupted line between the coal
mines, opposite Healy fork, and the
town of Nenana during about five
months of the year. To insure con
tinuous communication between the
end of steel at 358 and the town
of Nenana, plans were made last
December to provide an aerial tram
way over the Nenana river at the
bridge site (Mile 3701, which would
transfer four-ton lifts back and
forth across the opening. This ap
pliance has been purchased, and
now lies in Seattle awaiting prompt
shipment to Nenana, upon the open
ing of navigation. As soon as the
tramway is in place over the Ne
nana river, the Commission will be
able to transfer coal and other sup
plies, over the interrupted portion
of the track, with small additional
expense in cost of freight shipments.
Standard gauge equipment consist
ing of an engine and flatcars will
be left on the south side of the
Nenana crossing before the spring
breakup, to permit of train move
ment between Mile 358 and the
river.
The design of the Nenana river
bridge will also be taken in hand
by Mr. Fogelstrom and Mr. Angier,
as soon as they arrive upon the
ground, and upon the approval of
the accepted design for this cross
ing, immediate steps will be tak
en to place orders for the struc
ture.
Steel and Wooden Viaduct Construc
tion, Nenana Canyon District.
As explained during the meeting
with the committee from the Com
mercial club, it is believed that
more benefit will result to the town
of Nenana by the early construction
of the steel viaducts in the Nenana
canyon district than from any other
one thing.
The railroad line is carried across
Riley creek and several other similar
openings on high steel viaducts re
quiring special design, construction,
land fabrication in the U. S.
I There are also several high cross
ings which call for wooden viaducts.
An effort is now being made to ship
.into Nenana during the present sea
ison about a half million feet of
bridge lumber, via the White Pass
j route, provided a sufficiently attrac
tive freight rate can be secured
| from the steamship company. If
this material can be secured before
‘the end of the summer, work will
,be started on the construction of
several of these high bridges. Con
sideration will also be given to the
shipment of the steel viaducts dur
ing the early summer of 1921, via
the river route, provided sufficient
ly attractive freight rates can also
I
Coal Mining.
j The A. E. C. is not operating: any
coal mines in the Nenana field, but
depends entirely upon the output
from the privately owned coal
mines.
1 Delivery of coal to Nenana from
I
the new mine at the end of steel, !
Mile 358, operated by the Healy ;
River Coal corporation, or from the !
Broad Pass, operated by Mr. R. W. i
Calderhead, can be made practically
continuous as soon as the aerial
tramway is in operation across the
Nenana river.
: As stated in the above para- ‘
'graphs, there will be through stan-1
dard gauge rail communication be-!
tween Nenana and these coal prop-1
erties during the months from Sep- J
tember to May of each year, and
the aerial tramway will provide
transfer facilities during the sum
mer months.
{ Wages of Married Employes.
While the matter of wages of,
men in the employ of the A. E. C. j
is believed to be one which is prop
erly not subject to discussion with I
the Commercial club, arguments 1
were heard, during yesterday’s meet- j
ing, more particularly in reference
to the married employes residing in
the town of Nenana. The Commis- ;
sion has been studying the question .
.of wages and living costs for sev-1
jeral months, and as the committee j:
I was advised, the proposal to remove!:
the handicap which married em- j
iployes are now working under, due:
to the operation of the Commission
messhouse below cost, will receive
; favorable consideration. In other 1
[words, Mr. Browne intends to raise
the price of board in the messhouse'1
operated by the Commission to a !
figure which will approximately be i1
equal to cosh, adjusting the salaries !'
and wages of employes accordingly, j
(Caatinuad aa Pag* Twa.)
STRIKE SITUATION
IS NOT IMPROVING
NEW YORK, April 13.-—Accord
ing to information received in thi
city today, there are no indication
that the switchmen’s strike is break
ins anywhere in the country, al
though brotherhood officials are stil
engaged in attempt to conciliate
The reports state that conditions a
Chicago and Philadelphia are unim
proved. In fact, there has been ar
increase in the number of striker
in several sections, and a furthei
curtailment of both freight an'
passenger trains and a closing dowr
of coal mines in Pennsylvania be
cause of the inability of the rail
roads to supply cars.
College students and citizens an
volunteering in a number of cities
which has helped considerably tr
keep traffic going on some of the
roads, but the situation as a whole
is still very critical.
BOARD IS NAMED.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 13.
—President Wilson has appointed a
railroad labor board to try to settle
the switchmen's strike, the names
af the members having been made
public this morninp:. George W.
Hangar, of Washington, D. C.; Hen
ry Hunt, of Cincinnnati, and R. M.
Barton, of Tennessee, represent the
public; Horace Baker, J. H. Klliott.
ind William L. Park represent the
•ailroads, and Albert Phillips, A. <).
Wharton and James .1. Forrester
•epresent the employes.
The board will begin its delibera
;ions immediately.
MIDDLE WEST BETTER.
CHICAGO, April 13.—-Strike con
iitions throughout the Middle West
tave improved considerably since
resterday, as the result of the re
urn of many of the strikers to
heir places. A resumption of live
dock shipments, is reported from
several points.
CABINET TO MEET.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 13.
—President Wilson has issued a
•all for a meeting of the cabinet
or tomorrow, supposedly to consid
;r the strike situation. This is the
irst time the President has called
i meeting of his advisers since last
September.
NAMES WANTED.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 13.
■ --The department of justice has
t sent a request to the New York
i Centra] and Pennsylvania railroads,
askinjr for the names of the strikers
on those systems and their leaders.
i! _
WOOD ON JOB.
j BOSTON, April 13. — (iencral
I Leonard Wood has canceled his
Heave of absence on account of the
• railroad strike and is returning to
'•his headquarters at Chicago, to re
sume command of the Central de
partment.
MOVE APPLAUDED.
I CHICAGO, April 13.—The ap
Contiaued on Pare Threei
!
i
1ST. LOUIS SHOWS BIG
GAIN IN POPULATION
' WASHINGTON. D. C„ April 13.
|—The census bureau reports a train
of 12 percent in the population of
; St. Louis, as shown in the census
! returns taken this year. The pres
ent population is 773,000.
i -
COAL MINE STPIKE
IS GROWING DAILY
_
j P1TTSBBURG, Kan., April 13.
The cessation of coal mining activi
ties in this ilsitrict, provoked by
the imprisonment of President Mow
at of the Kansas Coal Miners' un
ion, is becoming more general daily,
in spite of the fact that no effort
has been made by union officials to
take the men away from their work,
j No strike order has been issued, the
men having left their places in the
mines of their own accord, in silent
protest against Mowat’s arrest.
| Coal mine operators report today
that there are only about 200 min
ers working- out of 12,000.
TRUCE IS DECLARED;
CANNERY SHIPS MOVE
j SEATTLE, April 13.—A number
of the leading Alaska cannery boats,
which had been held here by the
I
i yongshoremen’s strike, left port this
morning, following an agreement
between the port commission and
representatives of the workers. The
strikers consented to a week’s truce
pending a final adjustment of *'
demands.