M MRfjHIIop COPPER GELT
(Continued from page 1.)
completed in May, 1909. These two
bridges were built at a cost of $560,
000. The Hot Cake bridge at mile
34 is-525 feet long with three spans
of 175 feet each. It was finished
in November, 1909. and cost $230,
000. The steel in the five bridges
weighs over 20 000,000 pounds.
The construction of the steel
bridges was done directly by the Ka
talla Company, while the wooden
bridges and trestles were built by
Contractor Heney.
Wooden Bridges, Trestles and Snow
Sheds.
Between Cordova and Chitina there
ate 129 bridges, with a length of
42,988 feet, or 8.16 miles, which
were built at a cost of $590,000. This
side of Miles Glacier, mile 47, there
are 40 bridges, length 17,963 feet
costing $256,000. Prom Milts Gla
cier to Tiekel, a distance of 52 miles,
there are 42 bridges length 15,459
feet, costing $18v 000. Prom Tiekel
to Chitina, a distance of 32 miles,
there are '47 -bridges, length 9,566
feet, costing $163,000. The longest
bridge is across the Copper River
just beyond Chitina, at mile 132. It
is 2,790 feet long, or a little more
than a half mile. The west approach
ti the Miles Glacier bridge is nearly
as long. The Gilahina bridge is 890
feet long, from eighty to ninety feet
high and was built in eight days.
The superintendent of bridges is
P. J. O'Brien and he made many not
able records in the construction of
wooden bridges and trestles. With
the thermometer always down to ze
ro and as far below as 50 degrees,
Mr. O’Brien completed 6,700 feet in
thirty-five days, after the 7th of Jan
uary last. working on an average of
forty-eight men. The total cost of
the bridge and trestle work on the
Chitina branch has not yet been de
termined.
In order to protect the tracks from
snow slides and drifting snow 3,030
feetjof substantial sheds were built.
At Round Island, mile 28, 703 feet
were built and at Abercrombie Can
yon, between miles 53 and 54, there
are 2,327 feet, These sheds were
built at a cost of $101,000. As a re
sult of the past season’s experience
and observation it has been found
necessary to erect additional sheds,
which will be done before next win
ter.
Equipment of Railroad.
Everything is of the most modern
and substantial character and includ
es, 15 locomotives, eight coaches,
256 cars, four steam shovels, two ro
tary ploughs, one wrecking crane,
track driver, two spreaders, one dox
er, all of which were purchased at
a cost of $750,000. This motive
pcwer runs over.a standard guage
railroad with 70-pound rails to Chit
ina, and 60-pound rails on the Chit
ina branch to Kennecott. Native ties
have been used throughout, while
all of the track fittings, sid
ings, frogs, switches and other ap
standards.
rue motive power was uuiu uy me
American Locomotive Works and In
cludes several consolidation engines
of most modern type, equipped with
electric headlights and used exclu
sively in the hauling of passenger and
mail trains. Two snow rotaries are
in constant readiness to give battle
to the snow and prevent blockades.
The rolling stock is of the latest ap
proved pattern, the freight cars rang
ing from sixty to one hundred thous
and pounds capacity, with a large
complement of auxiliary cars for con
struction • and maintenance purposes.
A table d'hote dining car service is
maintained on all passenger trains
between Cordova and Chitlna, the
service of which is unexcelled on the
standard railways in the states, in
suring appetizing meals in comfort
at all hours.
Preliminary Work on C. R. ft X. W.
Railroad.
After the Alaska syndicate acquir
ed the Bonanza mines, under owner
ship of the Kennecott Mines Com
pany, the necessity was at once ap
parent for the construction of a rail
road to reach their valuable copper
properties and also to open up what
was considered a rich mineral belt
running to the north and south of
the Chitina, Nizina and other rivers.
Engineer M. K. Rogers decided that
the cheapest route was north from
Valdez, and in the spring of 1905 he
secured rights and started to build
from Valdes. The difficulties of get
ting through the canyon and the high
grades necessary in climbing the
mountains brought discouragement.
Ia 'the fall of 1905 the valuable
coal deposits of the Katalla fields
began to be generally discussed and
the Alaska Syndicate was impressed
with the necessity of taking the coal
question into consideration in the
construction of a railroad. Work was
suspended at Valdes and Mr. Rog
ers directed his attention to Katalla
and the Copper River country. It
was then decided to build from Ka
talla, in preference to Valdes or Cor
dova, active work starting in the
early spring of 1907. Efforts to con
struct a breakwater and secure a
suitable harbor at Katalla soon met
with unsatisfactory results, after
trestles had been built, ten miles
of grading done and eight miles of
track laid.
In June, 1907, the Syndicate se
cured the services of E. C. Hawkins,
formerly chief engineer of the White
Pass & Yukon railroad. He came
north on July first to study the whole
situation. For over three months he
tramped over the various suggested
routes for reaching the Bonanza
mines. He held in mind the neces
sity for starting at tide water at a
common point to tap both the copper
belt and the coal fields, with the
Lightest possible grade. He also de
sired an open harbor the year round,
with deep water and secure anchor
ape, where a large fleet of vessels
might be safely sheltered.
Mr. Hawkins satisfied himself that
Cordova offered more advantages
than any other point, even though
the cost of constructing from there
would be greater than from some
other port He went to New York
and at a meeting of the Syndicate
in October, reported in favor of dis
continuing work at other points and
starting from Cordova. The meet
ing decided on the line from Cordova.
On November 15, 1907, Mr. Hawkins
was made chief engineer and gen
eral manager of tne Katalla Com
pany, organised for the purpose of
constructing the railroad, and which
positions he continues to hold. He
was placed in absolute charge of the
engineering and construction work.
The first contract was for re-build
ing the old part of the Copper River
Railroad five miles out from Cordova
nd new construction to Abercrombie
Dr mile 54. Track was laid to this
point by October 30, 1908, with the
exception of the bridge crossing the
river at mile 49_, The next contract
was to Tiekel, or mile 101, which
was completed on December 1, 1909.
The road was completed to Chitina.
or mile 131, on September 12, 1910.
Track was laid to Kuskulana, mile
149, October 23, and the steel bridge
across the river was completed De
cember 25. The trestle 880 feet long
and from eighty to ninety feet high
was built across the Gilahlna River,
mile 160, in eight days, and trains
were running over it January 28. For
the rest of the distance the actual
track laying in the dead of winter
and over ice and snow progressed
at the rate of nearly a mile per day
not including the building of trestle,
until the end of the line waB reached
on the afternoon of March 29, 1911.
Some Items of Expense.
Some of the most expensive rock
work in railway building has been
encountered, ranging from nominal,
amounts to 9220,000 per mile. Faces
cf mountains and canyons were lit
erally torn away by tremendous
charges of dynamite and powder.
Practically along the entire line
north of Miles and Childs Glaciers
the very mountain summits echoed
and re-echoed again and again the
martial-like sound and explosions
proclaiming the indomitable will and
physical hardihood of the industrial
soldiers of peaceful progress biasing
a way for the enrichment and con
venience of generations to come.
There were 5,680,000 cubic yards o£
excavation, of which 3,140,000 were
of solid rock. Great Quantities of
explosives were used, at a cost or
$375,000. Over 1,200,000 yards of
gravel were moved by steam shovelB,
a', a cost of $290,000.
Already $8,300,000 has been paid
labor for wages, exclusive of the
wages paid for contract station work.
Fuel was an Important item and cost
$510,000. Over $376,000 was paid
for lumber and tiea, while the gov
eminent will receive nearly 1100,000
for stumpage. The cost for piling
aggregated $ 118,000. An expensive
item was the rails, for which 31,
110,000 was paid. Building wagon
roads and trails so as to transport
materials cost 378,000. The big and
substantial wharf at Cordova cost
3136,000. An expensive item will be
the 190,000 tons of freight received
by sea and much of which came by
rail from the Eastern states. The
charges for this item will likely run
up to over 32,000,000.
Effective Hospital Service.
In the employment of thousands
of men there are necessarily many ac
cidents. It has always been the pol
icy both of the Katalla Company and
M. J. Heney to afford the maimed
the best possible accommodations and
the best medical assistance obtain
able. During the period of construc
tion work for the contractor. Dr. F.
B. Whiting has acted as chief sur
geon, which position he also filled
during work on the White Pass &
Yukon railroad.
To know Dr. Whiting is to know
a man who stands high in his profes
sion, and a man who is possessed of
boundles energy and a sympathetic
heart. Any distance or hour of the
day or night would find him respon
sive to a call of distress. He is a
man of strong organizing ability, and
in the selection of his assistants he
secured the best men obtanable. His
hospitals have been provided with
the latest and most up-to-date instru
ments and facilities for the treatment
of patients. Some of his operations
performed required the highest skill
of his profession, which merited the
exceptional success that his efforts
earned. As a result there were sur
prisingly few fatalities.
At preesnt the main nospitai is ai
mile 146, where Dr. Broderick is the
assistant. As work progressed others
have been maintained at miles 55,
96, 101, 123, 133, 182 and 191.
The Katalla Company has alwa/.
maintained a splendid hospital at
Cordova. Until last summer it was
in charge of Dr. W. W. Council, when
he gave way to Dr. Smith, who has
since been in charge. Other hospitals
1 ave been maintained by the Katal
la Company at Miles Glacier, for the
benefit of the .bridge workers, and at
Abercrombie Canyon, when the snow
sheds were being built, and at Kus
kulana, when the bridge was erect
ed.
Alaska Syndicate.
The men who have financed the
Copper River & Northwestern Rail
way are M. Guggenheim Sons and J.
Pierpont Morgan, with their friends.
They formed a combination for work
ing purposes, known as the Alaska
Syndicate. The first purchase for
$3,000,000 of mining claims, includ
ing the Bonanza mine at Kennecott,
196 miles into the interior, made
necessary the building of a railroad
to reach this property. After hav
ing experts examine the many min
ing claims that were then located
by various individuals and companies
in what is known as the Copper River
district, a conclusion was reached
that sufficient tonnage would be
available soon after the completion
of a railroad to warrant the construc
tion of a standard guage, high-class
railroad.
Several million dollars were spent
in the effort to establish the proper
sea coast terminal. Finally Cordova
was decided upon as the most desir
able and feasible point to reach the
coal and copper fields. From that
time forward the work has been pros
ecuted with diligence and without
interruption. As estimates for costs
were submitted the Syndicate endors
ed the expenditures and promptly
supplied the necessary money. The
financiers are represented in New
York by S. W. Eccles, who has very
largely reflected the policies of the
Syndicate and conducted their busi
ness from that end.
The Katalta Company and Railway.
This company was formed for the
purpose of constructing the railroad.
Certain contracts were awarded to
M. J. Heney on a percentage basiB,
while the construction of the steel
bridges, and certain other work af
ter the contractor had turned over
a completed division, was performed
by the Kataiia Company. Of this com
pany S. W Eccles, of New York,
Is president, while E. C. Hawkins is
(Continued on page 4)
Here in
CHITINA
Is a genuine opportunity for a man or
woman with a few hundred dollars to in
vest in lots, for either a home or for busi
ness purposes, if the advantages of this great
undeveloped empire are accepted now.
Thousands of settlers, prospectors and
tourists will come into this country next
spring to make this their home and add their
mite to the development of this vicinity.
You cannot afford to miss this oppor
tunity to get in on the ground floor and to
get established for the business that is sure
to come.
DO IT NOW
Chitina Townsite Co.
Copper River & Northwestern Railway j
♦»♦♦♦♦♦+♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦
♦
♦
Good Passenger and Freight |
Service to Interior Alaska
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For Rates and Other Information Apply at
DEPOT OFFICE
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Hd •!! modern conveniences. Bar and restanrant in connection.
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