DO WOT WASTE YOUR TIME IN FIGURING WHY A BLACK HEN LAYS A WHITE EGG—BUT GET BUSY AND GET AFTER THE EGG.
VOL. L
CHITINA, ALASKA, SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1911.
NO. 28
__ fl 1 ] THi
COPPER SPIKE IS
DRIVEN AT MINE
Cordova Now in Close Touch With
Famous Bonanza Mine at Ken
nicott, a Big Producer of
Fabulously Rich Ore
By WILL A. STEEL.
The goal has been reached.
3:30 p. in., Wednesday, March 29,
1911.
A a cost of over twenty million
dollars.
The Copper River S Northwestern
Railway, from Cordova to Kennecott,
196 miles,
Wednesday atternoon will ever re
main a memorable occasion in Alas
ka. It records an event that will
have important significance through
out the United States.
At the time recorded the last rail
was driven into place by a copper
spike, that marked the completion
of track laying on the new railway
that runs from the sea port term
inus of Cordova to Kennicott, the end
of the line as at present projected.
At the interior terminus is lo
cated the renowned Bonanza copper
mine; 800 feet beyond the big con
centrator and ore bins, on the moun
tain Bide opposite one of the largest
glaciers in the northland, with a
beautiful perspective of snow-cover
ed mountain peaks, frozen rivers and
timbered valleys, the modest cere
monies were w'ltnessed that records
the accomplishment of one of the
most gigantic and daring enterprises
known to the commercial world.
me aay was most propitious, me
sun shone brightly and the crisp, in
vigorating air, with the thermometer
registering 38 degrees above zero,
had an inspiring effect on the inter
ested spectators. A tense and anx
ious feeling was evidenced until the
last act was performed that declared
the practical completion of the build
ing of the railroad to the end of the
line. And it was the obliterating of
frontierism from a hitherto remote
section, bringing rapid communica
tion and making available all the
comforts of civilization, in the de
velopment of that vast domain tribu
tary to the Copper, Chitina, Nixina
and other unnavigable rivers.
All present realized the full im
port of the advent of steel rails, in
the awakening of a new empire of
hidden wealth that is destined to
soon woo thousands of adventurous
prospectors and operators, who will
produce mineral values in such quan
tity as will startle the world.
Driving of the Copper Spike.
On Monday Chief Engineer and
General Manager E. C. Hawkins left
Cordova for the front, in Supt. Van
Cleve’s private dining, sleeping and
observation car. Accompanying him
were J. R. Van Cleve, superintend
ent, and R. J. Barry, general freight
and passenger agent of the new rail
road; E. A. Hegg, photographer; and
Will A. Steel, editor of the Cordova
Daily Alaskan and the Chitina Lead
er. At Chitina the party was joined
by J. C. Martin, manager of the Orr
stage line.
This was the first through train
that had gone over the entire track
age of the new railroad. After
spending the night at camp 146 the
train went on to Kennicott arriving
Tuesday afternoon wihin a quarter
of a mile of the end of the line.
Shortly beyond a trestle of 256 feet
was being put in. which delayed
track laying until the following
morning. However, the trestle was
completed and trackage laid to the
Ore bins and concentrator of the
Bonanza mine before noon Wednes
day. After lunch the additional 800
feet of steel was laid and the final
ceremonies occurred at 3:30 Wednes
day afternoon.
When all was In readiness the
golden, or, in this instance, the more
appropriate copper spike, was placed
in position by Mr. Earry. It was
then driven in turn by Chief Engi
neer Hawkins and General Superin
tendent Samuel Murchison. Faithful
old engine No. 50, puffing and whist
ling, stood on the track a few feet
in the rear, with a large portrait of
the late M. J. Heney over the head
light. The spectacle was witnessed
by a couple of hundred workmen, of
ficials and a few other interested
spectators.
Prior to the act or driving the
spike, in response to a suggestion by
Mr. Hawkins, the assemblage stood:
with bowed and uncovered heads in j
memory of the late and much belov' |
ed contractor, Mr. Heney. After- j
wards Mr. Hawkins made a short
address, in which he expressed the
the special train left and passed over
the new and unballasted track for
fifty miles at the rate of 20 miles
an hour. The night was spent at
Mr. Murchison’s headquarters, camp
146. Thursday morning the run was
made to Chitina. where Mr. Haw
kins left the train, expecting to re
main several days between that point
and Kennicott. With the rest of the
party Superintendent Van Cleve took
his car down to mile 54, where he
and Mr. Barry rendered valuable as
sistance in clearing the snow slides.
A Glorious Accomplishment.
The completion of the Copper Riv
er & Northwestern Railway marks
an Important epoch in Alaska’s his
tory. While equally as daring rail
road accomplishments may have been
undertaken in other parts of the
world, it is doubtful if there has ever
been another project that has been so
successfully carried on under more
adverse and trying conditions.
For nearly three and a half years
past, men numbering into the thous
ands, from the highest officials to the
laborer who shoveled mud or snow,
gave of the best that was in them.
At times over 6,000 men were em
ployed, while at the end the num
ber had decreased to about 500.
During the period of construction
such adverse conditions were encoun
tered and surmounted as are very
seldom met with in other parts of
the world.
Much of the work on the several
steel bridges was done when the ther
mometer was from 35 to 50 degrees
below zero, or when raging torrents
or huge icebergs carried by swift
currents, made foundation work al
most impossible. In constructing
_i
derstanding. scientific knowledge,!
broad intellect, physical force, and
even unto their heart’s blood, to a
work that shall forever redown to
their credit, to the glory of the cap
italists who made it possible, and to
the benefit of the thousands who
will make of the new section a land!
of rich development.
Route of the Xew Railroad.
The tide water terminus is at the
land-locked town of Cordova, on an
inlet of Prince William sound. Then,
as Mr. Swergal describes it, the road
effects a sea level passage of one of
the coast spurs of the Chugach range
at the junction of Eyak Lake and
Eyak River, some six miles from
Cordova, the only point of easy pen
etration to the interior from the
southern Alaska coast. After'leaving
this mountain pass the road is laid
on a tangent of thirteen miles, pass
es the old Russian trading post at
Alaganik, crossing the rioting delta
of the Copper River by means of
modern steel bridges at what are
known as Flag Point, Round Island
and Hot Cake channels. Fifty miles
from Cordova occurred one of the
greatest engineering feats' of modern
times; the Seeond crossing of the
main channel of the Copper by the
erection of the Miles Glacier canti
lever bridge, embattled on either
side by the mighty Chiids and Miles
Glaciers, both presenting a defiant
wall of ice 300 feet above and 100
feet below the river and three to
five miles In length. Here, in sum
mer, thousands of tons of ice fall
_ _■ _’ _i
MARVELOUS FEATS
ACCOMPLISHED
Copper River & Northwestern Rail
road Overcomes All Obstacles in
Penetrating Alaska and Open
ing Up Its Resources
Cordova, the crossing of the Kus
Kulana River is made by means of
a modern steel bridge 238 feet above
the ice bound floor of the gorge;
thence, on through the valley of the
Chitina to the famous Bonanza cop
per mine at Kennecott, 196 miles
from Cordova. This is in the heart
ot one of the world’s greatest copper
regions, and it also promises great
wealth in gold.
Magnificent Steel Bridges.
Everyone connected with the rail
road is proud of the fine steel
bridges that were erected under most
trying climatic conditions, at a cost
of over $2,500,000, From the very
start it was generally known that
the problem of bridging the Copper I
River from the foot of Glacier Lake j
ai d the edge of Child’s Glacier, was '
FAMOUS BONANZA COPPER MINE AT KENNICOTT
appreciation of himself and the Ka
i talla Company for the splendid or
ganization built up by Mr. Heney
and so ably perpetuated by Mr. Mur
chison, and for the effective and har
monious work performed by the con
tracting department.
Afterwards there was general con
gratulations and Mr. Murchison took
occasion to extend his grateful ap
preciation to Mr. Hawkins and the
Katalla Company for the many cour
tesies extended and the able assist
ance rendered his people. The sev
eral engines then blew their whistles
and the workmen and all others pres
ent gave way to much rejoicing.
1 The telephone wires had kept pace
with the railroad construction and
General Manager Hawkins telephon
ed a message to Cordova, to be cab
led to Seattle and there telegraphed
to New York, informing the owners
of the railroad that the copper spiks
had been driven. The following
morning several replies weie receiv
ed at Chltina, expressing the slncer
est congratulations for the splendid
work so expeditiously performed by
Mr. Hawkins and the contracting
company.
Shortly after the Important finish
high trestles and in laying steel
track on beds of ice and snow,
storms, high winds and extreme cold
tried the patience and fidelity of the
strongest and most faithful. Fre
quent ballasting was necessary by
raising the tracks from their beds
of ice and snow and placing under it
the gravel, with the thermometer
nearly 50 degrees below zero. Steam
shovels performed almost hitherto
unheard of feats. Steel rail3 were
laid between active glaciers, over
dead glaciers and muranes.
But notwithstanding the many dis
couraging and unexpected obstacles
that presented, the chiefs. E. C. Haw
kins, M. J. Heney and Samuel Murch
ison. never faltered. With heroic for
titude they met every new issue, in
spiring their assistants with courage
and perseverance, that in turn was
passed even unto the least among
them. And the result was perfect
and harmonious organization both in
the construction and contracting com
panies that continued to the end,
achieving results that In some in
stances were almost miraculous.
These courageous and daring men,
from the highest to the lowest, free
ly gave of their comprehensive ua
into the river in single masses al
most hourly, accompanied by thun
dering roars. These masses of ice
throw monster waves across the riv
er, leaving the salmon high on the
banks to be gathered by prowling
Lears and passing prospectors and
Indians.
From the glaciers the line extends
in a general northeasterly direction
along the Copper, over the Baird
Glacier Moraine (a field of earth hid
den ice), and on through the pano
ramic Wood canyon, surpassing the
grandeur of the Alps, and on to!
Chitina, the coming copper city of
the North. This is also the point
of connection between the railroad
and the Orr stage line for carrying
passengers and the U. S. mail to and
from. Fairbanks and other interior
sections. Leaving Chitina through
h solid rock tunnel, the railway
i.iakes the third crossing of the main
channel of the Copper Immediately
above the mouth of the Chitina Riv
er, and there climbs to the bench
lands skirting the Kotsina. One
hundred and forty-nine miles from
one of the most perplexing problems
end hazardous feats that the man
agement had to contend with. Two
abuttments and three piers were de
cided on to support the necessary
1,550 fee of steel. With the cur
rent rushing past at a reckless rate
of speed and carrying the Immense
icebergs, which find their way out
of the lake, the problem of bridging
the river proved a most difficult one.
Work was started on the first cais
son in April, 1909. In building it
a railroad track was laid over the
Ice, and a monster pile driver, rest
ing on the Ice, drove the piles neces
sary to support the ways of the cais
son. In early May, when the caisson
was ready to slip into place the ice
began to break and it was necessary
tc carry on the work by means it an
aerial tramway. In placing the oth
ei caissons in the middle of the
stream by the aid of compressed air,
huge icebergs were continually ca
reening and bumping the sides of the
caissons.
But this work was finished and the
piers completed that summer, follow
ed by the placing of the false work,
which permitted the jetting on and
riveting of the steel pieces so soon
as they were received in the spring
of 1910. The work of putting the
spans in place went on satisfactorily
until toward the finish of the third
span in May. The ice had been run
ning for a week past, moving two
| or three inches each day, and had
at various times seriously interfered
with the false work or trestling from
which the men weie working. Had
the ice carried away this piling and
frame work it would have been im
possible to have completed the bridge
that season. But fortune favored
the brave efforts of a heroic class
of steel workers and when the break
came two days later the time of dan
ger had passed. The last span was
built over a portion of the river that
is distant from the main channel and
vas not affected by the floating ice.
It was completed in June, 1910.
The total cost of the bridge wag
about $1,500,000. In the construc
tion of the two abuttments and three
caissons about 18,000 cubic yards of
concrete were used, while in the
bridge there are 5.000,000 pounds
of steel. The first span of the bridge
is 400 feet long; the second 300
feet; the third and cantilever span
450 feet, while tne fourth is 400 feet.
Chief Engineer Hawkins received
valuable assistance in this great
work from A. C. O'Neel, bridge en
nineer, who was directly in charge
of the work. He labored with un
tiring zeal in supervising and direct
ing this great undertaking, with the
loyal assistance of foreman of bridge
construction, Chas. McDonald, the
steel foreman, Chas. Dwyer, and a
corps of faithful steel men.
The work of crossing the Kusku*
lana gorge, 238 feet high, was start
ed October 23, 1910, and complet
ed the following Christmas day. This
bridge consists of three half-camel
back spans and is 500 feet long, be
ing three spans of 150, 2’50 and 150
feet. The construction of this
bridge presented difficulties not here
tofore encountered in the other steel
bridges of the road. The extraordi
nary height of the structure, togeth
er with the swiftness of the water
in the chasm that it spans, rendered
the erection of false work infeasible.
These conditions necessitated con
structing the bridge by the cantilever
trick. That is, the central span,
which actually crosses the gorge, is
suspended from the first span by
cantilever rigging attached thereto.
When the gorge or central span was
completed, the wedges in the canti
lever rigging were slacked off, per
mitting the span to settle in place at
its union with the third span on the
other side of the gorge. Engineer
O'Neel was compelled to work his
men much of the time with the ther
mometer 20 to 45 degrees below zero.
The Flag Point bridge at mile 27
is 1,300 feet in length, with spans
as follows, in feet, 300, 150, 150,
175, 175, 175, 175. It was complet
ed in August, 1909. Almost a con
tinuation of this bridge is the Round
Island structure at mile 28. It la
560 feet in length, with two spans
of 300 and 260 feet each, and was
(Continued on page 3).