Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-12-21

come in railway building. The Union
and. Central Pacific and other lines have
pone over the mountains by gradual as
cents, but no such way of climbing the
Cascades was possible, and the wonder
fui undertaking of running through
them parallel with the great canyon OF
the Fraser was determined upon. For
nearly sixty miles from Yale to LyttOn
the river has cut through this lofty
range, thousands of feet below the sum-
mitA Mountain spurs Of granite rock,
with perpendiculAr faces hundreds OF
fest IN height, project st short intervals
along the entire passage. Between them
are deep lateral 9orRss. canyons and
piung1n9 cataracts. On this
MxTY MILES OF TUyxxIs
Rock work and bridges, the greater por-
ton of Mr. Onderdonk's construction
amy Ct 5UD men have been engaged
caocs 1880. The loud roar Of enormous
discharges Of giant powder has almost
constantly reveYberated among the
mountains. Fifteen tunnels have been
bored. one 1000 feet in length, and mill
lions of tons Of rock blasted and rolled
with the noise of an avalanche into the
rushing, boiling Fraser; workmen have
been suspended BY ropes hundreds of
feet down the perpendicular sides of
the mountains to blast fo0thold; SUP
plies have been packed in upon the
backs of mules and horses, over trails
where the Indians were accustomed to
use ladders, and boilding materials
landed upon the opposite bank Of the
r1ver at an enormous expense, and
crossed in Indian canoes. It il estima-
ted that portions of this work have cost
$4,000 TO the mile. In addition to
other transportation charges, Mr.. On
derdonk pays $40 for every ton Of his
freight passing over the Yale Cariboo
wagon road. excepting for the produc-
tons of the province.
As the work progressed the cost of
transportation BY such means increased
until Mr.. Onderdonk determined to try
and run steamer through the Grand
canyon OF the Fraser to the naviRable
waters above to supply the advance
camps. For this purpose he built the
steamer Skuzzy. Then came the difi-
GUILTY OF finding Captain able and will
ing to take her through. One after an
other went up and looked at the little
boat, then at the awful canyon, the
rushing river and the swift foaming
rapids, and turned back. eithor pro-
nouncing the ascent impossible or re-
fusinR to undertake it. Finally
CAPTAINS s. n. AND DAVID SMITH,
Brothers, were sent for. Both were
known for their remarkable feats of
steambOating on the upper waters of
the Columbia. The former ran the
steamer Shoshone 1000 miles down the
Snake River through the Blue Noun
tains-the only boat which ever did, or
probably ever will, make the perilous
passage. He also run steamer safely
over the falls of Willamette at Oregon
City. He said he could take the Skuzzy
up. and provided with crew of seven
teen men. including j. w. Burse, q skill
fol engineer, with a steam winch and
capstan and several great hawsers, be-
gan the ascent. At the end of seven
days ! found them Just below He'll
Gate, having lined safely through the
roaring Black Canyon, through which
the pent up waters rush like q mill race
at ~ miles an hour. Returning from
my journey in the interior, / had the
pleasure of cOnRratulating the Cap
tains upon the successful accomplish
ment of the undertaking, and Of seeing
the Skuzzy start from Boston Bar with
her first load of freight. Captain Smith
said the hardest tugof war was at China
klftie, where, In addition to the en-
gines, the steam winch, and Is men at
the capstan, a force of LEO Cinnamon
upon third line was required to pull
her over! The Captains received g.
$50 for their work.
1t would fill quite a volume to de-
scribe in detail even the moro important
portions of
NIB. oNDERDoNK's GREAT WORK.
All of the immense quantities Of 81
ant powder used is manufactured on
the line between Emory and Yale.
Through the favor of the Superintend-
ents-Messrs. Daniel Ashworth and b.
G. Olesen-I was permitted to examine
the whole of the interesting process.
The acid works contained 2 ,itriol
chambers, made of lead, air tight, the
largest GO feet long, u feet wide. and 20
feet high; "A glass condensers for hold
ing sulphurfc acid nearly as large as
barrels, costing from $50 to 80 each;
"a great earthen jars for nitric acid,
and about 200 tons of birthstone from
Japan, and GO tons Of nitrate of soda
from Chile. At the nitro-glycerine and
giant cartridge works a force of 16 men
were manufacturing the terrible explo-
siyes at the rate of LOO pounds a day.
II requires about two hours to make tho
powder after the sulphuric and nitric
acids and the sweet Rlycerine oil and
the charcoal have been prepared. The
cartridge cases are made from strong
paper dipped in hot paraffine and wax,
and are from to inch in diameter
118 weighing, when filed, about 80
pounds.