The Osceola times., 1883-02-17
Progress Of the Canadian Pa
cif1c Railroad.
The New Pass In the Seliirk Range-Con-
struction of II Big Dry Dock Near Vie
torIa-A Provintiai Legislator ON Poll
tics,
San Francisco Chronicle.

possessions:
Politically British Columbia is divided
into two parties, the government, or
"Ins," and the opposition, or "Outs." At
recent election for members of The To-
cal house Of parliament, which will con-
vene at Victoria on the 25th inst, the op-
position made strenuous and well-man-
aged fight for the supremacy and the dis
placement of the present ministry, OF
which Robert Beaven is premier. They
failed, however, to win the day, and the
government party will go into the next
legislature with majority sufficient to
retain the Beaven ministry in power for
the next four years.
THE DRY DOCK.
Diverging from political affairs, Mr.
Galbraith referred to the prospects of the
province, and several enterprises which
are being pushed forward, not the least
of which is the building of a dry dock
at Esquimalt, on Vancouver Island, three
miles FROM Victoria The dock, when
completed, will accommodate the largest
vessel of the English navy, and compare
favorably with any in the world.
Operations on the dock were commen-
ced three years ago, and at present about
one-third of the work has been compet-
ed. When the project was first canvass
ed it did not contemplate the building Of
such large dock, but ut the instance of
the imperial government Of England and
the Dominion government of Canada
tLey making a joint appropriation of
S250,000-the plans were enlarged. The
estimated cost Of tee dock, as by the en-
larged plans, was S350,000, which with
the appropriation would leave the prov
ince but 100000 TO furnish. The cost,
however, will exceed that figure, as it
has been found necessary to build cof-
fer-dam at considerable expense.
The scheme provided for contract
work, but the government was unfortu-
nate in awarding the contract to McNa-
NEE & Co., of Ottawa, who, after grtting
the work well under way, failed few
months ago, and left the work on the
hands of the government. Rather than
let the construction be retarded the gov
1 crnment took hold Of the mat or last
ne, and have since been pushing the
work kforward-employin ing about one hum
dred men.
The principal work is eXcavating, &C.
ment and stone work. A new contract
for the completion of the dock and the
building of a wrought-iron travelling cas-
sion will be awarded on February 10.
There is no restriction as to who shall
bid, and Americans are equally as eligi-
BILE as are Englishmen and Canadians,
the only condition being that "A 25,000
PROGRESS OF THE CANADIAN PACIFIC.
OF the probable completion of the Ca
madam Pacific railroad in the near future
Mr.. Galbraith is very sangune. He says
that the road west from Winnipeg, tho
Manitoba for about 900 miles, isalready
in operation, and will be completed to
Calgary, on the east side of the Rocky
Mountains, by next fall. From Calgary
west to Shuswap lakes, near Kamloops,
in British Columbia, II distance of 600
miles, surveyors are now at work.
This stretch of the road will be known
as the Kootenay, or Rocky Mountain di-
vision of the road. The main obstacle of
this division was the finding of an eligi-
bic outlet through the Selkirk range of
mountains, but few months ago a party
of surveyors under Maj. Rogers, the
chief engine sr, discovered good pass,
which will be known as "Roger Pass"
1t will run via Beaver River and Illecill-
ewaet, and has an elevation of 5000 feet
above the sea level, being 1000 ieet low
er than Kicking Horse Pass in the Rocky
Mountains. If it should be crossed at
its highest elevation no tunnelling will
Hbc necessary, but at an elevation of 900
- feet two and half miles of tunnelling
will be required.
The cost of the road on this division,
or at least that part of it from the sum-
NIT of the Rocdy Mountains to Shuswap
Lakes, will be very heavy. Two parties
of surveyors will work on this division
this winter, making their headquarters
on Blackberry Creek, a tributary of the
tpiuiuDld hlNtT. lDcN Will WOTk west
in the Selkirk range, toward kamloops,
the eastern terminus of the Yale or Brit
ish Columbia division of the road.
Supplies for the Kootenay division are
now received through the Washington
Territory, the Northern Pacific railroad
delivering them at Sand Point, ]. T.,
where they are shipped by pack trains to
Kootenay, a distance of 175 miles,
DIFFICULT ENGINEERING.
The Yale, or British Columbia division
of the road extends from Yale, on the
Fraser river, east to the Lytton, 800 miles.
This division was the most difficult to
build, the route lying along the rocky
bank of the Fraser river, which necessi-
tated blasting or tunnelling. The divis-
ion is being constructed by contract, Ou-
derdonk & Co., behind whom is p. O.
Mills, being the contractors. They have
been at work now about three wears, and
the contract calls for the completion OF
the division within five years. The en-
tire line from Yale, in British Columbia.
TO Winnipeg is expected to be completed
within four years from the time the sur
veys are made.
Maj. Rogers, the chief engineer. who il
at present in St. Paul, Mimi, will return
4 in the spring, and with number of sur
>vcying parties will complete the final
survey of the road, so that within three
or four years the entire line will proba-
bly, be in operation.
A GIGANTIC MONOPOLY.