, 1889-10-10
TO EUROPE BY RAIL.
The Great Road TO BE Built From
Spokane Falls to
Alaska,
Connecting With the Russian Sys-
tenn in Siberia and to
Behring Straits.

Mrs. G. S. Byrne has kindly sent the
REVIEW u copy of the Catholic Mirror
published at Baltimore, Md. containing
tho following under tho headline, "All
Rail to Europe
''lt Is highly probable that q railway
from Spokane Falls to Alaska will be
constructed within the next few years."
said Mr.. II. A. johnson. 81 am on my
way home from u business trip to WASH
iugton territory, and while out there my
attention was called to the project, aud
spent considerable time looking into it,
Tho movement is in it's infancy, but it
has the backing of the wealthy men of
the Northwest and of the people of Brit.
ish Columbia, and believe the road will
be built. Tho idea looks strange and
impracticable at first glance, but us
matter of fact the obstacles to be en-
countcrcd in the construction of such
line would not be as great as were met
with by the Central Pacific and the
Northern Pacific IL is proposed to be-
gin the railroad at Spokane Falls, maxi
ing that city tile southern and eastern
terminus. Competent engineers place
the total cost at Sl3O OOO, 600, Mr.. Wal
ter Mobcrly, engineer for the govern
ment OF British Columbia, has examined
the proposed route, and believes the route
could be built for less money per mile
than the Canadian Pacific and would
prove profitable"
"As to the route projected, ii is noces-
sary to explain the physical condition of
plan may be seen. The Rocky nOun-
tains enter British Columbia in about
the longitude of salt Lake City, and tend
westward until they join the Alaska
coast range, breaking in the northern
part of British Columbia into tltrec
parallel ranges. The eastern range Is
the Rockies proper, the middle range Is
the SellCrk, and the western ttte Cola,t,-
! bian range. The Columbia river rises ia
the valley between the Rockies ana tho
Selkirk ana flows north until 1t reaches
the extremity ofthe lutter range, around
which it turns and flows back south be-
tween the Selkirks and Columbian
ranges into Washington territory. At
the point where the Columbia turns tho
north end of the Selkirk range it rece YES
II strong tributary in the Canoe river
The road rs projected would run along
the valleys of the Columbia and the
Canoe, then over the hills from Taeo
Cache, and down along the Fraser river
to Fort George. Thence it would have
to cross Il long but not difficult pass to
the valley OF the Yukon, down which it
would 80 to the mouth OF the great river
Il distance altogether of about 5000 miles
The Yukon is bordercd most of the way
by wide flood plain and terrace and
construction along its banks would be
simple"
"iyhere would the road get It's rove.
nucY was asked.
"Wcll, to begin with, it would touch
the famous kootenai valley, splendid
agricultural and cattlc-raising region.
The people of Spokane Falls have for
some time been iiguringo on Il road eighty
miles to the boundary to connect with
road for which company of Canadians
and Lnglishmeu have secured u charter
from the boundary to the Canadian Pa
cifiu at ReVelstoke, 200 miles farther
north. The English company will COM
mence work this summer, and their
road would form the first link In the
Alaska road. This, however, is merely
to show that the kootenai region is val
liable, and that the Spokane Falls peo-
pie know il. There are great many
mines and rich deposits of orc along the
Columbia, and an English company is
building u smelter at ReVelstoke to han
die thcm. Nearly every stream running
into the Columbia carries iloat gold.
| The Canoe river runs through great
the Yukon come gold, furs and timber,
and from its mouth the seals. All along
the loute of the road is valuable country
either for mining salmon fisheries, agris
culture, stock raising or timber"
"Would not the snow and ice prevent
the operation OF such road?"
''fhat is apparently the greatest diiii--
| Guilty. Any one at first would think
that the climate would be an insur-
! mountable difficulty, but it is positively
asserted by those who ought to know
that the climate would cause no more
trouble than il does ON the Northern and
Canadian Pacific. You know that the
ocean breezes temper the climate all
along the coast, and 1T Is very little
colder in Sitka than ii Is in New York.
Now this road would run west OF the
mountains all the way, and the farther
north il gets the nearer it goes the coast,
SO that the climate would be compara-
| lively temperate all the way.
| 'The road would DO operated for the
! Joint use and benefit of British Column
| bia and tho United States, and it is pro-
| posed to have the province contribute
| its proportion of the cost in lands and
| the United States TO give its guarantees
/ for the payment of interest for twenty
wears on 5000 per mile of the cost
"There Is another important point IN
connection with this road. Tho Russian
| government is now engaged in building
| n railroad across Siberia and down the
| Amoor to its mouth. A road Is also pro.
| jccted from the main line ON the AmoOr
| into Kamtschatka, and TO some ports on
Behring's strait, only q short distance
| line in connection with the Alaska road,
would form practically all-rail route
| from Europe to the United States.n
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