The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-08-07
FROM THE UNITED STATES TO EUROPE.

FROM THE UNITED STATES TO EUROPE.
A Railroad from Washington Territory
Through British Columbia and Alaska.
1t is highly probable that a railway
from Spokane Falls to Alaska will be
constructed within the next few years,
said Mr.. H. A. Johnston. lam on my
way home from business trip to Wash
ington Territory, and while out there
my attention was called to this project,
and spent considerable time looking
mo it. The movement is in its infancy,
but it has the backing of the wealthy
men of the Northwest and of the people
of British Columbia, and l believe the
road will be built. The idea looks
strange and impracticable at the first
glance, but as a matter of fact the OBJ
stacles to be encountered in the con-
sy"uction of such line would not be as
g. eat as were met with by the Central
Pacific and the Northern Pacific. 1t is
proposed to begin the railroad at Spo
kane Falls, making that city the South
ern and Eastern terminus. Competent
engineers place tie total cost at $780,
100000 Mr.. Walter Moberly, eng 1eer
for the government of British Columbia,
has examined the proposed route, and
believes the route could be built for less
money per mile than the Canadian Pa
cifc, and would prove profitable.
AS to the route projected, it is neces-
sary to explain the physical conditions
of the country so that the feasibility of
the plan may be seen. The Rocky
Mountains enter British Columbia IN
about the longitude o. Salt Lake City,
and tend Westward until-they join the
Alaska coast range, breaking in the
Northern part of British Columbia into
three parallel ranges. The Eastern
range is the Rockies proper, the middle
range is the Selkirks, and the Western
the Columbian range. The Columbia
River rises in the valley between the
Rockies and the Selkirks, aud flows
North until it reaches the extremity OF
the after range, around which it turns
and flows back South between the Sci
kinks and Columbian ranges into Wash
ington Territory. At the point where
the Columbia turns the North end of
the Sell:irk range, it receives strong
tributary in the Canoe River. The road
as projected would run along the val
leys of the Columbia and the Canoe,
then over the hills from Tate Cache,
and down along the Fraser River to
Fort George. Thence it would have to
cross long, but not difficult, pass to the
valley of the Yukon, down which it
would 90 to the mouth Of that great
river, distance altogether of about
5000 miles. The Yukon is bordered
most of the way by a wide flood plain
and terrace, and construction along It's
banks would be simple.
:Where would the road get its reve-
nue?" was asked.
Well, to begin with, it would touch
the famous Kootenai valley, a splendid
agricultural and cattle raising region.
The people of Spokane Falls have for
some time been figuring on a road
eighty miles to the boundary to connect
with a road for which a company of
Canadians and Euglishmen have Sc
cured a charter, from the boundary to
the Canadian Pacific at Revelstoke, 200
miles further North. The English COM
panv will commence work this summer,
and their road would f. I'm the first link
in the Alaska road. TINS, however, is
merely to show that the Kootenai region
is valuable and that the Spokane Falls
people knew it. There are great many
mines and rich deposits of ore along the
Columbia and an English company is
building a smelter at Reyelstoke to
handle them. Nearly every stream run
ming into the Columbia carries float
gold. The Canoe River runs through a
great fur and embryo mining region,
and from the Yukon comes gold, furs,
and timber, and from its mouth the
seals. All along the route of the road
is valuable country either for mining,
salmon fsheriesF%asleul =stoss-rass=: =
ing, or timber.
"Would not the snow and ice prevent
the operation of such road2'
That is apparently the greatest diff
Guilty. Any one at first would think that
the climate would be an insurmountablt
difficulty, but it is positively asserted
by those who ought to know, that the
climate would cause no more trouble
than it does on the Northern and Cana
dian Pacific. You know that the ocean
breezes temper the climate all along the
coast, and it is very little colder in Stka
than it is in New York. Now, this road
would run West of the mountains al the
way, and the further North it gets the
nearer does it 60 to the coast, so thai
the climate would be comparatively tenn
peiate all the way.
The road would be operated for the
Joint use and benefit of British Columbia
and the United States, and it is proposed
to have the province contribute its pro
portion of the cost in lands, and the
United States to give its guarantees fol
the payment of interest for twenty years
on $50. 1000 per mile of the cost.
There is another important point IN
connection with this road. The Russian
government is now engaged in building
a railroad across Siberia and down the
Amoor to its mouth. A road is also
projected from the main line on the
Amoor into Kamschatka, and 10 some
port on Behring's Strait, only short
distance from the mouth of the Yukon.
This line, in connection with the Alaska
road, would form a practically all-rall
route from Europe to the United States.
st. Louis Globe Democrat.