The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-08
THE ALASKA RAILROAD.
Dinicult Crossing of Behring sca-Would
Not Pay Expenses.
Engineering News.

A line of railway connecting America
and Asia, via Alaska and Behring straits,
is favorite topic for newspaper discus
sion, and Ex-Governor Gilpin. of Colorado,
is even now pushing such a scheme. Aside
from all commercial profit to be gained,
which is in itself very doubtful, there are
engineering considerations that the pro-
jectors seem to neglect in their alleged
study of the subject. Mr.. Gilpin says it is
easy to bridge the straits. as an island lies
midway between, the distance is not great
and the water is shallow. But the govern
ment charts say that the greatest depth is
1872 feet; and as the piers OF a bridge at this
point must be made to stand the shock of
icebergs and ice-hoes of almost any volume
moving with the force incident to narrow
channel and swift current, the chances of
their survival can be better guessed at than
est mated.
The channel could doubtless be tunneled,
if expense were to be disregarded, but there
are otner and more serious troubles in the
way. The country is exceedingly rough
and mountainous on both the Alaskan al d
Asatic sides. A long the Alaskan coast
line the mountains come to the sea with q
sheer face of hundreds Of feet in many
places, and run back to attitudes touching
49, QUO feet and more. This coast line is cut
by deep and narrow canyons, some of them
navigaDle by large ships. and these must 9
crossed, and at other points nigh y glaciers
flow into the sea. OF the possibilities of an
interior line nothing is yet known; but wi b
even a fair and rolling country lit for raj
road building. these high ATTITUDES pre-
sent still another serious difficulty. We
have the authority of Mr.. Imchenicx-K on-
dratovltsh, the assistant chief engineer of
the proposed siberian railway. and lately
III this country, that at points on that line
frost-bound ground presents serious prob
lem to the railway builder. In these coun-
tries the ground is frozen to depth OF
forty or fifty feet. and ii it would remain
So it would be all right for supporting the
roadbed. But it does not remain SO; in the
short, hot summer the surface thaws out
for ten feet, or even more, and is trans
formed into a semi-quagmire that will
neither support the ties nor rails. Pile
driving would be only possible in summer,
expensive, and, at the best, of doubtful
vaiue in providing the necessary founda-
ton. If this be so along the siberian line.
what may be expected in lands
as far north as Behring straits,
lying almost on the Arctic circle.
But even supposlng that railway were
possible, from an engineering standpoint,
what useful purpose would il serve? The
distance from Vancouver to Behring strai
is roughly speaking. about 1S00 miles and
to connect with the Russian line at Vaui-
vostock would require the building of 2 400
miles more Commercially speaking. the
construction of over 1900 miles of railway
through such an inhospitable country
would never pay for freight or passenger
traffic, and building at the Asiatic end
would seem especially absurd and impos-
sibe. A railway to Stka may some time
be needed and when the demand warrants
it an attempt will doubtless be made to
build it; but the world at large will for a
long time TO come prefer fast and large
steamers as a means of transit between
Asia and the west coast of North America.