The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-03
THE RUBY PASS TRAIL
Il Il Feasible for . Wagon
Road, Says Engineer Donovan.
4 CASCADES SURVEYORS VIEW.
ne 0kagis Cssyon Claimed - Be Eco
xeekv-Lieus. Pisres's Herssbsck
Trsp Ten Years Age.

WaArcox, April 2-ISpecial. II. J.
Donovan, engineer for the Blue Canyon
Mining Company and the Bellingham
Bay 4 Eastern Railroad Company. sheds
some additional light upon the Cascade
road question, which tends to further
strengthen the arguments in favor OF tho
route north of Mount Baker, designated
in the law. He was the chief locating and
constructing engineer Of the Fairhaven q
Southern road. and by his direction four
surveys were made for the company In
search of q feasible route for railroad
across the mountains. The Sank, Suattie,
Cascade and Ruby passes were all carefully
examined. Speaking Of che subject Nj.
Donovan said:
The eauk furnishes Q good route eithss tor =
rail- or wagon road. but - Il 10 south Of the
Dkagit and IT. course leads to the Wenatchee on
the other side Of the range it would b OF no
value for the purpose for which the road II in
tended. The so-called suattle pass 10 really not
pass 1t all II affords hns route for some
distance On this side, but it Leads into great
glacier, which II e6ectual barrier to further
pfoyrssa The Cascade or skagit pass 10 feasible
for . railroad BY constructing Q lonx tun.
mel, but Is would not b . good
wagon route even 70 Lake Cheian. which IL not
one OF the objective points on the proposed
foad- There 10 . good pack trail over tho pass
now, leading down the eostern slope TO the
Pierce or 6teheken river, but between there and
the Methow IL another range OF mountains
which II . serious II not insuperable obstacle to
soad construction. The Ruby pass. however, IL
entirely practicable The chief problem 10 not
how 70 reach Ruby creek from Beliingham bay.
but how to cross the main range from the placer
diggingA
Aside from the objections already urged
70 the Cascade pass, which the Skagit
county people 20 arduousiy favor. Mr..
Donovan mentions another strong one.
which 10 that part of that route, about
fifteen miles, would necessarily be along
the wild. rocky canyon of the Upper
6kagit, which 10 30 dangerous that for
many years hunters and prospsctors trav-
cling to and from Ruby have taken the
long route by way Of Hope. B. c., rather
than traverse it. Mr.. Donovan believes
! that by leaving the north fork of the
Nooksack 1t or near Deming, . good route
TO Ruby creek north of Mount Baker can
be found, without encountering any OBJ
stacle more serious than the exceedingly
heavy forest growth. From the head
waters Of the Ruby TO the summit Of the
main range Of the Cascades. the ascent 10
easy. and from the summit eastward 70 the
Methow the slope II gradual and the
topography Of the country favorable for
such . highway n the one proposed.
A fact Of interest in connection with
this project, and which has not yet been
mentioned In the paWrs. 10 that about
ten years ago. by order Of the war depart
ment. . military exploring party under
Lieut. Pierce crossed the state from Fort
Colville to the Sound. Crossing the Co
Iumbia river near Kettle Falls, they trav.
sied nearly in direct line westward with
out difficulty TO the Methow, thence MP
one of the tributaries Of that stream to the
summit of tho rugged spur Of the Cascades
before referred TO - lying between the
Methow and Lake Chslan. With good
deal of Hardship they made their way
down the western or southern slope to the
river which was named in honor Of Lieut..
Pierce, or, - the Indians call It, the Ste.
heksn. From there they crossed the main
range to the Sksgit by the Cascade trail.
The report Of the expedition was published
in book form, and II quite interesting
The copies which Mr.. Donovan had in his
possession were given TO Chief Engineer
Becker. of the Great Northern, but doubt.
less other copies can b obtained from the
war department. II the road commission.
ers can secure one they will find in II
much that may DO valuable to them
pertaining to the route between the
Msthow and the Columbia.