Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-11-26
TRAINS TO DAWSON.
THE SNOW LOCOMOTIVE WILL
SOON BE A REALITY.

In the STANDARD of Oct. 22d we
gave some account of the snow loco
motive, designed by Geo. F. Glover,
that was to be brought in play for re-
lief of the Klondike miners, who it
was anticipated would he showed in
and destitute of provisions.
The suggestion received the endorse
ment of Secretary Of War Alger. and
it seems the project has not been al
lowed to slumber, as the following ar
ticle from the Chicago Times Herald
will show:
Rapid transit to the Klondike coun-
try is certainty. By February a
system of modern equipped snow
trains will have been established and
put into practical operation between
Fort Wrangle and Dawson City, with
a weekly schedule service.
When the project was first made
public several weeks ago it was gener-
ally looked upon as Utopian-an idle
dream of a still more idle dreamer.
But backed by the approval of and
suggestions given by Secretary of War
R. A. Alger, who Immediately saw its
feasibility and practicability, the pro-
moter went to work industriously, en-
listed the interest of capitalists in
Chicago and elsewhere, and finally so
developed the enterprise that its reali-
zation is only few weeks off.
The initial train will leave Fort
Wrangle on January Is. 1t will be
known as the Klondike Pioneer
Train," and will consist of six of the
Glover snow traction locomotives and
twenty-four passenger and freight cars,
all set on runners. The train will be
divided into six sections of four cars
one locomotive each. These sections
will follow each other at intervals of
ten minutes, just as is done to-day on
the railroads.
The first and second sections will
carry 100 tons of fuel and full outfit
of picks, axes, crowbars, dynamite and
auxiliary machinery-in fact every
thing that will be required in blazing
a permanent winter roadway through
the ice snow, and forests of that high
latitude.
On the next two sections accommo-
dations for 200 passengers will be pro-
vided. Every passenger will be re-
quired to pay a fare of $500 from Sc
attic and obligate himself at all times
when necessary to clear the way.
The fifth and sixth sections will
carry 200 tons of freight and supplies.
Each section will be illuminated by
dazzling light from incandescent
lamps, generated by dynamo on the
locomotive.
This six-sectioned train is scheduled
to arrive at Dawson City twelve days
after its departure from Fort Wrangle.
While the principal object of the first
train will be to transport food supplies
to the thousands of suffering miners
who rushed to this Eldorado last
summer in quest of fortunes in gold,
it will also establish permanent com.
munication with those otherwise and
heretofore impenetrable regions in the
winter season. 1t will also shorten by
four months the trips of those who
were bent on going to the Klondike in
the spring but delayed until naviga-
ton opens down the Yukon river to
Dawson City, thereby giving them
ample time to prospect and stake out
claims and be ready for work as soon
as the weather begins to moderate.
"During the latter part of the sum-
mer, reports from the Klondike coun-
try began to indicate probable suffer
ing this winter on the part of Ameri-
can miners who had flocked there by
the thousands" says the Times Herald.
"These reports become more serious
as the weeks passed on and attracted
the attention of the United States
government. In order to ascertain
the true condition of affairs here and
the probable contingency that might
make it necessary for the government
to issue in supplies to avert crisis,
Capt. Ray, U. S. A., was dispatched to
the Klondike in August to investigate
the situation in all of its present and
possible future aspects and to report
to the war department. Meantime
the government was confronted with
the grave problem Of how to get
supplies to the Klondike this winter
should it be found necessary to do so.
If such a contingency should arise re-
lief must be gotten there quickly In
order to avert starvation, and there
was then no possible way of doing this,
since the only means Of communica-
ton with Dawson City via the Yukon
river would be closed for seven months
and the extremely low temperature,
heavy snow and rough country would
not permit of other means OF pene-
trating the country by man or beast.
"George T. Glover, of Chicago,
J studied the situation carefully. 1t