The sun., 1897-12-20
BY RAIL TO THE KLONDIKE.
rScJNEER PRAT7,S PLANS FOR THE
TAKU-TESLIN ROUTE.
a u.,ort Rsceived Mt the Post once Dspart-
u.ept says That tho Read De FoasIsi" asa
OTrrs Certain AdvnntnEes-Rians BeinE
s,,s,,sered for Handling klondike Mails.

n u.port received mt the Post once Depart-
r,ept says That tho Rond De Feasible asa
oT.r, certain AdvnutnEes-Pians Being
Considered for Handling kiendike Malls
w.su,SeroN, Dec. 19.-whilo Alaska IL
snowbound tho Post offico Department is con-
sidering plane for handling the mail for the
Klondiko region during tho coming summer 1t
"a ostimatod that tens Of thousands will try
their fortunes in the gold fields next summer.
and the department is arranging to send the
matter which will accumulate this winter and
will nour In next summer to the miners az
speedily rs possible.
ThrouQhout tho long winter months the
miners will be deprived of tho benefit OF mnRa-
zines, novels and newspapers. When the Gov
ernmept Is delivering letters at Circle City
for cents which cost tho department an aver
age of Sl.62 1t docs not care to undertake to
handle any sccond-class matter 1t costs MS
much to carry q pound OF sccond-class matter
from Now York to San Francisco as 1t does
pound Of letters. yet the latter pays many times
tho rate Of tho former. Not only would It have
been very expensive undertaking for the de-
partmcnt TO transport to the interior OF Alaska
the tons Of second class matter now awaiting dc.
livery In the Post Office ut SEN Francisco and
elsewhere, but it is doubtful IL 1t would be
possible to get IL all to the Klondike
before the opening of navigation. II carried out
by private concern, the venture would proba.
bly, pay WE'LL for nothing could DO more valua.
bic to the imprisoned miners. cut Off from the
world for six months. than copies Of newspapers
only q month or two old, unless 1t might be
somo food.
When navigation is opened in tho spring and
carly summer tho department will ship the mail
accumulated during tho winter by the first
steamboat up tho Yukon. In the meantime the
various plans for railroads to the Klondike are
examined with interest. Among the data re.
Gently received at tho department Is q report
from Engineer w. A. Pratt. who has made a
careful survey Of the Taku.Teslin route to the
Yukon, with a view OF ascertaining the practi.
cabili,y of the pass fora narrow gauge railway
from tidewatcr to Lake Teslin. The report can
be summarized as follows:
Leaving Juneau Mr.. Pratt finds that the shore
OF the CAST ncnu Channel for thirteen miles to
the mouth OF the Taku inlet, presents an ovcn
though steep. slope. The banks of tho Taku
River he considers very favorable for railroad
construction, especially in view of the rugged
| features Of the country. Between the base Of
the mountains and the river there is often n
| heavily wooded fat. sometimes extending for
| miles; at other points the mountains approach
the banks. but with fairly regular. though steep.
! slopes. and occasionally tho bluffs extend into
tho river. About twenty miles from the Taku the
|
| 100 fort span. Eight miles above the junction
Of the Taku and tho inklin rivers is that Of tho
| form the Taku.. The Cloclo-heen is wide. shal.
low. and muddy, and would have to be crossed
! on a bridge about. 1000 feet long. The bottom
is sand and gravel, ana the piers could be read
| lily placed 100 feet apart. From here the limo
would run fifteen miles up tho Na-ka-na River
| to the mouth of the Silver Salmon which is
F., 1000 feet above sea level. The route up the
| Na.ka.na would cross the river several times.
Just above the Silver Salmon the Na.ka.
| through lOnR and lifiicnlt canon.
| which the Indians say Is impossible, and Mr..
| Pratt recommends dctour up the Silver Sal.
| mon and tho Sinoa.ka:keen. From the mouth of
reaches a comparatively level plateau 5000
| feet above sea level, is n distance OF twelve
| miles and difference in elevation of 1000 feet.
with 3 per cent. grade this could be covered
by running thirteen and half miles. The
| plateau extends for thirty or thirty.fve miles.
Following this plateau for thirty miles the val
| ley Of the Mariana is again reached, and It's
headwSters crossed at an elevation Of 5000
zap in tho Pitcher Mountains for about
nine and half miles to q plateau near
ths road would run ak miles across the
fats to q pass on the north. through which a
small stream makes its way to Lake Teslin
From this point to tHe proposed terminal aSou!
Twenty-Five miles. with grade of per cent
| The construction OF the road, Mr.. Pratt says, Il
| entirely feasible and the route much better than
there is less precipitation and conseq equentIy lesi
| snow. The road could be operated almost al
the year. The distance from Seattle to st
Cndahy, 1900 miles, From here to Dawsor
| City Is orty-eight miles. or total Of 4.35:
| miles. Via the Taku route the distance would
be: Seattle to Taku inlet, 900 miles. Taku in
miles: to Dawson City. 492 miles; total, i,54s
| miles, or q saving OF 2 804 miles.