The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-06
Alusko's First Railway.
of the Most Remarkable in the WodThe Being
Rapidly Pushed Beyond Divide

Ground has just been broken the other side
of the Dominion line, on the British section
of the White Pass G. Yukon railway, the first
rally ay built in Alaska, says the New York
Herald. The present terminus toward which
the eyes of the 1000 men that work upon the
EQad are fixed is Fort Selkirk Northwest Ter
ritory. In many respects this is the most
remarkable railroad in existence, and the pen
of the imaginative novelist scarce equal
some of the experiences of the surveyors who
have been planning out the route.
The White Pass & Yukon railway had its
beginning at Skaguay, Alaska, and the road
bed is now completed and the road in opera
ton as far as the summit of the divide, six
teen miles and a quarter from Skaguay. In
mountain parlance the divide means that
point of the mountains which marks the apex
of the north and south watersheds, and the
rain that falls at this point forms lite
streams, some of which run toward the Gulf
of Mexico, while others move slowly in the
direction CT the Arctic ocean.
The present terminal Of the road, Summit,
is by no means the end of the freight route,
for where the rails end their task the pack
ers take it up again And IN TACT freight is
now billed direct through from Sqaguay to
Dawson City. The rate from Skaguay to
Bennett is about u cents per pound, and
about "a cents from Skaguay to Dawson City.
Packages must be confined to weights not ex-
ceedng 125 pounds and be in such form as
to be loaded upon pack animals. However,
large pieces of machinery are also trnsferred
in various forms and weights, but of course
at a special rate as the cost OF transportation
by pack from the time the freight leaves the
road IS very much higher than If in small
and standard weight packages. Everything
shipped must be securely burlapped for the
wear and tear Of freight under these crcum-
stances is tremendous.
From now on the route will be a COMPARE
lively easy one for the railroad builders at
least until the chain of lakes which includes
Shallow Middle. Summit, Linderman, Tag
gish and others is reached. The task of con-
struction cannot be continued all winter, but
work will be pushed up to the very last mo-
ment as rapidly as men and material can
Lush It, There are now in operation on that
portion Of the road which Is completed 1--WE
cars and one baggage car. There are being
fiat cars and thirty box cars, which will be
shipped north within a few days in pieces,
not to be set up until Skaguay is reached.
The trucks for these are being sent north
complete, ready to be placed under the bodies
of the cars as soon as they are set up.
There also four passenger coaches at
Seattle ready to be shipped north as soon as
transportation arrangements can be con-
cuded. They viii be Immediately placed in
service. and the rolling stock will thus facili-
tate the transportation of passengers in a
comfortable manner to the end of the rail
route.
At Skaguay there are now being construct
ed extensive machine shops, which will be
equipped with modern types Of machine tools.
ture as to make 1t possible to build a loco
motive in the shops should occasion require
It. The long distance from the road to the
shops where such a class of repairs as rail
roads ordinarily require be made necessi-
tates the egection Of Just such extensive
plant as IS made desirable by the require
Eents of the line. By next June at the lat