Evening star., 1898-12-03
FIRST IN THE kLONDIKE.
A Railroad VIII Be Opened by the
Next Mining Season.

NSAt -HAhihB SeubOn.
From the New York Times
Much has been said of the hardships ex-
perienced by the Alaskan gold seeker in the
course of travel over the snow-ciad
passes and through the narrow, winding
and difficult trails. AS time progresses
however, with 1t progresses the constr,c.
ton of a railroad that will lessen the bur
den Of travellers tenfoid, and by the end of
the next mining season will have totally
eliminated the hardships of the trip over
Chitkoot pass and made the Journey one nj
pleasure Already the railroad In question
has begun to bid for the dollars of the next
summers tourist. and up to date Is carry
Ing miners and miners outfits from
Skaguay to White Pass City Ground has
Teen broken up to the border of the British
territory, and 1t will not be long before the
White Pass and Yukon railway will be car
rying passengers and freight through to
Fort Selkirk, Northwest territory Fifteen
hundred men are steadily engaged at the
front on the work of construction.
The road Is now in operation as far as
White Pass Village, distance Of fourteen
miles from its starting point, and has cost
its promoters trife over 81 200 coo Work
was begun in June last. The company was
given the right OF way along the principal
north of there to the summit of White
mountain the work has been almost en-
t1rely rock cut. At Porcupne hill seven
miles from Skaguay, which has been one
on account of the steep climb it was neces-
sary to make II sixteen-foot open cut
through the solid rock large amount of
blasting was sss neeessary rs, and before the
and blasting powder had been used The
ons tunnel on the line is 500 feet In length
The heaviest grade is 80 per cent, and it
Is obtained without q Switchback
The road is narrow gauge (three feen
and White Pass Village. to where 1t now
operates. is within four and ne-half miles
Of the divide" by wagon road and eight
miles by the route the railroad takes
Considering the difficulties encountered by
railroad managements in the United States
in the winter by. sn0sS blockades 1t makes
one wonder whether or not the managers
of this little narrow gauge road will be
able to fulfill their promise to operate every
foot of the completed portion of the road
all winter. Like every other northern
road. they will oepenst upon snow plows to
keep the track clear; Then there will he
snow sheds erected at the most dangerous
points. .sGL
AT Skaguay the company Is erecting and
equipping extensive anachine shops In
fact, the equipment,uwill be so COMPLETE
that a locomotives can be built there If oc-
casion requires It's and there is no class of
repairing that they Wall not be able to do
for themselves m Work will necessarily
have 10 be suspended. on the track during
tho extremely cad menths, but operations
VIII begin again gas soon as possible, and
next they will be able to deposit freight
and passengers 1romfi their cars onto the
docks at Lake Bennett, whence the steam
ers to Dawson City will make the trin a
pleasant one. The opening of tho road
took place on July Il last and was cele-
brated by grand excursion" the first
ever given IN the frozen Klondike region.
The latest information is to the effect that
ground has been broken on Canadian soil
and that work is being pushed as rapidly as
possible in an effort to complete as much
of the roadbed as possible before the ground
freezes too hard to permit the work The
road is being built under three Charters
that of the Pacific and Arctic Railway and
Navigation Company obtained in the United
way Company, obtained in British Colum-
bia. and the British Yukon Railway Com
pany, obtained of the Canadian government.