The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-22
TWO EMINENT ENGINEERS.
Sir Thomas Tanercd and ~. q. ssaw.
kins In the Ctty-W hat rhey
Think ef skagway.

Two civil engineers OF worldwide repute
have just returned from an inspection of
White pass the trail leading over II and
cred. OF London. and r. G.. Hawkins. oe
Denver When seen last evening IT fhe
Rainier Grand hotel. they refu~edsto gtvs
other explanation Of the purpose OF their
trim TO Alaska than that they were looking
over the country to form general idea Of
i,s character and the possibilities Of IT. fu-
ture development. Surmiee conn<cts thesu
with the Northern Pacinc's Qh<me az
building narrow Eauxe railroad over the
Bracket wagon road to Lake Bennett. hat
there WAS nothing In the statements male
by the engineers TO substAntsate such =
theory.
Sir Thomas Tancred was In the charge %
the construction Of the bridge acros9 TIM
Firth Of Forth In Scotland. an engineering
feat acknowledged TO he among the greatest
IN the world He also built the Delagoa rail-
road In South Africa and was for-years the
consulting engineer of the English govern
ment IN New Zealand. He viii return -
once TO London. Mr.. Hawkins II rccog-
nssed an one OF the srst OF American ctSst
engineers. ana has been connected with
several very Important constructions.
".
10 and Skagway and the White pasa -
contrary to our conception. haset On news
paper reports. The town Itself ID unusually
quiet and orderly for mining camp ana
does not compare In roukhnese 70 Butte.
Helena and other weli-knewn mining
towns In their early days. The White pAsA
which We had come TO consider almost Inn
rasss.bIe, Was easily reached from 6kagway
In q few hours OF anything but d!sagreea~
biz. travelling. A friend or ours ieff 6kAG-
way about o'clock ia the morning. went
10 the summit Of White pass and returned
by $50 o'clock in the evening. sir Thomas
and left SkaRway ore day about noon
with q t@asn and drove to Camp No. Z.
about ten miles from Gkagway. and taking
heyses there proceeded TO the summit Of
the pass arriving about s O'Clock u the
evening. Packers think nothing Of gotng
through 10 Lake Bennett In day.
..You must understand that the old trail
has besn entirely abandoned and the
Bracket road = now used altogether.
There are people crossing The summit OF
White pass every minute OF the day, and
II presents but little difficulty. Alcn9 thu
Old trail. which runA on the left Of tbs
road. are the carca*ses Of hundreds Cf
pack animaiA which psrtshed through
overlooking nard driving or accident. bat
the new road has been free Of accident
The summit 10 reached By an easy grade.
Teams can 20 a. far ms camp No q. and
from there on the prospector packs his
goods on light sled.
Sanitary conditions Ia skagway are
not 10 bad as In the Rossasnd ana crippse
Creek distrcta We lived near the 11gae~
way graveyard and counted bat twenty
graves. Bishop Lowell. who 10 personal
friend Of mine. Ia in charge OF the hos
pltai. lie mas about fifteen cases nearly
all the result Of careless exposure Spinal
meningitis has not been nearly 50 v.ruleus
and deadly la Its effects ~ was at nrsG
Represented
Mr. Hawkins win probably be tn the
city for some time, and may 20 north
again tn the near future. He expects th.o
year TO 20 through 10 Dawson.