The times., 1898-11-14
A YUKON RAILROAD.
English Money Is to Build n Long
Line In Alnska.
From the Seattle Post-Inteiligencer.)

(From the Seattle t-lnteiligencer)
One of the passengers on the Humboldt
yesterday was f. A Gardner. president
OF the Norton Bay and Yukon Railway
and Navigation Company who spen; sew
eral weeks in the interior. surveying the
route for his line. lie was accompanied
out by ]. r. Girling. representative of
the English interests. and others who as
sisted in the work. They will remain here
couple of weeks, and then Mr.. Gardner
and Mr.. Girling viii go to Europe 10 re-
main a month. getting ready for ship
ping material for. the road and the rolling
stock to Norton Sound in the spring
The survey for the first route of the
road has been finished. 1t will extend
from the mouth of the Unalaklik River.
on Norton Bay. at a point which Capt.
Daniels. of the steamer Albion, named
Port Gardner, seventy-six miles north
east of koltag. settlement on the Yukon
River, below Nulato. and ESQ miles from
the Yukon's mouth. The route is almost
an air line acrC-s this territory fine
location was found for the road over
mostly level land. the maximum grade be-
ing ~r' % exceed per cent. The highest
f'AA4L p4i tic E5hu VIII the divide. TnlT-
ty-five miles from Port Gardner. which
has an altitude of SO feet
Mr.. Gardner said to n Post-Intellieer-
Ger reporter last night that construction
on the road would be commenced next
June, and that 1t would take Just sev-
enty-siX days TO complete it. The COM
pany Will, therefore, be ready to handle
passengers and freight next fall. The
climatic conditions are such that The
line may be operated winter and sum-
mer 1t will be a standard gauge road,
and will ultimately be extended to the
mouth of the Tanana River 1900 miles
above St Michael. The company expects
to handle most of the business that IS
now going into the interior of -Alaska
by the Yukon route, as by means of the
railroad they claim there will be none OF
the present difficulties of transferring 10
river steamers at st. Michael, nor the
many other delays and inconveniences
caused thereby. The saving of $50 miles
of river travel, which causes the loss OF
much time, will also be made.
AS soon as the officials return from
Europe the winter will be devoted to
getting the rails. engines, cars and other
material for the enterprise, and the
chartering of several vessels necessary
to take them and the workmen to their
destination.
The party left to begin their actual Ia.
bors on the steamer Progeso sailing from
Seattle June %. They arrived at Merton
bay July 20. and at once commenced theiI
surveys. which were completed Septem-
ber l. They left on the steamer Bertha
for st. Michael September 9. and departed
from there on the Humboldt the day fol.
lowing. The civil engineers of the expe
dition were Capt. +. A. Hill, of Seattle
III
Mr.. Gardner confirms the reports o.
| great strikes being made in the Golovir
bay district. especially on the Fish anC
| Neuckluck rivers. He says: -Four or five
weeks ago Lieut.. Walker commandant
| of the military post at st. Michael cams
to our place with mail and showed Il bot
| tie of gold he had panned out in that dis
! trict. He never had panned before in hi:
/ life, but got SIZE from his pan at the sur.
! face, eighteen inches from the grs $!
| roots. / have an autograph letter frc
! him telling of this. Men there are takinl
| out two ounces day each with theil
! pans. They are making very rich finds IL
| the Ophir and Melsing Creek sections anI
| adjacent gulches. These are summer anC
winter diggings. Capt. Barr. of the n
| A. T. and 7. Co., told me at st. NJ chae
| of magnificent discoveries in the Koyukul
district There have been no discoveries
! on Kotzebue Sound. We had four pros
| pectors eighty miles up the Kowah River
| and know there is no gold there"