The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-24
TO THE TOP OF WHITE PASS.
The First Trip There from Skagwa,
i'm a. Passenger Train Celebrated.
Daily Alaskan of Feb q

Daily Alaskan or Feb. u.
Under u bright sun and cloudless sky
Dame Nature smiled and looked her pref
test on the mighty, bleak summit of the
great White Pass yesterday, in honor of
the arrival at that elevation OF the first
through passenger train ever sent out from
Skagway over the now famous White Pass
* Yukon Railroad. One hundred guests
were invited TO witness the completion of
the gigantic undertaking of building a rail-
road to the summit, to the end of the Amer
lean line and the commencement of the
same line on British Columbia territory. on
toward Bennett. Not hitch occurred in
the well-matured plans of the several OFF,
Gals having the excursion in charge:
The only thing that cast tinge of regret
over the occurrence was the absence OF
Chief Engineer f. c. Hawkins the one man
above all others to whose SKILL energy and
and completion of this, the greatest engi-
neering feat of the nineteenth century. His
absence was also emphasized by the TACT
that he had volunteered the sad task OF ac-
cOmpanying the remains of the dead en-
gineer. Robin Dryden Jack. to Vancouver.
b. c. .
the invited guests assembled at the depot
in Skagway ready to take the first pdSSen-
ger train out of Skagway through TO the
summit. The engine and two coaches re-
ceived the crowd and promptly at 1895, new
schedule time, the signal was given, the en-
gineer opened the throttle and away went
the first iron horse TO the summit. 1t was
degrees below zero at the start, with an
unpleasant cold north wind that intensified
the cold and as the train whirled along the
side of the mountain and gained in elevation
it grew colder, until at the summit the mer-
curry had dropped to p degrees below.
The cars. however, were comfortably heat
ed. and the fur coats, parkies and other
Arctic wearing apparel worn by large
number or the guests were only comfort
able when on the summit and , out in the
bracing air of that elevation. The frozen
condition of the windows kept the guests
busy scratching them clear. in order TO Sc
cure as good a view as possible of the
cfvarr +hAv dc Of
down gulches or frightful precipices, or up
thousands OF feet TO dizzy heights with
ribbons Of snow blown from their crests.
At East Fork bridge the train stopped for n
series of pictures. and for each of these TIE
passengers would come out OF the car ard
line UP on the snow or crowd the engine or
car steps. Below Rocky Point grand view
of Skagway in the distance was included
in one OF these pictures. Stops were also
made beyond Rocky Point and at Clifton,
at all of which the Camera Club got in Its
deadly work. A short stop was made at
Pitchfork falls, a point once well known
to travellers on the wagon road, but which
changed the face of nature in that neigh
borhood, for where there used to be three
streams there is now only on.
Another stop for the thirsty engine was
made at Glacier, and at this place, as well
as at Tunnel bridge another series OF pic
lures taken. AT the latter point q
grand view was had of the valley, with
White Pass City in the distance. which were
included in the pictures.
The last half mile to the summit was
made through an excavation of snow,
ranging in depth from six TO twenty feet on
each side of the track, and this work of
shoveling snow along the line OF the road
keeps an army of nearly 300 men constantly
at work.
The first glimpse of the summit was the
sight of two fiagpoles within about nifty
| feet of each other. the one flying the stars
and stripes the other the Union Jack. These
are supposed to mark the boundary line
between the two countries. The White Pass
| and Yukon Company has a camp located
here, on the American side of the boun-
dairy, known as Summit camp, which is
quite extensive, and where the whole one
| hundred guests were entertained in sump-
tuous mannr. After toasts and responses
| the festivities ended on the summit and the
| return trip was begun at 4 p. m. Skag-
| way was reached at 100 p. m.