The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-27

i system is the White Pass & Yukon
route" but this is merely a caption,
and covers three distinct charters.
From Skagway to the international
boundary line, twenty-eight miles. the
! road Will be officially known as the
| Pacific & Arctic Railway & Naviga-
ton company" The majority of this
stock is held by Americans. or at least
in the name of Americans. The next
division, which is now under rapid con-
struction, crosses British Columbia. and
is TO be called the British Columbia
Yukon Railway company The last
division will traverse the Northwest
territory and is to be known under the
title of British Yukon. Mining. Trade
ing & Transportation company" The
stock covering the British divisions is
mostly held in London and Montreal.
The road has been carrying freight
and passengers as far as Glacier sta
ton. about five miles from the summit
for several months. During February
the receipts of the freight department
alone were $500 per. day, and those of
the passenger department 5000. Indeed,
since the 1st of January the receipts
from the fifteen miles of completed road
have equaled the pay roll expenditure,
including construction gang of be-
tween 1000 and 1000 men. Now that
freight and passengers can be landed
a. lA( up VI lliC pass MI
Gray anticipates that the receipts will
be doubled.
Yet this fine showing is not obtained
by reason of exorbitant rates. Before
the railroad was projected, the pack
ers" were charging so cents per 100
pounds to the summit, with no guaran-
tee for safe delivery. The railway
charged 2 cents per 100 pounds and in
sures against loss and damage. While
this q r.id low 70
Gray laughingly pointed out that their
charge for fifteen miles was the trans
continental rate for a haul of 1896
miles between New York and San Fran
cisco. We have" said he, hundreds of
tons of freight waiting transportation to
the interior. With present facilities we
cannot handle all that is presented,
but just as soon as our new locomotives
arrive. which have been specially con-
structed for mountain work, we shall
land freight on the headwaters of the
Yukon twelve hours after its arrival
in Skagway." He pointed out of the
window as he spoke, to long line of
freight cars, containing an indescrib-
able tumble of timbers and machinery.
No said this keen young traffic man
ager. in answer to my query, that is
not the wreck OF BarnCm's circus, but
four great river steam ers in transit.
knocked down They are the equals
in every respect to the best on the
Mississippi Long before navigation
opens. we shall have our road complet-
ed to Lake Bennett, where these
steamers will be launched. to operate
in close connection with our trains
upon the lakes and upper Yukon
When this is done, what will be the
tine between New York and Dawson2' I
And the astonishing reply was, -Four
teen days" That Mr.. Gray's sched-
ule is correct is beyond dispute. A
journey that one year ago could not |
be made in less than two months, and |
then only under circumstances of great |
fatigue and peril, can now be made |
with comfort in as many weeks. Here !
is the table:
New York to Seattle, four and half |
davs
Seattle to Skagway, five days.
Skagway to Lake Bennett, via White \
Pass &. Yukon railway, three hours.
Lake Bennett to White Horse rapids, |
by steamer. two days.
Around rapids by horse cars. three !
hours.
White Horse rapids to Dawson,
two Gavs.
Total. thirteen days, eighteen hours
Like the Panama railroad. this steel /
nexus of thirty-miles saves an ocean |
voyage of thousands. or a journey on /
foot both dangerous and exhausting.
Travelling Through Liquid Air.
For the first FIVE miles the road |
follows the Skagway river. traversing i
a flat valley, possibly mile wide, floor /
ed with water washed bOulders scat
tered through a thin growth of cotton
wood trees. and shut in by gray walls /
of great height.
For a fourth of this distance the log |
cabins and board shanties of the town |
of Skagway spread out like fan. Then |
comes the climb of Porcuplne hill, a /
sharp promontory jutting out into the |
valley from the north. Winding in and |
out of it's Irregular face on three |
and nine-tenths grade, an hours climb
ing brings the train to the top and
outer edge of this ridge, LOCO feet
above its base.
Here. with the forked head of Lynn
canal lying like chain of Alpine lakes
in the. offing. begins a series of land
scapes which must certainly attract
tourists by the thousands. as soon as
their Ioveliness and grandeur become
known. California and Colorado must
look we'll to their laurels. for with Mt.
Mckinley, Loco feet higher than any
other peak on the American continent,