The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06
THE WHITE Pass RAILROAD.
1t Now Takes Only Nine Days to Reach tho
Kiondike from Vancouver.

hlOnuike from NantouNcT.
The White Pass and Yukon Railroad was
fully opencd to business from Lynn Canal
across the mountains to Lake Bennett in the
last week Of July. The rapidity with which
the Klondke has been brought into touch with
the rest of the world is illustrated by the fact
that on July 20 many Of the European news
papers printed n despatch sent from Dawson
on the previous day telling of the good feeling
there over the vast Improvement in commune
cations that the railroad would introduce. and
adding that the journey from Vancouver TO
that town would now require only nine DAYS.
The road was practically completed to the lake
on July II, but was not fully opened till fort
might later. The company is n little moro SAN
guNne even than the people Of Dawson as 10 the
shortening Of the time to that town. for it de-
clares that Dawson may now he reached in
eight days from Seattle. Tacoma. Victoria or
Van 'uuv"r
At any rate. the completion Of this railroad
to the nayigalo waters leading to the Yukon
practically r"voutlonzes the means of COM
muncation with tn" Yukon gold fields. Up
been one % hardship and danger and has cost
a great deal of money. To-day the terribly
trying and gr'iu"uS part of the trip may he
made IN few hours and at a cost which;
rates IN X"|; FIX State, IS stl almost s3" a
bagatelle when measured by the large OK
pensc Of packing freight over mountain passes
that ar" among he most toilsomc ana formd-
The Canadians deserve the credit Of pushing
To n successful conclusion great piece Of rail
road engbh"eT4g THG G2mE4ny asf s. tn"i
building ever und crtaken. and the history OF
the work shows that the technical and phys
zeal obstacles i'll III" way were very formidable.
one Of the greatest impedimcnts in the way
was the fact thar much Of III" blasting was
done in places where it was impossible to on-
ploy anything but human labor TO carry the
material and supplies for tn" mon who were
using explosives to tear hundreds Of thou
sands of tons of solid rock from the mountain
sides t" make the roadbch and human labor
also had to he employed TO clear much Of the
grade as tn" blasting operations proceeded
As the cOnst ruction was begun early in Juno
last wear. tn" first section Of the rond to Lake
J Bennett has been com plct"d in about thirteen
months. This time would hay" been consid
orably reduced If II had not been that about
two months after the work began n" news Of
the discoveries at the Atn gold fields caused a
, stampede Of w0rkmcn. one morning LOO
men were working on tn" road. and next day
the labor 6rlgod" numbered , only POO n, ~ the
do, This was on Aug, last year, and
from that time there" was the greatest trou:
GIG r@ ko' on HSEI s W muck or'H 81
m"utod also by the unusually heavy snowfall
last winter. and during February and March
last nine men were employed in shOv"llng
snow for every one actually. engaged in rail-
road construction. Railroad builders were
probably never SO bundled W before to- keep
pushed on steadily IA spite OF the clements. and
/ III" larger rart Of the line was built with the
, THERMOMETERS from 20 to 20 below zero.
II IL said that the company intends to push
d the road on TO Dawson AS soon a~ there Is any
D prospect that the development If the country
Wi warrant this additional enterprise. In
+ ether words. having Joined the sea with navig-
all" waters 10y a steam road. thov will rest on
/ their oars for "A while instead Of following the
Am"r,"sn method Of extending railroads into
/ idea of stimulating and assuring it.