The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-29
ABERCROMBIE'S REPORT
WORK OF THE COPPER RIVER Ex-
Flooring EXPEDITION.
Construction of n Transalaska Mill
tary Road from Port Valdez
Railway Feasible.

partment has made public an important re-
port from Capt. w. r. Abercrombie, Second
Infantry, who commanded the Copper river
exploring expedition in Alaska last season.
The chief topic treated in the report is the
laying out of the great transalaskan mill
tary route from Port Valdez, Alaska, to
Port Egbert, on the Yukon. While en-
gagged in this work the officer was charged
to take note of the mineral resources of the
country. of it's adaptability for agriculture
and stock raising and the fuel and food
products for man and animal.
Captain Abercrombie arrived at Valdez,
the starting point of the expedition, on the
21st of April being received by motley
crowd which had just come across the
Valdez glacier from the Copper river val
ley. He found that hundreds of people
were dying of starvation and scurvy in the
Copper river country. The people at Valdez
were in a most pitiable condition, crowded
in miserable huts like sardines in box.
There were no facilities for bathing; most
of the sufferers had scurvy and not few
frost-bitten hands. faces and feet. The tops
of old rubber boots and strips of gunnysack
made shoes and socks for many of them.
The stencil was intolerable and 20 per cent.
of the inmates of the huts were mentally
deranged. This was common TO those whom
fear of scurvy had driven over the
glacier where so many had persisted by
freezing to death.
Old railroad and trail builders were the
men selected by Captain Abercrombie to
build a military road. and they started from
Valdez April 20 and proceeded to the mouth
of Keystone canyon. The harbor at Valdez,
owing to the proximity of the Japanese
current, is accessible at all seasons OF the
year to ships of any size except about one
and one-half miles at Its head. The only
feasible site for a railroad terminal is
narrow strip of land three-quarters of
mile broad, extending up the Lowe river
some five miles, and south of a small
stream flowing from Robe lake. There is
passing through keystone canyon with ordi-
nary canyon work, and emerging on the
foot plain of the inner canyon basin. From
that point there are two feasible routes;
one east of Marshall pass at the elevation
of LOO feet, and down the Tasnuna TO the
Copper river valley; the other turning
north. crossing the mountain range and
Thompson pass, 1900 feet high, thence down
the Teithell river valley through the
swampy pass at the head of the Knata,
thence down the Tonsina into the Copper
that the future for a railroad through this
section of Alaska is very promising, owing
TO the presence of large zones of heavily
mineralized copper deposits, the develop
ment of which, he says, undoubtedly will
yield local tonnage of great volume. He
states that the proximity of tie and bridge
timber and the absence of any great en-
cheering features would render railroad
construction comparatively easy problem.
MIR. Edward Gillette, member of the ex-
petition, contributes an important chapter
to the report on the feasibility of establish
ing practical railroad route up the Copper
river valley. He draws a comparison be-
tween the route from Seattle TO Skagway,
with the Valdez route, to the advantage of
lance from Seattle to Skagway is 1,050 miles
as against 1,259 miles from Seattle to Val
DEE, this difference is practically offset by
the unimpeded passage of the outside
route. Then vessels are not required to
pass through some forty miles of water
claimed by foreign country, and Valdez is
much nearer the center of Alaska than
Skagway, being 200 miles nearer by rail-
road to the Forty-mile country. Insurance
rates on the inside route are also double
those on the outside routes. Mr.. Gillette
describes in detail the route from Valdez
TO the Yukon country celebrating a rough
outline given by Captain Abercrombie He
believes that the development of the coun-
try in the future probably will necesstate
the construction of both lines from the
northern end of the keystone canyon.
through Thompson pass and by Marshall
pass. He recommends that the line be
constructed on three-foot gauge in the
interest of economy and rapidity of con-
struction, arguing that the narrow gauge
would fully meet the needs of the country.
The report makes a comparison of the
projected Valdez road and the existing rail-
road from Skagway over White pass to
Lake Bennett, showing that the maximum
grades are much less, that the curvature is
less and that the Valdez highest eleva-
ton is fully 800 feet less than White pass
road. The snow slides from which the
White pass suffers can be practically elm
mated from the Valdez route by the pecul-
lar formation of the country and the care
full placing of the line. The point is also
made that the projected route would be
entirely within United States territory. He
fixes the probable cost at $753, 500 or $22351
per mile, the estimate being from Is TO
90 per .cent. higher than rates in the United
States A direct line from Valdez to Port
Egbert on the Yukon would be $40 miles
long and $50 miles would afford all the d.
version required for the line. The report
refers to the trade of central Alaska as
an unknown quantity, but dwells at length
upon the reputation the country has of
possessing vast deposits Of copper ore.
In conclusion the report treats of the ag-
rfcultural resources of the country, show
ing that the soil is productive, that veg
etables and hay can be raised; that there
is plenty of timber and that hardy farmers
from Norway and Sweden would farm as
successfully in the Copper river valley as
in their own country. The country also
contains coal of good quality and marble