The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-29
THE RESOURCES OF ALASKA.
AN INTERVIEWING REPORT ISSUED
 BY WAR DEPARTMENT.
Results of Copper River Exploring Ex- petition Under Captain Abercr0mbe-- Large Zones of Heavily Mineralixcd Copper Deposits -P ossibiIittes for Az Promising Future for Rail- roads.

Washington, Jan. 2S.-The war de-
 pertinent has made public an important report from Captain w. R. Abercrom- bic, 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 trans-Alaskan military route from Port Valdez, Alaska, to the
 Port Egbert on the Yukon. While en- gagged in this work the officer was charged to note the mineral resources of the country, of it's adaptibility for agriculture and stock raising and the fuel and food products for man and animal
 Captain Abercrombie believes that the future for railroad through the
 section of Alaska which he explored is very promising, owing to the presence
 of large zones of heavily mineralized
 copper deposits, the development of
 which he says undoubtedly will yield
 a local tonnage of great volume He states that the proximity of tie and
 bridge timber and the absence of any
 great engineering features would rem
 der railroad construction a compara-
 lively easy problem.
 Edward Gillette member of the ex-
 petition, contributes an important
 chapter to the report on the feasibility
 of establishing practical railroad
 route up the Copper River valley. He
 draws comparison between the route
 from Seattle to Skagway, with the
 Valdez route, to the advantage of the
 latter. He shows that while the dist
 ance from Seattle to Skagway is 1,050
 miles as against 1,25o miles from Seat
 tie to Valdez this difference Is prac-
 tically offset by the unimpeded passage
 of the outside route. Then vessels are not required to pass through some 400 miles of water claimed by a foreign country, and Valdez is much nearer by railroad to the forty mile country. In ,surance rates on the inside route are also double those on the outside routes Gillette describes in detail the route from Valdez to the Yukon country, elaborattng rough outline given by Captain Abercrombie. He believes that the development of the country in the future probably will necessitate the construction of both lines from the north end of the Keystone Canyon through Thompson Pass and by Mar shal Pass He recommends that that line be constructed on three-foOt guage in the interest of economy and rapidity of construction, 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 railroad from Skagway over White Pass to Lake Bennett showing that the maximum grades are, much less; that the curva- ture is less and that the Valdez highest elevation Is fully 300 feet less than White Pass road. The snow slides from which the White Pass suffers can be practically eliminated from the Wall dez route by the peculiar formation of the country and the careful placing of the line. The point is also made that the projected route would lie entirely within United States territory. He fixes the probable cost at $753,500, or S22,531 per mile, the estimate being from 25 to 50 per cent. higher than rates in the United States. A direct
 line from Valdez to Port Egbert on the Yukon would. be BIO miles long and $50 miles would afford all the diversion required for the line The report refers to the trade of Central Alaska as an 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 agricultural resources of the country showing that the soil is pro- 1uctive, that vegetables and hay can oe raised; that there is plenty of tim- per, and that hard farmers from Nor- way and Sweden would farm as suc- ,essfully in the Copper River valley as n their country. The country also contains coal of good quality and mar 1le of various colors.