New-York tribune., 1900-01-29
A NEW ALASKAN ROUTE.
REPORT OF COPPER RIVER EXPEDI-
TION-HUNDREDS DYING AT
VALDEZ
VALDEZ.

Washington. Jan. 2S-The War Department has
made public important report from Captain w.
r. Abercrombie I'd Infantry, who commanded the
Copper River Exploring Expedition in Alaska las
The chief topic treated in the report is tn.
laying out of the great trans-Alaskan military
route from Port Valdez. Alaska, to Port Egbert on
the Yukon. While engaged in this work the officer
was charged to take note OF the mineral resources
of the country of its adaptability for agriculture
and stock raising, and the fuel and food products
for man and animal.
Captain Abercrombie arrived at Valdez the start
ing point of the expedition, April 81 being re-
celVed by motley crowd, which had just come
across the Valdez Glacier from the Copper River
Valley. He found that hundreds of people were dy-
ing Of starvation and scurvy in the Copper River
country The people at Valdez in a most
pluable 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 gunnysacks made
shoes and socks for many of them. The stencil
was lntoIerable and 20 per cent of the inmates Of
the nuts were mentally deranged. This was COM
mon 10 those whom fear of scurvy had driven
over the glacier, where many had perished by
freezing to death.
BEGINNING AT KEYSTONE CANYON
Old railroad and trail builders the men Sc
lected by Captain Abercrombie to build a military
road and they started from Valdez April %. and
proceeded to the mouth of Keystone Canyon The
harpor 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
ohe-half miles at its head. The only feasible site
Tor railroad terminal is a narrow strip OF land
three-quarters of a mile broad, extending up the
Lowe River five miles and south of a small
stream flowing from Robe Lake There is prac-
tcaly nominal grade up the valley passing
through Keystone Canyon. with ordinary canyon
work and emerging the foot plain of the inner
canyon basin. From that point there are two
feasible routes: east of Marshall Pass, at the
elevation of LOO feet and down the Tasnuna
the Copper River Valley; the other turning north,
crossing the mountain range and Thompson Pass
$500 feet hleh thence down the TeikheH River
Valley, through the swampy pass at the head of
the Knata, thence down the Tonsna into the Cop
per River Valley. Captain Abercrombie believes
that the future for railroad through this section
Of Alaska is promising, owing to the presence of
large zones of heavily mineralzed 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 render railroad construction a compara-
lively easy problem
VALUE OF THE VALDEZ ROUTE.
Mr. Edward Gillette. member of the expedition,
contributes an important chapter to the report on
the feasibility of establishing practical railroad
route up the Copper River Valley He draws a
comparison between the route from Seattle to
Skaguay and the Valdez route. to the advantage
Oh the latter he SHOWS that while the distance
from Seattle to Skaguay is 1850 miles, against
1880 miles from Seattle to Valdez this difference
is practically offest by the unimpeded passage of
the outside route. Then vessels are not required
to pass through some four hundred miles of water
claimed by a foreign country, and Valdez is much
nearer the centre Of Alaska than Skaguay, being
two hundred miles nearer by railroad to the Forty
Mile Country. Insurance rates the inside route
also double those on the outside routes Mr.
Gillette describes in detail the from Valdez
given by Captain Abercrombie. He believes that
the development of the country in the future prob
from the northern end of the keystone CANYON
through Thompson Pass and by Marshall Pass. 10
three foot gauge in the interest of economy and
gauge would fully meet the needs of the country.
ESTIMATE OF THE COST
The report makes comparison of the projected
Valdez road and the existing railroad from Skaguay
over White Pass to Lake Bennett. showing that the
maximum grades much less; that the curvature
is less and that the Valdez highest elevation is
fully 500 feet less than the White Pass road. The
snowslides from which the White Pass suffers can
be practically eliminated from the Valdez route by
the peculiar formation the country and the care
full placing of the line. The point is also made that
the projected route would lie entirely within United
States territory. He fixes the probable $685.
500, 2531 a mile. the estimate being from % to
80 per cent higher than rates in the United States
direct line from Valdez to Port Egbert on the
afford all the diversion 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 de-
posits of copper ore.
resources Of the country, showing that the soil is
productive that vegetables and hay can be raised;
ers from Norway and Sweden would farm as sue
cessfuy in the e, Copper River Valley in their
good quality and marble Of various coors.