The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-04-01
AWILDERNESS RAILROAD
The Algoma Central Will Pene-
trate Canada's Wilds.
A WONDERFULLY RICH COUNTRY.

plan Talked of For Decades win
Soon he Accompiished-spIe
Hotel VIII he Buiit on Hudson Bay
10 Make That Nctgbborbood
Great Resort.
The talk and plans Of decades have
finally taken form. and % railway con-
Meeting the great lakes with Hudson
bay Is now actually under construction.
The railway plungcs hundreds OF miles
through an unbroken wilderness, with
no cities. towns or even villages TO af-
ford traffic. ~ fact, only Indian guides
and hunters have ever attempted TO
penetrate the great wilderness to the
north Nevertheless the railroad. which
is known as the Algoma Central is be.
ing built In the most thorough manner
possible. with the best equipment avail
able, able TO stand almost any strain
put upon II and capable Of good service
for years to come. Eighty-hve pound
steel rails are used, and the locOmo-
tives are Of enormous size, weighing
135 tons when equipped for traffic. The
engines are so massive that railway
companies were afraid Of the strain on
bridges. and they were delivered from
Chicago TO Sault Ste Mario by the lake
route on steam ferries.
The new railway, says the New York
Times, starts at Sault Ste. Marie
Ground was broken less than five
months ago, but already 80 miles Of
road are completed and in use and the
railway Is pushing forward at the rate
Of half "A mile day. II is expected
that IT will require three years to com
plcte the road.
The millions OF capital involved come
mostly from the United States. but the
builders have made careful computa-
tions as TO traffic and are confident that
the road viii realize all that is prom
ised ns an investment. 10 had it's orr
gin In the necessity Of bringing sup
plies Of pulp wood from the far north
10 the Sault mills, but II opens up as
well region that Is fabulously rich In
minerals aud timber. The mineral
wealth Is said 20 bc practically mex.
haustiblc, consisting Of mountains Of
iron, copper and other valuable ores.
Among other discoveries is that Of
! solid bed Of gypsum eight miles in
length
In timber the supplies are equally
valuable. For hundreds Of miles, II is
claimed, the railway will run through
dense forests of big trees. including
birch, maple, hard elm, tamarack.
spruce, bnlsam, poplar and white pine.
Curly birch. wh.yn can now be bought
along the railway for 40 cents cord.
commands $40 per 1000 feet in the
United States. Elm wood, that can be
cut nc 10 cents a cord, sells for SO per
1000 feet at Minneapolis and other
points in the northwest that are within
easy shipping distance.
The Ontario government IS greatly
Interested IN the opening up of this
rich territory and has aided in the con.
structlon Of the railway 10y n big grant
of land. At the end of the first 10
miles the railway commenced TO haul
heavy consignments Of timber, and
traffic is following closely upon con
structlou.
It is announced THAI particular at
tentlon will be given 20 transit traffic.
and az every stopping placea first class
hotel viii be built 10y the railway. At
Hudson hAy IL is proposed 20 establish
modern seaside hotel. Game Is pleu-
tiful. and scores OF lakes and rivers
that are tceming with fish win bee
reached 10y the railway. The scenery.
braclng climate. hunting and fishing
are expected 10 attract thousands of
tourists. The railway also intends TO
handle Hudson bay fish products on a
large scale.
II the plans Of the officials are all
carried out, the new railway 10 the
north, reaching as it does 10 the very
slopes Of the ArcJic ocean, will be one
of the most daring and picturesque at
tcmps 90 subjugate wilderness
known 10 railway annals.