The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-09-24
THROUGH ALASKA
A Realistic Description Of . Trip
Through that Famous Land
Of Gold and Ice.

4
the National Editorial Association
from South Dakota, VIII ich met in
Seattle in July. Mrs. Eastwood
is a sister OF the editor Of the
Searchlight. After the meeting
Of the N. E. A. at Seattle, =
part Of the delegates took the trip
to Alaska as a pleasure trip:
The steamer Northwestern" with its
freight Of hundred and thirty-four editors
and fifiy-fivs other passengers touring
Alaska. and also eighiy-nine steerage pas
engers bound for the railroad line above
Cordova arrived the morning Of July 81.
everybody being in fine spirits.
| A party Of ladies' and gentleman Of Cor
dova met US at the wharf. which was about
three quarters of mile from the town.
II was noticed that the people we're
dressed in the latest fashion and had rosy
cheeks. and bright smiling faces. The
climate is rigorous. perhaps. but it certainly
does produce healthy looking youngsters
and bright-eyed men and women.
A railroad has been built here the past
year extending fifiy-fve miles along the
Copper river. built by the Northwestern
Steamship and Copper River railroad com
pany. The line was built at an immense
expense. owing to the many bridges which
span the Copper river along which the
railroad takes its way. The work Of con-
struction has been under the supervision Of
Mr.. Haney and is cosidered wonderful
feat Of engineering and construction. The
company expects to extend the line one
| hundred miles further into the interior be-
fore spring and men are being rushed in
| at a great rate.
The road is standard gauge and the
train carried two fine passenger cars and
two cabooses and two enclosed fiat cars
which had been provided with seats for
| the accommodation for the merry crowd Of
citizens and the editors who visited the
head Of the route that bright July day.
The railroad had only been opened to
traffic for two days and il was the first day
that the passenger coaches were in COM
mission.
This line is the result Of three attempts
on the par, Of corporation to build line
into the interior Of Alaska to tap the coal
and copper fields
The FIRST attempt vas made in the line
from Valdez which has been practically
abandoned after an expenditure of several
hundred thousand dollars. Then q line
was tried from katalla and abandoned
after nearly two million dollars had been
spent in the attempt to buid railway
seirmnus At an open por, without satural
harbor facilities
The copper river railroad company was
organized with NJ. Hsney as manager
and the cordova line is the result. which !
appears to have solved the problem.
Cordova was the first stop. this town en-
joys . population Of I2oo. men women and
children with but a few lndians and is only
one year old. owing its existance to the
railroad which is being built. Il Is situated
on Orca inlet an opening of the sound Of
Prince William. and has fine harbor. +!
The railroad vill tap Katalla coal fields |
and the vast copperfelds which Constitute |
large part Of the undeveloped wealth Of
Alaska.
As we passed out Of Cordova we skirsed !
the shores Of Eya ak axe. a beautiful body |
of water. in its setting Of lofty. snow cap
ped mountains and the emerald green Of |
the foliage on the vegetation line. Here
and there the mountais brooks fall in cas-
cades Of beauty. causing the tourist to ex-
claim aloud in admiration.
The scenery was very beautiful along
the entire route Of fifty-hve miles. culmi-
mating in two vas, glaciers. the1 Miles and
Child's glaciers. at the head Of the road nov
open to traffic. The Miles glacier was sees
first and owing to the clear atmosphere.
seemed only little distance away. The
train stopped and . guide proceeded to
show US the path to the shore opposite the
glacier. What seemed to be quarter Of
a mile finally developed into about ,vo
miles which broughs rs to shore covered
with rocks and boulders. beyond which
murky yellow water Of abou.
one half mile, above which rose Miles ela-
rier. Imagine wall Of glit,sring ice three
hundred feet high and several miles vide
and extending back into the mountains:
savering tints Of blue. gray
and white and the rippling water at il.
base and the snow capped. purple noun
lains for the background and you have .
picture nearly impossible to describe. This
sast hsld Of ice advances sboas too fees .
day and breaks od about a. rapidly as /,
tcoasinasd % the las, pagel