The Chitina leader., 1911-08-05

monthly. These conditions of rain
fall do not apply to the interior be-
yond the town of Chitina at mile
131. The winds across the flats and
through the canons of the lower riv-
er are also excessive at times dur
ing the winter and spring; frequent
1y driving in from sea for several
days at time at the rate of IS miles
per hour, and from time to time
exceeding this up to 80 and perhaps
100 miles per hour. The troubles
suffered from these winds will be
shown somewhat in detail in that
portion of the article dealing with
the construction of the steel bridges.
The bridges on the Copper river
flats were driven in the latter part
of the spring of 1908 while snow
was still on the ground. Skid pile
drivers were used, which were haul
ed from stream to stream; each
structure having a temporary runoff.
As rapidly as possible the track was
trestles and in this way a skeleton
line was established to the first main
crossing. Fortunately, excellent gray
ell banks { of glacial formation) We're
found on miles 6, %, and 26, and
the product of two large steam SHOW
els was hauled to the ground by
light engines, and the road bed grad
nelly brought to grade.
No other plan was feasible as the
material on which the track was laid
was unsuited for side barrow Dur
ing all of the season of 1908 the
cars used were IL yard side dumps
and the final result of this work is
wide and compact road bed of ex-
cellent riding qualities. There has
not been any appreciate deteriora-
ton from the freezing conditions of
winter, or erosion from spring floods.
Approximately $4,000 cubic yards
of gravel was used in this track
work.
The river wGs crossed at the low
er channels by 1000 foot tempo
rary pile trestle and a somewhat SIM
liar method of grade work was adop-
ted to the Miles Glacier crossing at
the end of mile 40, which was reach
ed in the late fall. The gravel for
this portion of the line, between the
lower channels and miles glacier.
1nI ,,,|
which has bank 80 feet high and
$500 feet long. Temporary yards
were established on the east bank
of the river at Miles glacier. and IN
der extraordinary difficulties of
transfer across Miles glacier lake the
line was pushed to Mile ga, by Nov
ember 1905
Active work was resumed in the
spring of 1909. A ferry boat, the
Gulkana was built for service on
Miles glacier lake with suitable float
ing slips so that loaded cars could
be transferred on scows, and a large
construction camp was organized on
mile So. Three light draft river
steamers were built, the Chitina.
Nizina and Tonsina, and as the rail
road followed the river bank il was
thus possible to organize a series |
of camps along the line and keep |
them supplied with men and pro- |
visions. Similar methods We're adop- /
ted in the construction of the upper /
river portion of the line as had been !
followed on the lower river in 1908. !
so that the bridge men were kept
busy and the line was raised and |
ballasted from gravel pits at miles /
50, 90 and g.. About 400, 900 yards !
of gravel were handled by the shov- /
els this season, of which a portion |
was taken from the pit on mile 40 |
10 complete the work on miles l |
to 40. The lesser quantity used on
the upper river portion of the line
was on account of being able to
do much side barrow work; the |
ground being generally dry and COM
posed of glacial gravels. Some snow
sheds were erected in Abercrombie |
canon and the front reached Teikel |
river mile 101 in November.
Much ROCK work was Gone by the |
sub-contractors during the winter of |
1909-1910 and nothing unusual mar
ked the progress of the work in |
1910 except the heavy character of
the excavation. The river boats con- |
tinued to supply the needs of 5000 !
men scattered along the line. and to
furnish bridge timber ahead of the
track.
The steam shovels on the upper
river portions of the Copper fur
nished some $4,000 yards of gravel.
the product of the pit at mile 1O1
being used to ballast the line to mile
131. Chitina, which was reached in