Valdez daily prospector., 1913-03-12
WEDNESDAY. MARCH l2. 1915.
vALpEz-FAlRRANkS ROUTE.
(Rrpnrt of Alaska Railway G"m-
 miSSinn.J

The town of Valdez lies at the head of Valdez Arm, a branch "f Prince William sound, and is built on the delta of the Valdez Glacier. the glacier being about five miles to the northeast.
 It has a population of i,o00, including those on the military reservation adjacent to the town, and is well laid out. It has sub stantial buildings, is provided with hotels, stores, a bank a tel cphone system, two daily news papers, and is connected by cable with outside points and by tele- graph with the interior. It Is we'll provided with municipal nm movements for a town of i:.>' slZe, and is the headquart CTS Of the Alaska road commission.
 As located, Valdez is subject |" occasional disastrous foods hy the change in the channels o1 the glacial delta. It is located here by reason of the fact that the trail to the interior m 1o96 led over the Valdez Glacier, ana in the earliest rush of prospect ors the camp was at thlS place. Later, when the Fairbanks dls. trict became known, the present road, then a trail. was estaDllsn- ed, with this as it's coast term, inus. Expansion on thlS grayel flat will give increasing dltflculty. as the town grows. The shores ol the bay are preclpltOuS ana very high and offer few places for de- ve1Opment for commerclal pur- poses. In addition to the pres ent town and the space lmmedi- ately adjacent, a town site. call- ed Port Valdez, has been lald out at the mouth of Mineral creek, ahout four miles below Valdez on the north shore of the harbor. This town site has been patehted, except a small area, and offers a favorable location for commtr- cial development and town site purposes.
 Several railroad projects lo the interior were based on Valdez as the coast terminal. The Copper River & Northwestern Railway Co. projected road beginning at the town site called Port Valdez. Practically a third of the grad ing was completed between Port Valdez and Valdez. but n" other work was done from Valdez north until reaching Keystone canyon. Through Keystone can yOn, about 25 per cent of the necessary grading was complet- ed, including 100 feet of tunnel work, but no work was under taken beyond this canyon.
 The Valdez Yukon Railroad had it's terminal about one mile west of Valdez, and for a distance of several miles up Lowe river grad ing was completed, but nothing was done beyond the mouth of Keystone canyon. The present military road generally follows tha grade of this line.
 A third railroad, called the Alaska Home Railroad, did some grading at various places as far as Keystone canyon. In addition io these. two other companies made filings but they did no work.
 There are two practical routes bv which a railroad can be con structed into the interior from Valdez: One via Marshall Pass, and the other via Thompson Pass. These routes are identical for a distance of about 27 miles, eX- tending up the Lowe River val Icy as far as Heiden Canyon.
 From here one route leads on through Marshall Pass, and down the Tasnuna River to it's june lion with the Copper River, con meeting with the Copper River Railway about 5l miles from Val dez and 87 miles on that line from Cordova.
 The other route crosses Thompson Pass, and minor summit at Ernestine Pass, reacho ing the Copper River Valley loo miles from Valdez.
 The projected route from Val drz crosses the delta. plain above the town, which is covered with the usual gravel OVerWash. rms crossing would require, some 1rcstlc work which would be high enough to prevent the gravel de- pnsits from reaching the track levcl. The route follows he val : lev of the Lowe River through Keystone Canyon: no construc- tiun difficulties present them-- sdIvcs. and the grade IS about l per cent. A location has been suggested at higher elevation along the mountain sides in or der to avoid the construction through the canyon. It is believ- ed, however. that this would be jmpracticabIe. as the crossings of ihe numerous deep ravines would present greater difficulties.
 Tn Keystone canyon two short tunnels and a bridge of 200- foot span would be required: From here to inc summit of Marshall