Valdez daily prospector., 1913-03-12

Pass a location is practicable with a ruling grade of per cent
 The commission did not tra-- Pass, but obtained a good view from a high prominence; the pass seems to present no diff culties of construction. The com mission had with them Mr.. Henry Deyo, the engineer who orlglnal- ly located this line; he gives the elevation of the pass ,756 feet, and states that the line is nrac- ticable, presenting no dlfflcultleS except two extensive trestleS and unr bridge. In the pass the con- structiOn of about .0O0 feet nf tunnel might be desirable le to cf- feet a saving of about a halt mllr of heavy work with sharp curNa- lure. The descent to Copper Rlv- CT could be effected with a rul- ing grade of 2.5 per cent.
 The estimated cost of the con- siruction from Valdez to junction with the Copper River Railroad via Marshall Pass is S3. i2 ,OO0.
 The Thompson Pass route leaves the Marshall Pass lnra- tiun about 8 miles west of thr latter pass, turning westward Wit h d loop miles long and a rul- ing grade of 3 per cent ln de- NrlOp the rlrNaIi ion on winch to cross this divide, which has an elevation of about 2.15o feet.
 In crossing this pass two lun- mel projects were considered. on" 9sO feet long. saving l5O feet in elevation. and the other 1000 feet long. saving $50 feet in rleVa- ton. It is possible that a tunnel at a lower elevation would re- ducr the approach grades; Ihr rock is grayWarkr intrrbcd'lru with some slate.
 The topography from Th"mp- son Pass to Beaver Dam is rug ged in character. The location conlrmplates sidehill support from the hcadwatcrs of the SaIna River following the righ! bank of the river to point about the middle of the Saina canyon. there crossing tO the left bank on 250- foot steel bridge.
 This river is a typical glacial fed stream with wide gravel bot tom and changing channels. Ihr valley walls rise very abruptly and at this point converge m lOrtuOus canyon 7 miles m lcnEtn, with vertical walls 100 feet hlgh. From this canyon to Beaver Dam there is good support for a rall- road, although the hills are steep.
 About 5 miles beyond Beaver Dam the location crosses stew art Creek, requiring heavy work in the canyon, and from this point starts a rising grade, :6 per cent, to a low pass at Ernestine: where Stewart Creek joins the .Tiekhcll that river turns abruptly to the eastward. and sugges ts a possible routa, to the Copper River through the Teikhell valley. This valley has never been surveyed, but ln- formation indicates that the en- tire valley is extremely rugged. This was confirmed by a view the ion obtained later of the valley from the Copper River, where it cmergcs from a steep walled canyon.
 In the ascent to ErnesIine Pass the route follows the left bank of the river with ruling grade of i,6 per cent. From Ernpstine on the topography is very rugged, and the location follows Mosquito Creek with ruling grade of 1 per cent.
 From Trout Creek to the Cop per River the route follows in general the location of the Gov ernment wagon road. and from Copper Center the same route to Fairbanks is followed that is elsewhere described in this re- port.
 The maximum grade north bound and S0uthbound Is 5 per cent. .,,
 Estimate of cost. together wit h governing characteristics of the road. are as follows:
 Length of entire line, Valdez Fairbanks, 38O miles.
 Cost of construction of entire line, $18,5 ,O0O.
 Average cost of construction per mile of track, S48,000.
 Maximum grade (northbound) per cent, 5. ,,
 Maximum i,, J grade (S"u'hb"und)
 MaXlmum curvature, TO uc- areeS.
 Resources. >-
 MfNERAL--The" mineral re- sources of the Valdez-Fairbanks line include the gold and copper deposits of the region close to tidewater which would be little affected by railroad construction, some undeveloped auriferous de- posits lying between Valdez and the Copper River, the copper de- posits of the Copper River Basin, nnl ihn rnld dalnnSifS of thn ChiS