The Arvada enterprise., 1915-06-17

odetic survey. Mr. Riggs was selected because
Of his familiarity with the region and on account
OF the part he took in running the Alaskan-Ca.
madam boundary line. finished but two years ago
Associated with Mr.. Riggs in the railroad sur
vey were Lieut.. Frederick Mears Of the United
States army and William c. Edes. As result
OF the work done last summer and data previous
ly gathered In the same territory by other ex
petitions OF the coast and geodetc survey the
route now to be followed is to run in part along
the susitna and the Cantwell rivers and through
the foothills Of towering Mount Mckinley The
experts predict great prosperity for the whole
territory and declare that the ultimate cost of
$26,sO0.000 for the system complete will be AM
ply compensated for by reason OF the resulting
benefits
Whatever may be the ultimate economic ,,,.
nihcance Of this government.owned railroad IN
Alaska there should be question about our
present interest In the work done in runnin,
the preliminary survey and that which will later
follow as the steel rails are led farther and farth.
er northward In that rugged region
From past experience II has been amnlv a..
tablished that surveying in Alaska Is apt to be
full OF thrills First. the open season is a short
one and great deal of action has to be crowded
into brief period by the surveyor His ia mot
the task merely Of the explorer who pushes
ahead BY the shortest route to his objective. but
instead 10 that OF choosing the easiest gradients
for the intrusive locomotive. spanning the short.
est valleys and bridging tho rivers or torrential
streams where the foundations or the approaches
can be built for the least amount Of money com.
patible with present strength and durability
Some Of the most towering peaks in North
America are In southern Alaska. and from
their snow-clad shoulders In the spring and sum.
mer the waters flow seawsrd In great volume and
with much violence. Then the stricken timber
10 washed down into the flooded channels and
this wealth Of logs PUSHES onward like a veritable
avalanche when the way 10 clear, or what 10
even more menacing. these millions Of mighty
sticks Jam In some narrow pass penning up the
waters and themselves until ruptured by the
titanic forces they have halted for the while.
Then as the jam In broken onward tears the
roaring stream and the whirlinG timber until the
broad reach OF some wide channels robs the tor
rent Of Its turbulent fury.
The surveyors have not only to avoid these
dangers In planning the right OF way and the
points for bridging. but their work will demand
that they actually cross some OF these streams
when blazing the way for the line The waters
Icy and the currents swift while means OF
rescue are apt to be woefully scant.
Mr.. Rigs has given III some spectacular In.
stances OF the hazards confronting the civil engi
In that part OF the world. and what has been
experienced In the past up there Is pretty good
index OF the difcultcs to be faced In running the
line inland from the rail head OF the existing
road, n miles long which will form the nucleus
OF this great government undertaking.
But torrential rivers loaded with millions OF
with which the railroad builder In Alaska has to
count There the slow marching but IRE
sistibly advancing mountains OF ice, the glaciers,
and some OF these have taken possession OF the
very valleys through which the railroad engineer
would preferably choose to lead his line Indeed.
the Copper River and Northwestern railroad In
Alaska gives n pretty good notion OF some OF the
difficulties to be faced by the surveyors and pro
vided for by the government when II comes to
actual construction. That road is 1875 miles long
and yet In that distance there are nearly 275
trcstlcs bridges tunnels and Nils. Indeed. there
are sections where n mile OF construction has
cost much as 100000
There In n steel bridge nRnked by two glaciers
that cost n million and 4 half dollars to build.
and before a bit Of that structure ~ns reared
the engineers spent three years In studying the
pcculiart,cs Of those moving mountains OF Ice.
One OF the most serious phases OF Alaskan sur
yey work Is the problem OF transportation. As
Mr. Rixgs says There In food TO be carried for
the party. which 10 = big item. and oats for tho
horses Al some time during the life OF tho
Alaskan boundary survey every known form OF
TRANSPORTATION In tho North was used. In sum.
rner We have been known 10 adopt the Indian
practice and pack dogs. One year. at the close OF
the season, practically all our horses had died
and We journcycd down the White river for a
distance Of 1870 miles on RATS.
EARLY one May "a start was made from White