The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-18
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By RALPH W. BENTON.


open Sesame is being said owe
Alaska. The magic wand OF science il
being waved over the country Within
few years it is expected there will be
marvellous response The locks will
spring omen. The doors will be throw
wide. The fabulous wealth Of the lane
will he released
Engineers are at work on the mighty
task of unlocking the enormous stored-uT
wealth of this country, North America
richest treasure house
For many years scientists have been
Cognizant of~the extensive veins of min
eral resources and of the latent possinil
tiles Of the country. but there has been q
sad lack Of facilities for reaching tbs
rich deposits and carrying them of. The
country remains much of wilderness
There are but few roads and trails. The
railway mileage is negligible
II long had been realized that what
Alaska needed We're arteries for the
dra image of her riches. She has lain
inert for centuries for sheer lack of ia
cilities for circulation. What she needed
was a great railroad to drive right to the
heart of her wealth and furnish means
for the extraction of the valua BILE min
erals
SO. many talked Of great railroad.
But the years went by and nothing was
done. When Franklin X. Lane was made
Secretary of the Interior he entered Of
fee with the determination to open up
Alaska 1t has constantly been his
hobhy-his principal hobby. He had talk
ed Alaska and preached Alaska inces-
sanity. He has made those at the head
Of the nations government listen to him.
He urged the building OF great Alas
kan railroad He asked the President
and Congress for their support He re-
ceived it. Provision was made for the
of road. Engineers now
are at work on the project so pregnant
with promise
The building of this railroad will he
to Alaska like the utterance Of open
Sesame by some powerful ma gician II
will throw her open to the world. 1t will
unlock her vast treasure house. 1t will
make her wealth accessible to all II
will mark the beginning Of a rema rka BILE
period of rapid development for the coun-
try
The new Alaskan railroad will be built
by the Federal government. The
route has been approved bv President
Wilson. II is known the Susitna
route and extends from Seward. on Res
direction Bay. coast town. to Fair
banks. on the Tanana River a distance
II vi mics lnland. This route will omen
m a territory not now served by any
railroad line. II will render accessible
wo OF the great coal fields of Alaaka-I
he Matanuska field. which contains
ligh-grade bituminous coal acceptable to
he navy. and second. the Nenana field,
,ear the Tanana River which is a great
'ein of hiCh-grade Ignite. This line will
'un through the very heart of Alaska
furnishing free access to her wealthy
Interior
The route includes the existing Alaska
Northern Railroad. which runs from Sc
ward through the Kenai Peninsula for a
Instance OF seventy-one miles to Turn
gain Arm. This railroad is being
'ought from its present owners BY the
government for sl.I5n.noO.
From Turnagain Arm the route il to
'e extended through the Susitna Valley
md across Broad Pass to the Tanana |
liver. and from thence on to Fairbanks |
I Is to be standard euaGe road. A side
Inc Is to run from Matanuska Junction
nfo the Matanuska coal field, a distance
Il thirty-eight miles.
The road il being built with its present
ase at Ship Creek. now known a. |
anchorage. on Cooks Inlet From this
oint II is expected the Matanuska coal
I'LL be shipped during the greater por-
lon OF the year. The grade from the
datanufka field to Anchorage 10 four
enths OF one per cent.