Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-11
GRAND JURY MDCS FOLLOWING PROBE Of ESCAPE Of GENERAL SALR

and Childs glaciers follows the course
OF the Copper river all the way to
Chitna. where it turns east again to
feaeh the copper mines.
Description of Route.
1t is from Chitna that the proposed
route to Fairbanks via Cordova con-
templates the building of $40 miles of
new railroad. The line would con-
tinue up the Copper until the river
swings to the west then strike direct
ly toward Evan lake without serious
grades to encounter. Beyond the lake
the route lies close to the shores of
the Tangle lakes, that well deserve
their name, until it emergcs on the
broad delta where rise the sources of
the Tanana river up which the final
stretch to Fairbanks would be laid.
This would form the trunk line; but
as feeder branches are contemplated
to the Bering river Matanuska and
Susitina valley regions to open the
vast coal supplies and other mineral
deposits, the total mileage of the pro-
posed branches would be 420.
Two routes to the Bering river
fields were suggested, one via katalla
and the other Via Lake Charlotte. 1t
would open the coal road to attack
from open sea in case of war while
the Lake Charlotte line, twelve miles
inland would be protected from ships
guns by intervening hills.
From Seward, on the west shore of
Prince William sound, the Alaska
Northern railroad winds through the
hills to Kern creek, on the shore of
Turnagain arm Of Cook inlet. The
distance is seventy-one miles and the
company now is operating only light
gasoline ,ars mGst of the time, heavier
equipment passing over the line only
when mining machinery is to be
moved inland. 1t was proposed to
continue the line along Turnagain
arm for thirty miles then swing
northward up the east shore of knik
arm, crossing that inlet at its head
and follow the Susitna valley to Chu-
litna pass. emerging on the banks oi
the Chultna river Following the
Chulitna to Broad PASS, the line would
make a right angle to find its way
via the canyons of the Nenana river
to the banks Of the Tanana, alone
which the final stretch to Fairbanks
would lie
1t was suggested that during the
sumner months knik harbor on the
east shore of Knik arm would be IN
available terminal, saving 115 miles
of railroad to and from Seward The
harbor is ice-closed in winter while
Seward and Cordova are both ice
free roadsteads.
Anchorage Difficult at Seward.
Cordova harbor, it had been re-
ported. is more desirable for ter
minal of the line because the Greal
depth of water at Seward makes an
chorage difficult The Seward route
however, was closer 10 the coal IieldS
Kand 10 9he known mineral belts thal
J the Cordova line and it was argued
! that the route of the Copper River
railroad made it subject to the moods
! of the glaciers among which IL
threads ii way into the river mouth
All reports looked to the eventual
| extension of the system to Yukon
| from Fairbanks and also discussed
additional lines to tap other product
i've localities
Probably the greatest tonnage foT
! the system eventually will come from
the coal mines of the Matanuska Oh
Bering river regions. Whether the
Bering field would supply suitable
coal for navy use or not has been a
matter of controversy for years. \
report on navy tests made in 1912 was
1 submitted to congress last year when
said the Bering coal was not suitable
for the navy unless a higher grade OF
product was discovered when the de-
( posits were explored for development
Enormous Coal Consumption.
/ The coal consumption of the Pa
cific coast has been estimated at l.
! 500, 900 tons annually, exclusive of the
| 10000 tons or more that the navy
will need each year.
| What the government thinks OF
A laska is indicated by the expenditure
of 35,000.000 for a railway, or al
most five times the S7,200,00O0 when
| the United States paid Russia for
Alaska. From Alaskan territory gold
bullion worth more than $200,00O, ,OOO
already mas been produced-nearly
thirty times the purchase price OF
! Alaska--and the total of Alaskan re-
sources in furs and fisheries as wei
as minerals probably now exceed
$500, 900, 900.
All government experts agree thai
the surface of the mineral deposits
has hardly been scratched as yet
Lode mining has been confined to the
coastal regions, easy of access. Trans
| portation of machinery and supplies
has been heretofore too difficult 9
problem IN the interior to permit the
working of any but fantastically rich
placer deposits
Only one of the many copper de
posts has been more than prospectec
and yet copper worth sl5,OO0,O 600 has
/ been shipped from the territory.
Alaska has a population of about
/ 65, 900, half Of whom are white
4 Twenty thousand of these white pio-
neers are in the central region
through which the new trunk line WI
operate and there are indications thai
/ their number will be quadrupled be-
! fore the whole line is in operation
| IITAI IAN PRESS TELLS