Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-04-11
SEWAf#fAIRBANkS
ROUTE SELECTED
GE|l BY President.

GlIl BY PRESIDENT
Continue from page one)
". The issue before the president
probably lay in the price at which the
existing lines could be obtained. Meth
er route presented serious engineer
ing difficulties.
From EOrdcva, on the eastern shore
of Prince William sound; the Copper
River and Northwestern railroad, con-
trolled BY the j. P. Morgan CO., pro.
vides an outlet for copper mines at
Kennicott and reaches Chitna, 1872.
miles distant, following the westIbank
of the Copper river. Not far out of
COrdOva the road runs for miles par.
allel to the coast line and crosses the
Sheridan glacier flats. Making its
way across a network of smaller
streams, which give the river an out
let to the sea, the line finally turns
%northward and, passing between Miles
and Childs glaciers, follows the course
Of the Copper river all the way to
Chitna, where it turns east again to
reach the copper mines.
Up Copper River.
1t is from Chitna that the proposed
route to Fairbanks via Cordova con.
templates the building of 10 miley
of new railroad The line weuld con-
'tinue up the Copper until the river
swings to the west, then strike d.
rectly toward Evan lake without Sc
rious grades to encounter. Beyond the
lake the route lies close to the shores
tof the Tangle lakes, that well deserve
their name, until it semerges on the
broad delta, where rise the sources
of the Tanana river, up which the
final stretch to. Fairbanks would be
laid.
Form Trunk Line. s5as
t This would form the trunk line; but
las feeder branches are contemplated
to the Boring river, Matanuska and
gSusitna valley regions to open the
vast coal supplies and other mineral
deposits, the total mileage of the pro-
posed branches wauld be 40.
Two routes, to the Boring river
fields were suggested, one via Katalla
and the other via Lake Charlotte. It
has been urged that the Katalla route
swould open the coal road to attack
from open sea in case Of war, while
the Lake Charlotte line, IL miles in.
land, would be protected from ships
guns by intervening hills.
I. 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 ic II miles and the company
is operating only light gasoline cars
most o fthe time, heavier equipment
passing over the line only when min
ing machinery is to be moved inland.
1T was proposed, to continue the line
along Turnagain Arm, crossing that
Finlet at its head and. follow the SUI
sitna valley to- Chulitna Pass, emerg-
ling on, the banks of the ,Chulitna river.
.canons Of INenana River.
Nj Following the Chulitna to Broad
Pass, the line would make right an
gle to- find its way via the canons OF
the Nenana river to the banks Of the
Tenana along which the final stretch
to Fairbanks would lie.
It was suggested that during the
Summer months Knik harbor on the
least shore Of Knik Arm would be an
available terminal, saving lis miles
sof rail haul to and from Seward. The
harbor is ice closed in winter, while
Seward and Cordova are both ice free
roadsteads. IN
Cordova harbor, it has been report
ed, is more desirable for a terminal
of the line because the great depth
of the water at Seward makes anchor.
age difficult. The Seward route, how.
ever, was closer to the coal fields and
to the known mineral belts than the
Cordova line and it was argued that
the route of the Copper river rail
road made it subject to the mods OF
the glaciers among which it threads
its way. into the river mouth.
Additional Branch Lines.
All reports looked to the eventual
extension of the system to Yukon
from Fairbanks and also discussed ad:
ditional branch lines to tap other pro
ductive localities. ~
Probably the greatest tonnage IoA
the system eventually will come from
the coal mines of the Matanuska OF
Boring river regions. Whether the
Boring field would supply suitable
coal for navy use or not has been q
matter of controversy, for years. a
report on navy tests made in 1917 was
submitted to congress last year, Wnicn
said the Boring coal was not sultaoie
for the navy unless a hlgntr graoe y
nroduct was discovered when the de
nosits we're explored for development
Coal, Consumption Of Pacific,
The coal consumption of the Pacific
coast has been estimated at 1,5OO;0ge
tons annually, exclusive of the Low,
90 tons, or more, that the navy VII
need each year.
What the government thinks Q