The Alaska citizen., 1916-06-26
Riggs Writes History of Railroad Work Tells What Commission has Accomplished

the Secretary of the Interior. Mr
 Edes was continued as chairman and chief engineer with full veto power over all administrative mat ters. With $500,0O0 obligated to the Alaska Northern Railroad com pany there remained only a little more than $2,0OUOOO to be expended on construction 1t was considered that the best results could be ob- tained by concentrating construc- tion largely from one headquarters. The flat land near the mouth of Ship Creek was selected as the most available point for initial operations.
 The chairman established himself at Seward, which has become the executive headquarters. To Lieu tenant Mears was assigned the first brunt of construction, and to the writer the completion of location surveys from near Broad Pass to Fairbanks. For convenience the par ceiling Of authority was entitled Seward Division, Anchorage Diyi- sion and Fairbanks Division.
 At Seward are established all the headquarters executive offices The members of the commission report monthly to the chairman, who in turn reports to the Secretary Of the Interior All accounts from other divisions receive administra- tive action here before being for warded to the auditor of the Intefi or Department at Washington Tor settlement.
 On his arrival in May at Scy ard the chairman moved into the of fees of the Alaska Northern Rail road. and pending adjustment Of cer- tain suits against tine ralroai trol. it over on lease. A small amount of reconstruction was attempted and the road put in shape for ,as-Car traffic as far as Mile 32. Beyond this the road was out of conla;s- sion owing to slides and washouts. i Iii August the transfer of the road was effected and all property, in cluding the dock was tu.nrl D.a~ l to the government. William C. Edes was designated a. president i Frederick Mears as vice-president. and B. II, Barndollar secretary and l treasurer. From the traffic receipts a small machine shop was erected the road were made.
 For convenience the office of the i purchasing agent is located in Seat tie, c. E. Dole formerly chief clerk of the Purchasing Division of the l Isthmian Canal Commission at Wash l ington, being in charge.
 The romance and honor of initiat- i ing the first government railroad constructor in Alaska belongs To 1 Mr Mears
 ! l Cook Inlet. The range of sprinL i age is impossible under present conditions and all steamers must l lie in the roadstead discharging on the tide, The first condition l to be faced was that of landing material, men and supplies There were available only one 60-ton cargo i lighter formerly the property of the l Navy Department; soft navy l steamer; flat bottom stern-wheeI boat. built by the commission the previous year. and a few privately owned gasoline launches In a hurry additional lighters and power craft were accumulated, a high-tide wharf and warehouse was built and i spur track laid through the mud to the higher ground along Ship l Creek. Gradually a dismal tent dotted flat took on the appearance of a construction headquarters, pile drivers chugged lndustriously at land l ing wharves along the creek, track stretched it's way through material yards, and stiffleg derrickS and locomotive cranes handled the fast-increasing supply of construc- tiOn material
 In June grading was actively prosecuted. In almost every opera tion the small-contract system was employed. Clearing, grubbing and grading were let let to stationmen associations of laborers who take on a contract at an agreed-upon unit cost. Clearing and grubbing are paid for by the acre, and grading 1 goes by the cubic yard By this method very satisfactory results were obtained, and in all probability the method will be continued through out the period of construction. Bridge work Is done under force account, as is also tracklaying.
 The first 150 miles of the accept ed line lie entirely within the Gnu zach Forest Reserve, and authority was obtained from Congress to take material from the forest free of charge. The timber used from the forest is largely spruce or hem lock, and while inferior to the tim ter of Puget Sound, still answers all the immediate requirements for ties, piling and trestle posts The larger bridge timbers are all brought | from Washington or Oregon, as spruce of sufficient size and quality | is not readily obtainable in Alaska and owing to the local climatic and industrial conditions, cannot com pete to advantage with the import ed article.
 Three locating parties operated in the Anchorage Division and a tenn porary telegraph and telephone line was pushed through to Kern Creek to connect with the line of the Al, aska Northern.
 Toward the close of the year funds being practically exhausted, the organization was reduced to a minimum and aside from a little track laying and the completion of the bridges under course of erec- tion, work was brought to a stand still.
 | The line from Anchorage to Mata- nuska River is now practically com