Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-11

TRIP over the fIrSt railway ine ever
built in alaska. This is the White
Pass that runs from Skagway over
the coast range 10 White Horse. at the
headwaters OF the Yukon. The road
was built when the Klondikc gold ex-
element was at it's height. 1t WAS
to carry passengers over the noun
tainS to where they could set ship for
Dawson. The work was begun In 1895,
and finished less than two years later
when the first passenger train, a line
Of flat cars, brought out gold dust to
the amount OF S2ooo.oo0.
The White Pass railway is only Ill
miles long ana although not us en-
pcnsivc rs the Copper River road, be-
longing to the Gucccnhcims, il cost
millions 10 build The first twenty
miles cost on the average more than
$1,000 per mile, and there are parts
of the track which cost half as much
more. During the construction $500
men were employed. and less than
thirty of these died or We're Killed
while the railroad was building. The
work went on right through the win-
ter; and within eighteen months after
the first pick was used the trains
were carrying thousands of passengers
and millions of dollars worth of freight
down the sea coast.
The White Pass railway begins ut
Skagway. the port ut the head of the
Lynn Canal, just about 1000 miles
from Seattle Its path is cut through
the rocks along the winding valley Of
the Ska River and up the steep
slope of the Coast range of mountains.
Here and there the track hangs to the
sides of cliffs so steep that the work
men had to lie hung in slincs from
above that they might drill and blast
out the lodges on which the road runs.
In places whole cliffs were thrown
down to make nlacc for the road
bed.
After reaching the top Of the pass
the track runs for twcnty-scven miles
nett. 1t crosses canyon 2l5 feet high
Upon great bridge Of steel II skirts
the White Horse rapids. so famous in
the days of the klondikc. and finally
ends at White Horse, $50 miles from
Dawson by the overland trail and more
than 100 miles more by the river
The usual tourist trip OF Alnska is
confined to the islands of the south
Mt Skagway and many travellers make
the excursion 10 the summit Of tive.
White Pass and return durihp the stay
Of the steamer. SO far very few have
gone on into Dawson. and those who
make the long trip down the Yukon 10
Nome are fewer still The round trip
fare tn the summit Of the White Pass
is $500. and il costs about $40 for th..
passage down the Yukon to Nome.
where steamers may he had which will
take one across Berinr Sea and the
Pacific down 10 Seattle The white
Pass Railway controls the ra!l and
river transportation all the way from
SkSEWay to Nome
ROAD WELL. MANAGED
FROM THE BEGINNING:
The road was we'll planned and we'll
built II has been Well managed from
the start. and Notwithstanding the
heavy snowfalls. IL has. for the most of
the time, been kept open throughout
the winter IL has rotary snow piows
attached TO the engines. which will cut
path twelve feet deep through the
drifts. and its administration is such
that all Slides are fnuickly repaired
The acctdcn-s- that occurred during
the building of the road were few At
one place an engine jumped over the
cliffs, but the men raised II with block
and tackle. and II is s,ili doing it's
work. AT another place now marked
by an iron cross perhaps TWO feet in
heish: rock weighing more than 100
tons fell from the side Of the noun
tam ana crushed two workmcn who
were blasting the way for the track