The Alaska citizen., 1916-11-06
PROGRESS IS
 MADE ON ROAD

From a report recently received at The Citizen office from the de partment of the Interior it is learned that excellent progress has been made
 in the construction of the govern | ment railroad by the Alaskan En. gineering commission. The circular letter was received from A. Christen- sen, manager of the land and indus trial department.
 The report is as follows:
 Wm. c. Edes, chairman ot the Alaskan Engineering commission, re gently returned from Anchorage and reports excellent progress on the con struction of the railroad.
 Fifty-nine miles of track have been laid from Anchorage. With the sev enty-one miles of the old Alaska Northern Railway that is now in ope- ration to Kern creek, there have been completed 130 miles of the 470
 that will connect Seward and Fair 1 banks. The track so far laid from Anchorage consists of six miles south toward Seward; thirty-eight miles of
 main line northward to Fairbanks, and fifteen miles on the Matanuska branch into the Matanuska coal fields
 The right of way has been cleared l from Potter creek, on Turnagain
 Arm, to Kings river, in the Mata-
 nuska coal field, distance of seven ty-seven miles, and on the main line from Matanuska to the Little Susitna river. Rails will be laid 1 fall as far as Kings river, on the Matanuska branch, distance of six 1 ty-two miles from Anchorage, and to l Wassilla, on the main line, approxi- | mately Is miles from Matanuska. On l the main line in the Susitna valley, 1 between Montana creek and Indian ! river, 6 distance of 55 miles, the
 right of way is 70 per cent cleared
 and a number of grading contracts | have been let. Grading of the right 1 from Talkeetna to Willow creek, and
 north to Broad Pass. At Willow creek it will connect with the work under l of way will proceed in this section 1 Chickaloon, on the Matanuska branch, and from Matanuska junction to Will 1 low creek, on the main line the l Turnagain Arm district has charge
 of the construction from Anchorage
 south to Kern creek. the north ter ! minus of the Alaska Northern Rail
 way, with headquarters at Anchor age; and the Talkeetna district, with
 headquarters at Talkeetna, has charge of the construction of the main line 1 from Willow creek to Broad Pass.
 Arm will be attacked during the l winter
 For the week ending September
 ninth. 3.568 men were employed on | the Anchorage division, which in
 cludes commission employees, sta ! tion men and laborers, the August payroll being $258,330.
 The work at Anchorage is under ! the immediate supervision of Lieut.. l Frederick Mears, one of the mem
 bers of the Alaskan Engineering con- mission, and is divided into four separate districts, all of which report
 to the head office at Anchorage. These are: The Terminal district at Anchorage, which has charge of the construction and maintenance of all terminal facilities, such as ma l chine shops, roundhouses, water sup ply, material yards, electric light | and telephone. construction of quar- | ters for employees, ofhce buildings
 and the ballasting and maintenance
 of the right of way of the construct
 ed line, as well as the operation of l the trains: the Matanuska district,
 with headquarters at Matanuska
 Junction, has charge of the construc- l tion of the line from Matanuska to the Matanuska district, and at Broad
 Pass with the work from the Nenana | division.
 Rails will be laid in the near future
 as far as Potter creek. which Is fif | teen miles southeast of Anchorage. on Turnagain Arm. and from which ] point the rock work on Turnagain