El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-06-10
w

y
M June 10 have just taken a
trip over the first railway line
ever built in Alaska This is the
White Pass" that runs from Slagway
over the coast range 10 White horse,
at the headwaters Of the Yukon
The road was built when the Klon-
dixie 60 excitement was at its height
It was TO carry passengers over the
mountains TO where they could get ship
for Dawson The work was begun in
r 1898. and finished less than two years
later. when the first passenger train.
a line Of fiat cars. brought out gold
dust 10 the amount Of s2.O0O,OO
The White Pass railway is only III
miles long and although not as exnen-
sive as the Copper river road. belong
ing TO the Guggenheims IL cost mil
lions 10 build The first 20 miles cost
on the average more than 100000 per
mile and there are parts Of the track
which cost half is much more. During
the construction $500 men were en-
plOyed- and less than 80 Of these died
or were killed while the railroad was
building. The work went on right
through the winter and within IS
months after the first pick was used
the trains were carrying thousands OF
passengers and millions OF dollars
WOrkmen Hang in Sings.
The White Pass railway begins as
SkagWay. the port at 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 Skagway river and up the steep
slope Of the Coast range of mountains
Here and there the track hangs 10 the
sides of cliffs so steep that the work
men had TO be hung in sings from
above that they might drill and blast
out the lodges on which the road runs
IN places whole cliffs were thrown
down 10 make place for the road
bed.
After reaching the top Of the pass
The track runs for p miles along the
winding shores OF Lake Bennett It
crosses a canyon 215 feet high upon
great bridge Of steel It skirts the
White Horse rapids. 50 famous in the
days Of the Klondike, and finally ends
At White Horse $50 miles from Daw-
son by the Overland trail and more
than 100 miles more by the river
The usual tourist trip Of Alaska IS
confined TO the islands Of the south
eastern part Of the territory. II ends
at SkaEway and many travellers make
the excursion to the summit OF the
White Pass and return during the stay
OF the steamer So far very few have
gone on into Dawson. and those who
make the long trip down the Yukon TO
Nome are fewer still
The round trip fare TO the summit Of
the White Pass is $500: and II costs
about $3.50 for the passage down the
Yukon to Nome. where steamers may
be had which will take one across Der
ing sea and the Pacific down TO Seattle.
The White Pass railway controls the
rail and river transportation all the
way from SkaEway TO Nome
Rotary Snow PIOWs Used.
The road was well planned and well
built It has been well managed from
the start. and Notwithstanding the
heavy snoWfalls il has. for the most
Of the time. been Ike pit out throughout
the winter. II has rotary snow plows
attached TO the engines which will cut
2 path u feet deep through the drifts.
and its administration is such that
all slides are quickly repaired
The accidents that occurred during
the building Of the road we're few At
one place an engine jumped over the
cliffs. but the men raised II with block
and tackle. and it is still doing its
work
At another place now marked BY an
iron cross perhaps two feet in height.
= rock weighing more than 100 tons fell
from the side Of the mountain and
crushed two Workmen who were blast
ing the way for the track The rock
was so heavy that II could not be
moved. and the monument has been
sunk in its center.
Heney the Builder.
Tho builder or the road was Michael J.
Heney- who afterward constructed the Cop