The Cordova daily times., 1918-02-20

: In Alaska to very limited degree.
Concerning farming in Alaska and
along the much-advertised government
railway, the general has aptly sized
: up the situation as follows:
"The expression agricultural posst
bilities' has frequently been used con
corning this aspect of Aiaskas future,
and it should be borne in mind that
with the exception of some very small
and widely-scattered areas of stili
doubtful value, the word possibilities
accurately describes the condition at
the present time.
Zone of the engineers of the com
mission was sent to the Matanuska
region in response to the insistent de-
mands for roads to aid the farmers
in that section. He said:
Most of the farmers located in this
region are old prospectors, and several
of them with whom | came in contact
gave me to understand that they would |
be willing to sell out their relinquish |
ment for stake that would allow |
them to go back to the hills again, and |
that they had taken up these farms |
with that object in view, or with the
view of selling them to someone for (
enough to allow them to get out to the
States, where they could purchase Z
farm.
"As stated in a former report, the
truth about Alaska is good enough
Any information disseminated on the
subject by exploitation through news.
paper articles and other publicity
agencies which tends to give wrong
impression of the true conditions can
only result in injury to the territory in
the end. Alaska for the present, aside
from the fisheries, is essentially a min.
ing country"
continuing, the report says that the
maximum grade allowed is 10 per cent.
except where necessary to eliminate {
very expensive construction, grades ,
of Is per cent are permitted when the .
length is less than 100 feet, or where /
the slope is favorable to the greater !
portion of the heayily-loaded traffic. t
The most unusual and troublesome t
feature encountered, according to the ,
report, is the permanently frozen
ground, which covers a large part of
The entire Interior, and which is pro- I
teeted from thawing during the sum- I
mer by a thick layer of moss, turf or =
1ecaySa vegetation. 1t may be gravel, ;
clay, peat, silt or clear ice, or a COM J
bination. I
Aside from the roadbed itself, frozen I
ground encountered on side hills is
10 thaw and slide, filling the bitches :
and covering the roads with soft, 4
sticky mud. At Mile II, on the Val
dez-Fairbanks road, at two different =
periods, portions of the hillside twenty J
to fifty feet wide, and extending from Z
100 to 200 feet, have slid into the
road, carrying down trees and under O.
brush and compelling the construction
of short temporary roads to aecommo-
date the traffic.
Warm weather causes rapid melting
of the SHOWS and ice, and the glacial
streams become raging torrents of
enormous destructive force, and roads
paralleling them are in constant dan
ger of being washed away. These
streams change their courses fire.
quently, and may cut new channel
a half mile away over night.
The first all-steel bridge to be con-
structed by the board was erected at
Fairbanks during March OF last year.
The unusual circumstances Of length
Of span--300 feet-and location on
water transportation dictated the
choice of steel In this case, but its
general adoption is out of the ques-
ton. - |
Wagon roads are given q minimum
width of twenty feet between ditches
On steep hillsides and whore rock
work Is involved the width Is reduced
to ten feet.
Sled roads for winter traffic are
cleared for a minimum width of six
teen feet, with all stumps, hummocks
and obstacles removed for width OF
eight feet, ..
Trails designed for pack trains in
summer and dog teams in winter are
given a width of eight feet, with all
underbrush and stumps cut off as close
to the ground as possible.
The average cost per mile, including
construction and maintenance of all
i roads and trails constructed by the
board since its organization in 1905,
are as follows: Wagon road, $3,419;