Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-04-30
Hard oelss 70 mckinley.
RAILROAD RAPIDLY NEARING THE NEW
EST NATIONAL PARK.


How inaccessible our newest national
park. Mount Mckinley, still remains 10
graphically suggested In the account
which Herbert A. Meyer, assistant to
Secretary OF the Interior Lane, gives OF
bis last summers trip into the great
northwest In connection with the ALASKA !
Railroad which the Government 10 build |
ling. He had reached Alaska BY the In
side passage and from Seward, the sea-
board terminal OF tho new railroad, had
travelled Q hundred ami fourteen miles BY
rail to Anchorage, the present head.
quarters, where he 10 still hundred and
fifty miles from the point where the
station for the Mount Mckinley National
Park probably wilt be located. His
progress from Anchorage toward No
Kinley Was picturesque.
81 was making trip mp the line"
said Mr.. Meyer. with the intention OF
going % far into the interior a. my
| limited time would permit. We bad
travelled by rail- until the end of track
was reached and had then continued by
buck board and saddle for many miles
over rough corduroy roads. through
dense underground, over half-forgotten
trails, crossing sloughs whore the mud
and muck would be body.deep on the
horses, fordipg streams and swimming
swift rivers until finally the bank OF the
SusItna River was reached. / have no
hesitation In saying that the sight Of the
river boat was very pleasing after two
such days in the saddle.
TOWARD MCKINLEY BY FLATBoAT.
"The Susitna, like most glacial streams
IL exceedingly rapid and for the most
part very shallow, with jutting rocks
and eddies and whirlpools that tend to
make navigation difficult and dangerous.
The problem confronting the engineers
at this point was to find the most efficient
and economical way by which men and
supplies could be transported further
along the line. Two methods presented
the selves-of building wagon roads or
of utilizing tho river. The cost OF con-
structing even temporary roads In such
Q country would be extremely high.
Could the river be utilized at less ex-
pensep In characteristic manner the
engineers faced this question. The re.
suit was tho construction OF small
feet of specially designed boats, each
capable OF handling fifty tons. These
boats have Q draft of only eighteen
inches, with length of eighty.flve feet
and breadth of twenty feet, and they
have been found to be adequate In all re-
spects for the purposes intended.
1--WE travelled up the Susitns for near
" three days, an unbroken wilderness
on one side of the river, and q railroad
grade on the other. At times the river
broadens to nearly mile In width and
then separates into numerous narrow
channels, like the fingers of the hand.
The boat, toiling up the river, would
now and then become stranded on some
sand bank, and the men would get out
their long poles to push back into the
ever-changing channel; at other times
the river would broaden out and be
practically bottomless. The difficulties
OF navigating stream of this character
may be appreciated all the more when 1t
10 stated that the speedtof the boat was
never greater than Ave miles an hour
and for the most part did not exceed two
or three miles. Often there were times
when We stood perfectly still with the
engines racing ct full speed. Indeed
now and again We would be overpower-
ed By the current and drift back to whore
Q new start could be made. When this
happened it would be necessary to ex-
plore for Q new channel, perhaps the
whole course Of the river having been
changed since the last trip Of the boat.
What had formerly been the channel
might be dry land and what had been Q
bank of earth might now be channel.