The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1918-04-23
THE ALASKAN RAILROAD AR The
ARCTIC -G|GANT|CUNDER-
TAKING NOW ABOUT HALF N|SHED
Terminus at Fairbanks, 100 Miles Sh of Great
Circle--Traverses Land Wheree Sun
Shines q Hours a Day in Je

Washington, April 22-Construc-
ton of the Alaskan railway is being
materially delayed by the war, and
completion will be deferred indefinite
ly beyond the 1919 or 1920 date orig
inally projected for it.
While more than 5000 men were
employed in the field during 1917, a
force of perhaps 5000 is all that can
be maintained through the summer of
1918, and though the S40000,000 I'M
dertaking stands at stage 65 per
cent toward completion, the remainder
may take much longer to construct
than has the two-thirds so far built.
A linking up of gaps in the coastal
section, and the pushing Of main rail-
heads some 40 or so additional miles
toward the interior is the limit of con-
struction which the commissioners feel
certain that the shortage of men, ma
terials and shipping will allow them
to attain.
"That will be Alaska's share of the
inevitable sacrifice war entails" said
William C. Edes, chairman of the
Alaskan Engineering commission, dis
cussing estimates and uncertainties
connected with the enterprise, cal
though some OF the delay would have
interviewed even under normal condi-
lions.
During the last two seasons, we.
have practically completed the coast
al sections of the line, along which we
were enabled by transport conditions
to work simultaneously at number
of points"
Assuming the usual congressional
appropriations will become avail
able, the commission, which still has
some doubts about it's ability to Sc
cure even half upon the completion of
the main line from Seward to Anchor
age, both of which are Pacific ports on
the Alaskan southern seaboard, be-
tween which a rail gap of II miles
from Mile 215 to Mile 265, distance
estimated from the ocean terminus at
Seward northward In Alaska. excent
In certain places and on certain tvpes
OF work, the commission has found
that construction is only practical dur !
ing the summer after May Is.
The Alaskan railway, stretching IN
800 miles in trunk and branches to-
wards the Arctic circle, is literally
turthest north in railroad building en-
Eerpr1se, and as it stands TODAY. has
z96 miles of rails laid, has grades and
'uts completed far ahead of rails. and
ocatlon engineering entirely complet-
ID. 1t does not quite touch the polar
'one, for its northern limit at Fair
ranks is 120 odd miles south of the ,
treat circle, but it makes tracks across
n area where the sun shines % hours
day IN Jure and Chairman Edes adj
nlts that the daylight saving pre-
cribed in the United States will an :
ear trivial from an Alaskan view
oint. =
Engineering and transport problems
no mean magnitude have been solv-
d and are being solved in the con- :
truction of the line, for it's locaters
nd even its grade crews must hold q
themselves abreast and ahead of the 7
loneer settler. With work proceeding .
rom both ends of the line, a glance :
the maps will show the transport
ne built up to supply the interior :
'rmlnus stretching up from the I'm
ed States through the Pacific and
rctic oceans to the port of St. Nj .
laels at the mouth of the Yukon riv-
:. Steel, powder, food and equip =
ent must go thousands of miles by :
"a, be trans-shipped to river boats, :
reed upward against the currents of :.
e Yukon and the Tanana rivers, and :"
en- overland by last painful stare q,
Pack and wagon train to Fairbanks. =.
Until last November the commission :. !.
ID steamer, an army transport bor- "a,
wed for the work, but then the army -
ok it hastily back for the more i'm -
rtant duty Of carrying soldiers. The
will now depend upon ! a
numerical transport facilities, al
ady greatly restricted, to deliver
100 tons of freight this year over II,
: circuit whose magnitude can be e.,
nprehended from any map Supply do,
: the southern terminus viii pre- ws
it less difficulties, for the sturdy tio
an tugs can put out from Puget ,
md and go safely up the 'inqids will
sage" sheltered by islands from
Pacific Winds, and bring The M.
Insy. heavy-ladan barges into sew ~
and Anchorage ~
building the Ere itself, across ire
1az-rocc e,,,i1,,,,n x..1t.-