The Alaska daily empire., 1919-01-10
HIGH VIADUCT IS NEEDED ON
 THE RAILROAD
Interesting Details Given by J. L. McPherson About Government
 Railroad.

In a recent copy of the Post In telligencer is an article from J. L
 McPherson on the Government rail road in Alaska, which winds up as follows:
 The only costly structure on this entire section of 103 miles will be
 the crossing of Hurricane Gulch on the Chulitna Divide, where a high steel viaduct will be necessary; this
 will, however, not be as long or costly as the viaduct crossing on the the structure will involve the unusu-
 al or difficult engineering problems. The Broad Pass region from the east fork of the Chulitna crossing to Jack river, a distance of 45 miles, is parklike in appearance, and for long stretches the excavation will be
 exceptionally light. Some little heavy work will be encountered for short distance through Nenana Canyon, but it will not approach, either in length or in cost, the work along Turnagain Arm, or through the canyon portions
 of other Alaska railroad routes.
 At Nenana an engine house, ma
 chine shop and boiler house were
 completed during the last year,
 which furnish all of the structures that will be required at the point The structures formerly erected at Nenana include a hospital, commis sary, mess house, three dormitories, eight residences, wharf, warehouses
 and saw mill.
 In the town of Nenana many blocks of sidewalks are laid and streets surfaced. The business sec tion includes modern hotels, restau-
 rants, and well equipped stores,
 covering all lines of merchandise
 modern school house is named af- ter Secretary Franklin K. Lane, and the residence section contains many furnished from the railroad source. The Nenana Commercial Club is an
 active and aggressive organization
 and is doing much constructive work. Plans for construction next year contemplate the completion of the
 main line to the crossing of the Su-
 sitna River at Mile 265 and from the lower end of Nenana Canyon to Fairbanks. From the Panama Riv
 CT Crossing to Fairbanks narrow
 gauge track is being laid, so as to
 utilize the rolling stock of the Tan ana Valley Railroad, now a part of
 the Government railway. sThe road bed and all structures. however, are being so constructed as to poovide fer the widening to broad gauge
 upon completion of the lines ana
 bridging of the Tanana river.
 With the completion of next sea.
 sons work. as now planned, there
 will remain 1O3 miles Of track across
 Broad Pass yet to be constructed Adjacent to the line of the rail
 road are a number of promising min
 ing districts. which should be con
 pected with the railroad by wagon UT dulO IOduD- AhCoC AAIluuc lue Yentna, about thirty miles west of Talkeetna; Talkeetna mining district. about forty miles northeast of Tal- keetna; Valdez Creek. about seven ty miles northeast of Susitna river Crossing; Broad Pass, embracing the west fork of the Chulitna and Ohio rivers, about ten miles west of the crossing of the Chulitna, and the Kantishna, about forty miles south
 east of Riley Creek Crossing.
 These districts assure a consider able traffic for the railroad, and connecting roads should be construct, ed without further delay. The Alas.
 ka Bureau has brought this require ment to the attention of Secretary Lane and is urging that an approp- riation be requested of Congress to complete the railroad and construct these connecting wagon roads into the adjacent mining district.