The Cordova daily times., 1921-02-02
LETTER GIVES INFORMATION
 ON RAILROAD


 engineer of the Alaskan engineering commission, in which he gives first hand information relative to the work on the government railway. It was written on January 10 and is as fol lows:
 | "T am enclosing herewith photo. 1 graphs of the bridge across the Sus. 1 itna river at Gold creek, Mile 264 One shows the south pier and the pro- gress of the work of erection on De- cember 9; the next one shows the 1 progress on December 23, and the small photograph the progress on January 1. The small photograph was taken from the north side and shows that all the steel has been erected. There is also double photograph that shows the camp at end of steel Mile 275-pn December 19. Steel had just reached there two or three days prior to this date. I thought you would like to have these photos for posting on your bulletin board or in some prominent place in Cordova for the enlightenment of the resi- dents in your city, and I would appre, ciate it very much if you would dis play these photographs prominently. "As you know, during the year l 1920, we completed the rehabilitation of the old Seward division, which con- sisted in renewing many of the old bridges, eliminating number by fill ing them in, building number of snowsheds and ballasting the track from Seward to Anchorage. The track ! now is in splendid condition, all though there have been two big snow slides down, one at Mile 72 and the other at Mile AS. These snowslides were carried over the track by the snowsheds and in no way interfered l with the operation of the road. At the beginning of 1920, track north of Anchorage was at Mile 236; also about 75 per cent of the grad ing was completed between Miles 236 and 264. or Gold creek. Our I program including completing the grade and laying track to this point, ! and the erection of the steel bridges across the Susitna river, and grading between Gold creek and Hurricane gulch between Miles 264 and 2S4, The program embraces the compile tion of the bridge by April, 1921. From the photograph you will see that the erection of the bridge is now completed and the rivetting and re- mainder of the work will be com- pleted by February 1, so that as far as the bridge is concerned we are more than two months ahead of our schedule. AS previously stated, the schedule also provided that the track would only reach Gold creek-Mile 264-but in view of the splendid pro- gress the track was laid to Mile 275, orabout eleven miles beyond the point contemplated by schedule.
 At the present time, work between the end of steel and Gold creek is well advanced, and contracts have been let for practically all of the heavy work between Hurricane gulch Mile 284-and the summit on the southern division.
 "On the northern division-north of Mile 315-the heavy work in Nenana river canyon is we'll. advanced and nN1 HnA The track on the northern division is at Mile 35S, and station work has been let as far as Mile 327, which in cludes practically all of the heavy work on the northern division, leav- , ing 8 gap of only twelve miles on the northern division that has not been covered by contract. This work Is very light and will be completed next summer.
 T am also enclosing herewith a photograph of one of our tractors, which shows that she has four trail CTS and is carrying load of about eighteen tons. We have two of these in use north of the end of steel, and they are giving very good service. Another one has been obtained from the states and will be put in opera -tion in the very near future. AS you know, we have been carrying the mail for Fairbanks and the interior since October 1. This work has been very successfully performed and not day has been lost to date, and all of the mail for interior points has been de. livered, including the second-class mail, This is record for mail deliv. cry, as in previous years the second. class mail was generally sent in on