Evening journal., 1922-01-27
BY L. b. DoBYNs.


SEATTLE-The iron trail' will
supplant that of the dog sled in
Alaska in February when the
golden spike" is driven that marks
OF tho government rail-
road connecting Seward, on the
southern coast with Fairbanks, in
terror metropolis Of the northern
possession of the United States.
II is hoped by those Immediately |
with the completion OF |
this immense engineering feat that
1t will do much to dissipate popu-
lar association of the name Alaska
with icy wastes and outlawry, open
ing up as II will a large agricultural
and mining section, as well as scenic
beauties OF the great territory.
Appropriate ceremonies at Riley
creek bridge, 120 miles south OF
Fairbanks, when the last rail is laid
and the last spike driven into the
last tie, will mark an epoch In
American history and in which
Uncle Sans army engineers have
added further glamor to their al
ready great fame Seattle, the port
OF Alaska" will celebrate stimuli
taneousiy with Alaskan cities this
material, realization OF pioneers
dreams-th fruitation OF their fond
est hopes
The building OF this railroad was
attended by hardships seldom ex-
perienced oven in the most stupend-
Gus of pioneering projects. There
r,,r etrffIn-
ments on which to call for supplies
Model towns we're built, construction
houses and machine shops erected,
and homes for the workers grew
whore not even an Indians igloo
had been seen. Rivers which were
either raging torrents, flushed with
huge cakes of ice or frozen into
glaciers. were spanned with steel
mountains, with their precipitou'
sides. rocky lodges and deep cam.
yons were crossed; swamps were
made TO accommodate a modern
railroad bed and open plains, whose
silences were only broken by the
howl of the wind and wolf or the
"nush" OF the sled over its puny
trails. came to know the whistle OF
the construction train as il pushed
forward over a modern path Of
civilization.
Preliminary surveys were made IT
1914 and actual construction begar
in 1915, when gangs started at eacf
terminal, working toward each other
The first ia miles completed be
tween Seward and anchorage ha
been in operation for some /
months and has been a source o
) nearly S1.O0O.OOo revenue to tn
: road.
/ Two small lines already In Alask
) we're bought by the governmental
Alaska Northern. from Seward I
r Cooks Inlet, az a cost OF S1,l57.Ss
e and the Nenana Valley, operatin
g between Fairbanks and Chataniki
J. which cost 100000.
e The main line OF the Alaskan raj
o road. from Seward 70 Fairbanks,
l. 467 miles long-the completed roa
b with all its branches comprises 5a
" miles and cost s5e, 10000 II wa
built by United States governmeI
army engineers.
A typical construction proble
Is was the spanning OF the Susitna RI
\ er. which like many others OF u
/ project, demanded new departur
a in engineering, Tho bridge span
: Of steel. 504 feet in length and 4
\ gether with It's two approaches
.e 1922 feet long. the largest Of /
kind on the railroad.
Ice reaches enormous heights
the Susitna during the spring bres
l. lup. as was shown by the scared ar
! broken trees along its banks and u
g Scared rocks OF its canyons; so tn
N sustaining piers in midstream we
q out of the question-timbers wou
.e be crushed like straws and concre
l. fare little better under the treme'
h dous pressure Of the ice pack.
/ long span was decided upon and
70 building is a story in itself
n Supplies had to be freishted
sleds on the ice until the river brol
g and the jams had crushed their w
down stream then by boats down q
current Of the swirling. treachero
river. or by wagon on newly ma
Of roads. Pick and shovel gangs su
k plemented machinery. while eigf
Il inch pumps operated conpit and &
m low temperature of the work.
he glacial moraine Sc miles away fur
It's ished the sand and gravel
re Special measures were necessa
lis in placing concrete in the main pic
OF the approaches. the porous boul
er and gravel formation allowi
water to force itself through to I
floor OF the pit and the low tempe
~ ature of the water making Il Il
possible to place concrete in It
- bucket or pipe methods. A lar
~ sheet of canvas was prepared 81
Dy ficient TO cover the bottom arc, Z
Ia tending up the sides Of the encl,
en- ure where II was formed in'
as wooden supports TO provide a ri
away around the edges. Steam pir
were placed around the sides OF I
NJ pit enclosure and then the ent
he space was housed in and made war