The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-02-17

f6OOts/ U<OHV TIC NfHuHu
River canyon, $50 miles from
Seicdrd, icherc the railroad
runs. Center left: Goa
mine district rhich has re-
opened operations. Right:
How supplies scere hauled 10
the interior Of Alaska. BE
ioio) Lieut. Col. Frederick
Meors: the Susitna bridge,
longest single span bridge
pest Of the Mississippi, built
during the pintcr months.
Map showing foherc the
Alaskan railroad runs.
The "sourdcugh's" dream Of 20
years In al last realized.
The govcrnmentbuiit Alaskan
railroad II now operating.
Train service IL now available
all tho way from Seward. nj lido
water. 20 Fairbanks. interior
metropolis. A permanent bridge
over the Tanana and replacing
Of = small narrow raugr line into
Fairbanks arc the only unfin-
ish~d Job~.
Thew was very fitfie ceremony 20
IN. final work on the bridge AT Riley
creek near Mckinley National park.
Some OF the men Who have been on
tho biz sob for tho six years 4, has
been under way took q hand In the
final work Railway officials and
others rode the first thru train from
Seward TO Nenana vher. the rail
line connects with tho Tanana river,
a naviEabls tributary Of the Yukon.
CEREMONIES
COMING LATER
Ceremonies win come ist~r-~or,>
time this surnmcr-and all Of Alaska
Ia looking forward 70 tn. golden
spike event marking completion of
the territory's dream. Compared
with this affair. the ISlondlke gold
rush and other stirring events arr Of
minor importance. President Hard.
ing. members OF his cabIu.t. and
thousands Of people frpm Seattle and
other Western points viii attend the
biz affair.
Sweeping changes are made IN
Aiaaka's commercial map BY the
railroad.
The old ruutc from Seattle 20 Fair.
banks for shipments of hay. grain
and potatoes WAS by boat TO So.
Michael. thence by river hoats up
the Yukon. and Tansna rivers. a dis
tance Of 3.soo miles. and at cost OF
$40 a ton. or thru skagway and down
the Yukon and Tanana af a cost OF
sss Over thu new railroad these mr..
ticies can b. shipped. according 20
government, figures. at a saving OF
$40 n ton. 1000 miles In transporta.
ton. and three weeks IN time.
To make tho new railroad nnorv
accessible to Alaskans. the territory
ls working on n big highway pro-
gram Feeder highways lead 10 the
river and railroad all over the sys
tenn.
Coal. mined IN the Matanuska coal
fields. IL already starting toward tho
ocean and by ships for the Pacific
coast states. 10 meet n big demand
for coal Mt reasonable prices.
Private interests. following reopen.
Ing Of tho coal deposits. are making
extensive preparations for mining
the good bituminous coal deposits.
Several choice farming districts.
isolated by lack OF transportation.
are now able TO dispose OF products
thru the newly opened territory.
Opening OF coal and farming terri.
tory reflects in new development. A
flour mill has opened at Fairbanks 20
supply people heretofore sending
OF miles for this product.
other plants 20 supply local markets
at cheaper prices are also springins
up.
Preliminary surveys for the rail-
road were made In 1914 and actual
began In 1918 when
gangs started at each terminal.
working toward each other. The
first ia miles completed between
Seward and Anchorage has been In
operation for Is .months and has
been a source Of nearly 100000
revenue 10 the road.
Two small lines already In Alas.
ka were bought by tho government
the Alaska Northern. from Sew
ard 10 Cooks inlet Mt a cost OF
si,15T.ss and tho Nanana Valley,
operating between Fairbanks and
Chatanika.
The building OF this railroad was
attended by hardships seldom ex'
perienced even in the most stu
pendous OF pioneering projects
There we're no nearby towns or
even settlements on which TO call
for supplies. Model towns were
built. construction houses and ma
chino shops built. and homes for
workers grew whore not even an
Indians igloo had been seen. Rivers
which were either raging torrents.
flushed with big cakes OF ice or
frozen into glaciers. were spanned
with steel: mountains. with pre-
cipitous rides. rocky lodges and
deep canyons were crossed: swamps
were made 10 accommodate a mod
ern railroad bed and open plains
whose silences were only broken
by the howl Of the wind and wolf
or "mush" OF the sled over It's
puny trails, came to know the