The Bismarck tribune., 1922-01-25
WILL CELEBRATE.
DRIVING OF THE.
GOLDEN SPIKE E.
Alaska's 467-Mile Government
Railroad Cost Approx
mately $56,000,O0o
WAS COMMENCED IN 1914

A,chorase. Alaska, Jan. 257-oo lap-
80. .il,.,s Ins tbo R work Of bringing tose.n-
nr +ba ends Of steel on Alaska 70. %.
,n;,a government railroad 1roll ~ -
naa na oS tha seacoast. to Fairbanks III
tho heart OF the Yukon couh'ls' piu
oressed, that. definite plans "re rh Dre
,nada far a great celebration thlousn
~ ~ tho territory to mark the orlVlns !,
Of 't the golden spike" sometime IN hi'-
February ~, ,o attend-
al hv Gcvernor Scott c. Bone, Oh a.,
aska, and other high terf1torlal 'ntt ~
federal officials, will take plaee s,,t ~, ~
the Riley Creek bridge, l20 mlles soesn w.,
of Fairbanks. Thousands are eApec'e''
to attend the ceremony. o,s
The Riley Creek bridge is IN ltsell
q triumph Of engineering. Late , Ia
November, 1921, 500 tons OF steer ,l lol
thn bridge were shipped from Seattle
to Seward. Today the bridge, 9ou-
foot structure, is practically con-
n]eta1. With the exception or the -
3A0-foot steel bridge across the ran
an. RIVER at Nenana which Will mot
hn n]aced ,in service until late TINS
wear or early in 1928, it lss the las'
nnit Of the road to be completed. Hellu-
inp completion of work on the brldse
at Nenana, trains will be sent over the
Tanana on ferries in the summer anu
over tracks laid on the Ice durihs
the winter months.
THE government railroad cost ap-
nroyimately $56,000,O00 and has peen
under construction since l9l4. me
main line between Seward ana Falr-
hanks is 467 miles in length but, with
branches, the completed system VIII
have /, total trackage OF 539 mlles. tor
some months past luxurious trains
with Pullman coaches and buffet dln-
ing cars have been operated over the
main line on a oncea-week schedule
Freight was carried between the ends
of steel by dog sled
Fast Mail Service
Alaskans hail the coming OF the rail-
road as the key that will unlock one
of the richest territories in the world.
Mail from Seattle will reach Far
banks in nine days. Heretofore from
one to three months was the usual
time Of transit The road Will be
open The year round and no longer will
the freezing of the Yukon IN winter
mean that the great interior country
must hibernate until resumption OF
navigation in the spring.
Alaska's richest areas are tapped by
the read. The fertile >yalleys OF the
Tanana and Yukon will be in direct
connection with Seward, a seaport
with harbor free of ice for twelve
months in the year. The road passes
through important coal fields, one OF
which is expected to furnish supplies
of steaming fuel for naval vessels. 1t
traverses what government geologists
describe as rich potential oil dis
trict in the Cook Inlet region con-
tiguous to Anchorage.
Cuts Shipping Costs
Before the advent OF the RAILROAD,
according to federal reports, it cost
$40 to ship one ton of hay, corn, po-
tatoas or other necessities to Fair
banks. The freight went by boat to
st. Michaels, at the mouth OF the Yu-.
kon, was then reshipped up the Yu-
.kon and Tanana rivers to Fairbanks,
a total distance of $500 miles. Some
times it was shipped through Skag-
way, over the White Pass and Yukon
railroad to White Horse thence down
the Yukon and Tanana rivers at a
cost CT S66.
Today the same bulk of freight can
be shipped by the railroad to Fair
banks in three weeks less time than
by either Of the older routes, tra-
veYsing a total distance Of 1885 miles
at cost Of about $50 Since the road
began handling traffic few months
ago. the cost of oats in Fairbanks
dropped from S14O to $40 ton, the
price of beef dropped % cents a
pound. Wood costing $3.50 a cord was
replaced BY Ignite coal delivered at
Sc a ton.
An increase in tourist traffic is eX-
pected. Mount Mckinley, 20,3O0 feet
in altitude and the loftiest peak on
the NrrthsAmerican continent is but
a short distance from the line and
Mount Mckinley National Park will
become accessible.
' Great Britain had 2453 bankruptcies
during the first nine months of 1921.