Seward daily gateway., 1925-12-15
Annual Report of
 Secretary Interior
 on Alaska Railrodd

completed, will either produce ample returns on the capital invested, in de- creased costs of maintenance and op- eration, or will provide the necessary facilities and equipment for the func- tioning of the road as above stated.
 While no rapid development of the resources of the Territory can be looked for in the next few years, there is every indication of gradual and healthy growth in traffic for the railroad as a result of the develop ment of the resources, which is now taking place in more businesslike and substantial manner than in the past. So that, while there is no pros pect that the operation of the rail- road can be continued for some years to come without substantial appropri- ations being made to meet the deficit in operations incurred there is every reason to believe that eventually the railroad may be operated without such appropriations. The date at which this desired condition will be realized is dependent to a very great extent on the progress that can be made in the completion of the line and such progress is dependent on the appropriations made for that purpose. The situation as it now exists with reference to maintenance and opera tion is one of economic waste, in that due to the necessarily hasty construc- tion of the~line the, work performed in repairing the line and putting it in shape after the frost has come out of the ground in the spring is not last ing, and the same work has to again be performed the following spring. This condition can only be relieved by placing the railroad in such phy. | sical condition that the damage sus. tained during the winter will be re- duced.
 | The most important factors are the replacement of bridges supported on wooden piling, with bridges support ed on permanent masonry; the replac l ing of trestles, where necessary, with bridges or culverts and the filling oi trestles not necessary; the placing of sufficient ballast under the ties to eliminate the damage to the track now suffered by frost heaves during the winter months due to insufficient bal last; the widening of cuts and fills tC decrease the cost of necessary main tenance work incident to narrow cuts and fills and to decrease the expense of removing slides and replacing the sluffling of the banks and fills; the riprapping of banks and the raising o1 the grade above normal high water to eliminate the constant temporary repairing due to floods. In addition hazards to passengers and employees will be reduced, the losses from de struction of the line by floods, snow slides and rock slides, and the loss of property by fire, on which no in surance is carried, will be diminished Numerous improvements, no item O. which is very large in itself, can bt made that will decrease operatins costs; the same is also true of labor saving devices and appliances in tht various departments.
 Completion of the Alaska Railroad
 The following work has been per formed in compliance with the pro gram for the completion of the Alasks Railroad:
 Bridge No. 1275, Eagle River, re built. New bridge consists of two "A foot, one S0-foot and one 40-foot spar steel bridge supported on towers.
 Bridge No. 37O7, ferry, over Nenans River, rebuilt, New bridge consist, of two 2OO-foot steel truss spans ant one S0-foot steel half through girder 1 Bridge D-10, Healy River spur, ove
 Nenana River, rebuilt. New bridg' tconsists of four 80-foot steel half through girders.
 l Continued on Page Two)