The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-18

which started locating the route plunged Into the British Columbia push before aerial photographs Of the uncharted terrain had been as- sembled, Compass directions taken on flights over the region were their sole guide.
 TOUGH GENERAL
 The survey party had orders from Brig Gen. j. A, O'Conror, the highways boss, to stick to the east bank Of 6 certain river, despite the fact that ell the "ex- perts' said the road must cross the river and follow the west shore,
 The east bank proved to bc as treacherously swampy as pres dicted It looked to the surveyors as If they'd have to cross. after all. The major in charge ac- cordingly asked Gen. O'Connor by field wireless for the just. completed air photos Of tho river, to facilitate crossing.
 Receiving no answer. he ra. dioed again tho next day. still no answer.
 The major continued his ra- dioed requests, often several times day, without reply. h the meantime, his men went ahead and finally the Impossible" east bank was negotiated. When the ma jor checked with headquarters ag to why his wires were unanswered, Gen. O'Connor told him T had the messages thrown in the wastebasket l knew if you didn't get the photo- graphs you'd have to stick to the east bank.
 MAJOR CLIMBED TREES
 That spirit characterized the building Of the highway. Engi. neers started last March with dog sleds and pack trains. The timber was often 70 thick that, before the arrival of the aerial photos, 1t was not uncommon to find the major shinnying up q jack-pine to sight what fay aipsad, They aimed for tho jack pines and populars, stunning stands Of spruce, which indicate wet ground, The local trappers and Indians were helpful along their own trap lines, but unreliable for directions much outside them.
 The surveyors had hard job keeping ahead of the tractors and bulidozers knocking through the wilderness behind them. The colonel bossing tho caterpilIars put q price on the surveyors heads = a moose barbecue, and when possible, beer for all when ever the "cats" caught up with the surveyors.
 It happened more than once. So one night the surveyors pitch" GU Sheir tents !iaif a mile off the route surveyed that day. It was in dsep forest, 50 they blazed a light trail back to the road.
 When, at midnight, the leading caterpillar pushed through to the end of the line, the driver saw the blazed trail. He roared right down 1t to the commanding offi- cer's tent.
 GRIM ECHOES
 Although the cats never again caught up with the surveyors after the aerial pictures arrived, the commanding officer says he still hears the terrifying roar of the cats closing in when he hunks down for the night in his sleeping bag.
 Typical example of how the Alcan Highway was rushed was one sector where twenty D-8 cat- erpillars, the heaviest made, worked 24 hours a day to make e break through. The lead cat smashed straight through, followed by cats working shorter stretches in gangs. The trees there had no tap roots, so the cats hit them high, knocking chem over. Some trunks were 5O inches in diameter,
 Then the bulldozers slougfec them aside, clearing a i0O-foot swath. Next, smaller cats cut into the skinned earth, then came grading crews for drainage, culvert gangs and finally surfaclng crews.
 When they could, the builders skirted the swanpy muskeg. When in doubt, they strrged forward. IT the caterpilIars sank out of sight, as they often did. they dragged them Jul. laid down corduroy mats oz logs. Sometimes ten layers Of logs were needed to support the desired weight. "Ivs ti1s woElds thiekess