The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-09-29
Survey Railroad Linking
Prince George and Alaska
Project Would Offer No Difficulties
Which Couldn't Be Met by Engineers

challenged the ingenuity e1d r.
sonroefulness 81 the pioneer build
ere.s they said. would not Be en-
countered in traversins the great
Rocky Mount Trench north Of
here.
The engineers based their opin-
ion on preliminary surveys Of the
proposed route.
Half a dozen survey field par
ties. averaging IL men each. and
working between Watson lake in
the Yukon and Prince George
along the projected rail route. are
now moving toward Summit lake.
checking and re-checkinE and 10
eating parties have been engaged
all summer along the i.2oo-mils
stretch between Prince George and
the Alaskan border. Five crews
working south Of Fort Ware have
almost completed their work.
SOME DELAY CAUSED
Low water In rivers used TO
freight supplies to the parties
caused some delay and inconven-
fence during the latter part of
August. There was q shortage Of
gasoline and some food items At
Watson lake. Low water made II
difficult and sometimes impossible
to get Supplies in from Telegraph
creek. and bull-do,ers were press
ed into service 10 push scows over
shallow river stretches.
Tabuiafica of surveyors
and locators' field data Al
ready assembled 1T the 4. =.
army engineers' headquarters
here Indicate . grade II iess
than ene-haif Of I per cent
On the proposed route. COM
pared with . grade tolerance
Of . per cent specified by the
u. 3. defense council, II was
aaid.
Other factors that would favor
utilization 81 the Rocky Mount
Trench route are the immense
gravel bed. for ballast purposes
on or near the projected rieht-of-
way. and the presence Of great
stands Of timber suitable for ties,
bridges and culverts.
NEW EQUIPMENT AID
Construction crews would have
powerful allies that were not avail
able even in comparatively recent
years. The bull-dozer. the cat"
monster carry-alls OF over 20-ysrd
CAPACITY. and other modern equip
ment greatly simplify and speed
today's major construction tasks.
They make possible undertakings
that dsunted construction men
only . score Of years ago. when
they had To use mules. wheelbsr-
rows. picks and shovels.
The airplanr Is another "sce
In the hole" Of the construc-
ton engineer employed In
remote areas. During the past
summer half . dozen float
equipped planes were engaged
In flying food. wcrkmcu.
equipment and gasoline to sur
veying and locating crews
scattered for hundreds II
miles along the wide valleys
.north Of Prince George to the
border Of Alaska The job cf
getting the railway into the
blue print stage has bee1
speeded tremendously by tire
intrepid 'bush pilots"
When and IL construction gets
under way, the sirplsne viii again
play an important role.
HOPE FOR GO-AHEAD
Hopes that the u. s. army will
get the go ahead signal 10 push
steel northwsrd next spring has
been increased by the recent visit
Of engineers representing con-
tractors in Eastern Canada.
One Of the engineers pointed out
that the Hudson's Bay railway,
the Temiskminc and Northern On
tario railway and the Grand Trunk
Pacific through Central British
Columbia all were constructed in
more difficult terrain than will be
encountered by the builders Of the
Prince George-Fsirbsnks rail line
Uncle Sans Burma road" to
the Far North.