Valdez Daily Prospector
PUBLISHED BY THE
Prospector Publishing Co.
TERMS.
Dally Prospector.
By carrier, per month....$ 1.00
By mail, per annum. 10.00
The Weekly Miner.
By carrier, per month. 40o
By mail, per annum.53.00
The Daily Prospector and Weekly
Miner, by carrier, to one address
per month.51.25
The Daily Prospector and Weekly
Miner by mail to one address
only per year..512.00
Business OITiee and Editorial
Rooms, Phone 152.
Advertising Rates on Application.
ERID.Vf: MARCH II. 1013.
CORDOVA-FAIRBANKS ROUTE.
(Report of Alaska Railway Com
mission...
Tin* railroad from Cordova do
Fairbanks would run almost due
north from Prince \\ illiam Sound
to the Tanana valley. It would
penetrate (h1 coastal range on a
water grade through the Copper
River valley, and would therefore
have to surmount only the one
major summit of the Alaska
range between its termini. The
Copper River and Northwestern
Railway Co. owns and operates a
railroad from Cordova to the
Kennicott-Bonanza copper mine,
and the part of this road between
Cordova and the town of Chitina,
132 miles, directly in the line of
(be proposed Fairbanks route, is
assumed to be available as an
operative part of the through line
from) Cordova, were such a road
constructed. This description will
therefore bet treated under two
heads, namely, the existing rail
road from Cordova to Chitina, 132
miles, and the proposed new con
struction from Chitina to Ihe
town of Fairbanks and the \ukon
river.
Cordova to Chitina.
The coast terminal of the Cop
per River ami Northwestern Rail
way is at- Cordova. The town is
located on Orca hay on the slate
footed hills of the rugged bluffs
which bound the bay to the, east
ward and just north, of the small
embayment making in toward Ky
ak lake. It is situated from 50 to
200 feet above low water and has
1,100 inhabitants. It has sev
eral good hotels, a daily news
paper, a salmon cannery, a saw
mill, and a number of prosper
ous stores. If is the distribution
point for general merchandise
and supplies hound into the in
terior, and is equipped with mu
nicipal improvements sufficient
for a town of its size. There is
very little room for expansion in
the space occupied by the present
town site, and its future growth
must necessarily extend in Ilf di
re, (inn of the low foreshores and
tidal mud llats to the southward.
Leaving Cordova, the main line
as constructed runs in an east
erly direction for 20 miles before
turning north with the Copper
river. During the lirsl live miles
it is supported on hill side, and
construction involved a small
amount of rock and gravel work.
The greater part of this 5 miles
is along the south edge of Kyak
lake. At about 5 miles out from
Cordova the line enters the Sher
idan glacier llats. which it cross
es in a distance of approximately
15 miles. This stretch contains
a tangent of It miles, was ex
ceedingly simple, and easy of con
struction. The Sheridan glacier
flats are almost level, and there
fore do not invito overflows. As
far as mile 19 the Hats are or
dinarily beyond I be reach of
tides. Hast of mile 30 Ihe line
enters tin* tidal Hats. The bottom
in general is glacial overwash
gravel, and the track is laid on a
gravid till 3 lo r> feel above sur
face of thi> ground. There are
about id bents of trestle lo the
mile on Ihis slrefch. lull Ihe com
mission was informed that it is
the ultimate plan lo lill a large
proportion of these structures.
On reel a ill pa rl s of I lie line I be
roadbed lias never been brought
up lo I lie ioeafed grade. I’llis
makes I be road ride a little rough
ly at present, but Ihe ipiantily of
such work remaining lo lie doin'
is' mil large.
From mib' 19 lo 3.3 Ihe line
bugs | lie fool hills of | lie miilill
I a ins lying lo the soulh of Sheri
dan glacier before making ils I urn
into Ihe Copper river flats. This
stretch is not expensive and it is
possible that Ihe alignment could
lie somewhat improved.
From mile 23 to 19 the rail
road traverses the Copper river
flats in a general northerly di
rection. This is the flood plain
of the Copper river delta, which
stretches in a broad gravel and
sill floor ranging in width from
10 miles at its southern to 2
miles at its northern end and ex
tending about as far north as
Childs glacier. The lower por
tion of the Copper river flats is
subject to flooding from two
causes, namely, the failure of gla
cial reservoirs and the heavy
rains as to I lie depth attained by
such overflows, beyond I he report
of railroad employees that in one
instance at least the water has
risen to within a few feel of the
coping of Ihe Miles glacier bridge
piers, indiealing a volume of wa
ter which if confined to one chan
nel might cause serious damage
to the roadbed in the lower part
of the flats. Light overflows have
been known to cause trouble in
these bottoms by freezing and the
conseipienl piling of ice on the
track embankment. This has on
ly occurred between miles i and
:i!>. and cm,bl in all probability !>••
I enl irely n vi mle«l by I rack eleva
jliim. When Ihe Commission made
i its inspect inn nf I lie Cupper Itiver
ilia it mad il hail jusl been reopcn
| e< I iii Iraffie afler a suspension
! nf nperaliiui nf nver six weeks,
jowing lo earth slides and wash
outs resulting from Ihe exces
sive rains of Ibis season. A num
ber of trestle washouts were not
ed. Al Flag Point Bridge mile
27 1-2 over 300 feel of approach
had jusl been renewed; i.‘ is not
known, however, whether this
washnul was due lo glacial floods
or rains. From miles 35 to 3tl
from one lo ihree bents al Ihe'
ends of HO per cent of all Ihe
(resiles have been recently renew
ed. This (rouble was due lo the
wasting out of the gravel ap
proach fills.
The crossing of Ihe Copper riv
er flats involved the construction
of a number of expensive bridges.
At mile 27 is a crossing known as
Flag Point Bridge, consisting of
one 300-fool, one 250-fool, and
four 175-foot spans; at mile 28
is a bridge! consisting of one 300
foot and one 200-foot span. Hot
Cake Bridge (mile 34) consists
of three 175-foot, spans, and
Miles (ilacier Bridge (mile it)'
consists of one 450-foot, two 400
fool, and one 300-foot span. All
of these bridges were designed for
the heaviest traffic, and were in
first-class condition when in
spected by Ihe Commission. The
substructure of Ihe Mile's glacier
undue is (•mien'ti* piers carneti
down to bowlder foundal ion with
pneumatic caissons. The sub
structure of other bridges are of
concrete on pile foundation. The
concrete work is apparently in
pood condition. Ihoupli the ice
puards show the effect of abra
sion.
The Copper river flats are sub
ject to high winds. These winds
sweep down from Abercrombie
canyon and the northward, and
havs been known to reach a ve
locity of 80 miles an hour. The
effect of such winds is to increase
the expense both of operation and
maintenance.
At Miles glacier bridge the line
as located lies between the Childs
glacier on the west and Miles gla
c‘"r on the east. Both constitute
a menace to continuous opera
tion. The northerly lobe of
Childs glacier is now not over 1,
50^ feet from the track at the
north end of the bridge, and it is
reported that this glacier has been
known to advance as much as 1,
600 feet in a single season. The
railroad at this point, however,
is not in line with the movement
of the center of the glacier, and
j could only be affected by an un
usual* advance of the north lobe.
II is entirely possible that this
I linger of ice may some lime ad
vance at such a rale as in on
I danger I lie Miles glacier bridge,
jbul it is believed that this is a
j rat her remote menace, and should
not lie* considered as imminent.
If such a condition should ever
joeeur.il is at least possible Dial
l the line could be so shifted as In
javoid the ice from either I he
Childs glacier or from the snulh
I west moraine of Miles glacier, the
face of which is less than miles
! distant.
Miles glacier is liable to inter
nal breaks during the melting sea
son, suddenly freeing enormous
volumes of water impounded as
lakes in or near iis mass. .When
this flood is first freed it inun
dates the entire river bottom in J
its vicinity, and has been known <
to leave a high-water mark on,
piers of Miles glacier bridge 22 i
feet above normal water stage.
From mill* 49 lo 50, the line'fol
lows I he west .side hill through
Abercrombie canyon to Baird gla
cier. (Baird glacier has been re
cently named Allen glacier.) Con
struction here involved heavy rock
work in the sides of the cliffs,
heavy snowshed work and a tor
tuous alignment. The maximum
curvature of the road is on this
part of the line, there being.one
22 degrees, one 20 degrees, and
one 18 degree curve, with central
angles of 3-4 degrees, 61 degrees
and il degrees, respectively, in
a single mile. There are also in
this stretch six snowsheds, about
83 per cent of the total of 4,097
feel on the entire line. There are
frequent and expensive earth and
loose rock slides. The slides,
however, should not be consider
ed as a permanent maintenance
expense inasmuch as -the slopes
will undoubtedly come to rest in
lime, and thus, lo a great extent,
eliminate the trouble.
Met ween miles So ami (id I In*
line curves around (lie fool of
Main! glacier ami crosses il on
I lie lot* of the (lead moraine. The
moraine is over ancient ice. and
is said to have shown no move
ment within recent years, tint the
glacier proper, some distance to
the westward of the lino, is un
(continued on page 3).
Co.
Satisfaction Guaranteed I I Foot Keystone Ave
Telephone 66 I I Rough Dry 10c lb.
SOCK CO.
JOBBER IN
COAL, HAY AND GRAIN
i • . L-' !?
PHONE NO. I.
Agent for
ALASKA STEAMSHIP CO. ALASKA COAST COMPANY.
FOR SALE
2 1-2 H. P. Stationary Gasoline
Engine
A BARGAIN
Keystone Dock Valdez Iron Works
, •, , .. i
Every Boat
brings something new to this store.
The S. S. Sampson brought us some
Carter & Holmes Easter Neck Wear
* * •
for men;
$D\R BRAND
SHOES
ARE t
iBETTERJ
Robert Johnson & Rand Shoes
for men, women and children. Come in and
see them, they show real class.
; i f ».» v « *-<■ s vfi -j
Daily Prospector aot
mo.
I i
Economical
Ironing
To iron economically
you must not waste
heat.
Ironingwith ordinary
flat irons is very waste
ful of heat; most of the
heat goes up the kitchen
chimney; a lot of it is
wasted in charring the
ironing pad and in
scorching the clothes.
Ironing with a
G-E Electric
Hat. Iron
Jim : »lh
is quite different — all the
heat is in the iron, ready to
go into the pieces ironed in
stead of going into the aoom
or up the kitchen chimney.
None of it is wasted.
To use only the amount of
heat actually needed for
ironing, be it either heavy
damp piece* or lace*,
embroidery or other light
good* i* real economy.
That’s why G-E Irons are
used in thousands of homes
throughout the country.
We keep all styles and sizes
—Let us send you one on trial.
Alaska Water, Light
& Telephone£Co.
H-51
Steam Heat 1 Electric Ligfcti
g ° ° d jiir DlirrCT G ° °d
Goods Int DurrCii G°°ds
Copper River Lumber Co., Inc.
ALL KINDS OF
.Native and V f Tli/IDCD and Building
Puget Sound LiUlVlDJuiV Material
CONSTANTLY ON HAND
Prices Right W. M. FINICAL, Mgr. Phone 18
Patronize a Home Industry
. ■ [
VALDEZ DRUG CO.
Drugs and Druggist Sundries
PRESCRIPTION, SPECIALISTS
Telephone Orders Solicited Free Delivery
Arguments May Be Disputed, But
“Facts Are f acts.”
It i a fact that Valdez beer ig a food and not a tonic.
Ask any doctor you know. Valdez beer aids digestion. Use
it a few times with your meals and you’ll find we’re right.
If you drink beer you should use Valdez beer in prefer nice to
others. First, because of its unquestionable high quality.
Second, because it is a home pr duct; brewed in your home
town and all who are interested in the growth and prosper
ity o! Valdez should patroniz home products.
VALDEZ BREWING AND BOTTLING CO.
Business department
We Pmu^fper Cent Interest *n Time Certificates et Bepesit.
l! v 'f ... • U ... , x •••;• • >