Show I Rough and Ready I IT f l t tJ J H HA A jr r y n r T Typical engineer working for Uncle Sam in the Yul Yukon on territories The first of these was the procedure procedure procedure pro pro- of initiating construction at various points along the route at the same time by transporting crews and equipment to strategic locations in March before the spring breakup break break- up of i ice e and snow made trails and rivers impassable The second was the employment of aerial surveys followed by stereoscopic stereoscopic stereoscopic stere stere- analysis of aerial photographs photographs photographs photo photo- graphs and the time-tested time and traditional traditional traditional tra tra- tra- tra engineer method of ground reconnaissance on foot with packhorse packhorse packhorse pack- pack horse and dog The third was the use of bulldozers bulldozers bulldozers bull bull- dozers tractors and other types of heavy equipment without which the record for speed and semi perma nent construction could not have been achieved The primary road was actually established by the powerful powerful powerful pow pow- erful bulldozers which plowed through the forests of native spruce and aspen as if through cornfields uprooting and pushing trees literally off a foot cut Timbers for the construction of bridges trestles and other structures were felled by the troops and processed processed processed pro pro- by sawmills on the site Ferries Ferries Ferries Fer Fer- ries for crossing the many turbulent turbulent turbulent lent creeks and streams stream's were improvised improvised improvised im im- im- im of rafts and pontoons At Atone Atone Atone one major crossing a large scow was built from forest lumber capable capable capable capa capa- ble of transporting equipment weighing weighing weighing weigh weigh- ing 40 tons Extremes of Heat and Cold During March the troop troops battled bitter winds and temperatures as low as 35 degrees below zero when it was impossible to drive a tent- tent peg into the frozen ground During July and August they sweltered under under under un un- un- un der a heat of more than 90 degrees and were forced to wear gloves and net helmets to protect themselves from the swarms of mosquitoes flies and insect pests In wet weather er they slogged through bottomless mud in dry weather portions of the road were shrouded in clouds of alluvial alluvial alluvial al al- al- al dust so fine that no no mesh could exclude it Through it all however according according according accord accord- ing to official reports from the field the morale of the men remained high and the job has gone forward at a rate which will bring the road to completion well in advance of the most optimistic estimate The engineers engineers engineers en en- report that the threats of muskeg proved wholly unfounded Muskeg a bog moss studded with sedge has proved to be a minor problem Most of it has been successfully successfully successfully suc suc- skirted and that which was unavoidable has been overcome with corduroy roads In one particular section of 60 miles in length reported report report- ed to consist principally of muskeg only four miles of it were |