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Show ALASKA NEEDS 'GOLDEN SPIKE' Seward-Fairbanks Line, 467 Miles, Will Soon Be Completed ANCHORAGE. Alaeka, Jan. 28 So rapidly has the work of bringing to-gether to-gether the ends of steel on Alaska's 167-mile government railroad from S ward, on the nearoast, to Fairbankp. in the heart of the Yukon country, pro d that definite plans are beiog made for a great celebration throughout through-out the territory to mark the driving Ol the golden spike" some time in mid February. The ceremony, which will be attended at-tended by Governor Scott (' Bone, of Alaska, and other high territorial and federal officials, will take place at the Riley Creek bridge, 120 miles south of Fairbanks Thousands are expect cd lo attend the cerenionv ENGINEERING TRIUMPH. The Rlley Creek bridge ia In Itself a triumph of engineering. I ate in No-Vt No-Vt tuber. 121 500 tons of steel for the bridge were shipped from Seattle to Seward Today the bridge, p. 900-foot ructure, is practically completed With the exception of the 1340 foot steel bridge across the Tanana river at Nenana. which will not be placed in service until late this year or early j In 1923. it is the last unit of the road to be completed. Pending completion of work on the bridge at Nenana j trains will be sent over the Tanana on U rll f in the summer and over tracks laid on the ice during the winter ' months The government railroad cost ap I proximately $56,000,000 and has been I under construction since 1914. The main lino between Seward and Fairbanks Fair-banks Is 467 miles in length, but, with j branches, ihe completed system will I have a total trackage of 539 miles. For some months past luxurious trains, with Pullman coaches and buffet dining cars have been operated oper-ated over the main line on a once-a-week schedule. Freight was carried ! between the ends of steel bv dog sled UNLOCKS TREASURES. Alaskans hail tho coming of the railroad as the key that will unlock one of tho richest territories in tho world Mall from Seattle will roach Fairbanks in nine days Heretofore from one to three months was the usual usu-al time of transit The road will be open the year round and no longer will the freezing of the Yukon in winter mean that the great interior country must hibernate until resumption of navigation in the spring llaska's richest areas are tapped by the road. The fertile valleys of the Tanana and Yukon will be in direct connection with Seward, a seaport with a harbor free of ice for twelve I months in the year The road passes I through important coal fields, one of 'which is expected to furnish supplies I of Meaming fuel for naval vessels. It traverses what government Reologists describe as a rich potential oil district in the Cook inlet region contiguous to Anchorage FREIGHT COSTS FALL. Before the advent of the railroad, according to federal reports. It cost 170 to ship one ton of hay, corn, pota toes or other necessities to Fairbanks jThe freight went bv boat lo St. Mich I aels, at the mouth of the Yukon, wa I then reshlpped up the Yukon and Ta i nana rivers to Fairbanks, a total dls I tance of 3800 miles. Sometimes It was shipped through Skagwuv, over the White Pass and Yukon railroad to White HorBe. (hence down the Yulcon and Tanana rivers at a cost of 566. Today the same bulk of freight can be shipped by the railroad to Fair banks In three weeks less time than by either of the older routes, traversing travers-ing a total distance of 1S85 miles at a I cost of about $30. Since the road be- gan handling traffic a few months j ago, the cost of oats in Fairbanks .dropped from $140 to $70 a ton, the price of beef dropped 25 cents a pound Wood costing $130 a cord was re I placed bv lignite coal delivered at $6 a ton An Increase in tourist traffic Is cx-I cx-I Peeled. Mount McKmlev. 20.800 feet in altitude and the loftiest peak on I the North American continent is but a short distance from the line and Mount McKinley national park will become accessible.' |