8 



ALASKA. 



Cook Inlet to the Tanana through valleys of the 

 Sushitna and Cantwell rivers. George H. El- 

 dridge, of the United States Geological Survey, 

 who was in charge of a party that made a sur- 



" The desirable features of such a route are: 

 (1) That the southern terminus be on water open: 

 the year round; (2) that the country traversed 

 yield a large amount of farm-produce for those 

 who may dwell in the in- 

 i terior and less agricul- 

 tural portions of the Ter- 

 ritory. The Sushitna- 

 Cantwell route affords 

 both these conditions, and 

 is the only one that does. 

 Moreover, the route is re- 

 markably direct, both to 

 ; , the Birch creek and Klon- 

 dike mining regions and 

 to the confluence of the 

 two great navigable rivers 

 of the interior, the YuKon 

 and the Tanana, a point 

 that, from its position, is 

 regarued by many as of 

 prime importance in the 

 future growth and devel- 

 opment of the interior. 



" Cook Inlet, in the win- 

 ter season, is packed with 

 floating ice as far south 

 as the east and west fore- 

 lands, a condition that 

 has proved a barrier to 

 navigation for four or five 

 months each year. South 

 of these points the ice is 

 said to be less aggressive 

 and navigation possible, 

 though perhaps a little 

 impeded. Off the shores 

 of Redoubt Bay the charts 

 indicate a depth of water 

 of 10 fathoms, and the 

 coast has protection from 

 the north, as at Tyonek, 

 where, with less water, an 

 excellent harbor is af- 

 forded during the sum- 

 mer. This locality, there 1 

 fore without actual in- 

 vestigation would seem 

 to afford a suitable loca- 

 tion for the southern ter- 

 minal of a railway line to 

 the interior. 



" The second of the de- 

 sirable features that the 

 country traversed shall 

 afford a supply of agri- 

 cultural and farm prod- 

 uce equal to its own de- 

 vey of the latter route in 1898, reports as follows mands and to those of the interior -will likely be 

 upon its advantages for opening up railway com- realized if settlement is attempted, for the possi- 

 ;*; ,,.;^ 4^~ ,-~j-;_. XT~,,/I ~i bilities of this region are most encouraging to 



THE WHITE PASS BEFORE THE RAILROAD WAS BUILT. 



the farmer seeking a new home. Moreover, so far 



o - 



munication with the interior: "Nowhere along 



the route of travel was an obstacle encounterec 



that would prevent the construction of pack-trail, as at present known, this is the only area of such 



wagon road, or railway. Grades for the latter capabilities along the entire southern coast of 



could easily be found, the streams could be 



bridged at slight expense, and timber abounds 



Alaska. In other portions the great extent of 

 arable valley lands is wanling, or the region, 

 either along the route or in close proximity to it. where open and level, has too great an altitude for 



That the Sushitna-Cantwell valleys afford a feas- the growing of grains and vegetables. A railway 



ible railway route to the interior of Alaska is be- in the Sushitna valley might have tributary to it 



yond dispute, yet in any undertaking in this di- many thousand farms from which to draw its 



rection the winter snows must not be lost sight of. traffic. Besides farm-produce there would be car- 



They would surely entail heavy operating ex- ried a heavy tonnage of manufactured products, 

 penses for at least five months in the year, if, 

 indeed, they would not altogether prevent traffic. 



including machinery. The amount of return 

 freight would, however, be considerably smaller 



In the Sushitna valley the average depth of snow than that passing inward. 



is said to be 4 feet; in the mountains it is, of 



course, much greater. 



A feature of the Sushitna-Cantwell route that 

 should not be overlooked is its picturesqueness. 



