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The National Geographic Magazine 



actual time consumed in the voyage is 

 not very much greater to the western 

 harbors than to Lynn Canal. As re- 

 gards climate, there is little to choose be- 

 tween the various coastal terminals. 

 Throughout the Pacific seaboard there is 

 a heavy precipitation, varying from 

 about 90 inches on Lynn Canal to about 

 125 inches in Prince William Sound. 

 Heavy storms are usually from the 

 southwest,, and more commonly occur 

 from October until May. As soon as the 

 mountains are entered, very heavy snow- 

 falls are to be expected. The coastal 

 belt is usually heavily forested with tim- 

 ber which can be used in construction. 



It remains to describe the individual 

 routes and compare their respective ad- 

 vantages. For this purpose the general 

 location of the different routes has been 

 indicated on the map (see page 181), to- 

 gether with their relation to the moun- 

 tain barriers and to the distribution of 

 the known mineral resources. Profiles 

 (page 179) have also been constructed of 

 the more important projects, and these 

 have been grouped together for purposes 

 of comparison. It should be distinctly 

 stated, that while in the construction of 

 these profiles the best available data has 

 been assembled, yet this is so incomplete 

 that the results must be regarded as an 

 approximation. Many of the distances 

 and altitudes here presented will un- 

 doubtedly be found inaccurate when de- 

 tailed surveys are made. 



PYRAMID HARBOR, TANANA RIVER 



Chilkat River debouches into a west- 

 ern arm of Lynn Canal, called "Pyramid 

 Harbor," and its valley separates the 

 Saint Elias Range on the west from the 

 Coast Range on the east. A broad pass 

 about 3,000 faet high, 50 miles from the 

 coast, separates its headwaters from in- 

 land-flowing streams. Beyond this pass 

 the route would enter the Alsek basin 

 and follow the inland front of the Saint 

 Elias Range. Two forks of the Alsek 

 will have to be crossed, but present no 

 serious engineering difficulties. A series 

 of depressions, part of a system of aban- 

 doned valleys, affords an ideal railway 



route beyond the west fork of the Alsek. 

 The route would probably skirt the south 

 shore of Lake Kluane 2,400 feet above 

 sea-level and enter the White River Val- 

 ley near the international boundary. 

 After crossing White River at the can- 

 yon the line would be extended through 

 a broad, flat depression to the Tanana 

 Valley, which would be followed to Fair- 

 banks. As indicated in the profile, there 

 are no very heavy grades to be overcome 

 in this route. Branch lines could be 

 built to the copper deposits of the White 

 River and to the Fortymile, Birch Creek,. 

 and Rampart placer districts. 



Pyramid Harbor, which affords shel- 

 ter for vessels and opportunities for 

 wharf construction, can be reached by a 

 1,000-mile journey from Puget Sound, 

 entirely within sheltered waterways. The 

 Chilkat basin is well timbered (chiefly 

 spruce and hemlock) (see map, page 

 172) and contains some auriferous grav- 

 els, though the producing district lies 

 somewhat off the proposed railway route. 

 The copper deposits of Rainy Hollow, 

 which are undeveloped, lie about 20' 

 miles off the main route. In the inland 

 region there are no developed mineral 

 resources except a small placer district. 

 However, the meager knowledge of the 

 geology indicates that there may be here 

 a continuation of the mineralized belt of 

 southeastern Alaska, and that workable 

 ore deposits may yet be found. 



There can be no doubt that this is a 

 natural route into the interior, and it was 

 long used by the natives in their inter- 

 tribal intercourse.. It has one grave dis- 

 advantage, namely, that for about 30O' 

 miles it traverses Canadian territory, and 

 would therefore not afford an all- 

 Alaskan route. Under the custom laws, 

 international railways are always at a 

 disadvantage. Moreover, it would not 

 help to develop the resources of the Cop- 

 per River and Sushitna River basins. 



YAKUTAT BAY-ALSEK-TANANA RIVER 

 ROUTE 



The lower Alsek River valley, which is 

 transversed to the Saint Elias range, af- 

 fords a possible route into the interior. 



