THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. 347 
ing, track-laying and ballasting, from near Yale to Savona’s Ferry, a distance of 
127 miles was placed under contract. 
The length now under construction is thus, as under: 
Miles. 
Fort William to Selkirk (main line) . Spa I Mibieh reels tubal ENE APART) 
Selkirk to Emerson (Pembina been) : SANs 
West of Red River (main line and AViNHpee raeO)) 100 
iim Tsieibsla Colmar, (Ganemn Mae) 5 Gc Se oO 8 og aS kaa 
Total under construction . . . 722 
A second too mile section west of the Red Rive Hae event pees let, mak_ 
ing a total of 822 miles under construction, consisting of main line 720 miles and 
Pembina and Winnipeg branches 102 miles. In April last the rails were laid 136 
miles west of Fort William and go miles east of Selkirk, and traffic trains are 
regularly run from Emerson to Cross Lake, 161 miles. 
The cost of the route will, it is said, bear favorable comparison with that 
of the other completed and projected lines. The general summit is lower and 
the gradients more moderate. While the Central Pacific in climbing the Sierras. 
attains a height of over 7,000 feet, and the Union Pacific passes the Rocky 
Mountains at an elevation of over 8,000 feet, the Canadian Pacific has but one 
summit on its route, at Yellow Head Pass, where a level of 3,050 feet is reached. 
The cost of the 406 miles from Fort William to Selkirk, approaching completion, 
will be about $17,000,000, and for the Pembina branch the outlay has been $1,- 
750,000. For the whole route from Lake Superior to the Pacific coast Mr. 
Sandford Fleming, the government engineer-in-chief, has made the following es- 
timate, including a fair allowance for rolling stock and engineering during con- 
struction : 
Miles. 
Horr wWallamitonselkink’..) ) jue eee a tAO6 $17,000,000 
Selkirkitomjaspar Valleys.) . mein een cy eCOO 13,000,000 
asparitol Wake: anlleops! 2) eee ae 335 15,500,000 
Wakenkeandloopsito wales) .7) 7s gee 125 10,000,000 
Nileston OrtelVloodhy: 4/17)... wpm Mi ail. go 3,500,000 
ENCCES A aie ie eet saree eee) = 1,000,000 
Motalsyis conus oy lease GCE 0) $60,000,000 
The above does not inehidle cost ae exploration and preliminary surveys over 
a wide extent of country between latitude 49° and 56°, along the route, amount- 
‘Ing to over $3,000,000, nor the cost of the Pembina branch, $1,750,000 nor other 
‘amounts with which the Pacific Railway account of the Government is already 
Breed. In the course of the surveys three alternative routes through the 
“mountains into British Columbia have been laid down in addition to the line as 
“finally fixed to Burrard Inlet. All of these are further to the north than the 
selected line, and average about 200 miles greater length. They follow respec- 
