14 
ALASKAN MINERAL RESOURCES IN 1905. 
There are some promising copper deposits on Prince William Sound (see pp. 78-85), and the 
construction of a railway to the coal fields (pp. 70-77) might develop a local smelting indus- 
try. The railway would also tap two small producing placer districts, the Nizina and the 
Chistochina (see p. 7). The Yukon-Tanana placer districts reached by various extensions 
have already been referred to. The Copper River basin contains much good grazing and 
some agricultural land, and has sufficient timber for local use. 
An alternate route for this line is from Copper Center (PI. VII, A) through the pass al 
the head of the Delta (3,500 feet) and down the Delta, whose valley is, however, rather 
narrow, to Fairbanks. (PI. VII,. 1 and />. ) The facts in regard to this route are indi- 
cated in the accompanying table. 
Elevations' and distances, railway route from Copper Cent/ r t<> Fairbanks by way of Delta Hirer. 
Point. 
Copper Center 
Gulkana Divide 
Delta River I mouth) 
Fairbanks 
Elevation. 
Distance 
between 
points. 
Feet. 
Miles. 
1,005 

3,500 
J(K) 
690 
50 
490 
80 
Distance 
from 
Copper 
Center. 
Miles. 
o 
UK) 
L50 
230 
The advantage of building to Fairbanks instead of to Eagle is that the former is more 
cent rally located for the placer districts and lies on navigable waters giving steamboat 
connection with other points. Moreover, at present it is making the largest output. 
A railway to Eagle would, however, undoubtedly become a competitor with the White 
Pass and Yukon Railway for the Klondike t rathe, which is considerable. 
VALDEZ INLET-MARSHALL PASS-EAGLE ROUTE. 
Surveys have been made for a railway to connect Valdez Inlet with Eagle by crossing 
Marshall Pass, descending Tasnuna River (sec PI. VIII) to Copper River, and then fol- 
lowing that stream. After reaching Copper River the route is identical with that from 
Cordova Bay. Marshall Pass, 1 ,!XX) feet high and about 30 miles from tidewater, is reached 
by following the valley of Lowe River. Some of the details are presented in the following 
table, in which distances and altitudes are only approximate: 
1:1 1 rations and distances, railway route from Vala\ i t<> Eagle />;/ way of Marshall /'ass. 
Point 
Valdez 
Marshall Pass. . 
Tasnuna River. 
Taral 
Copper Center. . 
Chistochina 
Mentasta Pass. 
Tanana crossing 
Eagle 
Elevation. 
Distance 
between 
points. 
Feet. 
Miles. 


1,900 
30 
200 
31 
500 
50 
1,005 
66 
1,810 
58 
2,900 
45 
1,650 
•If. 
son 
161 
Distance 
from 
Valdez. 
Miles. 

:«) 
(it 
in 
167 
225 
270 
316 
■176 
The various branches and alternate routes are identical with those already described. 
To reach the copper deposits on the Chitina appears to he the first purpose of this pro- 
posed railway. It has been suggested that the line might be extended from the head of 
the Chitina to White River, but it would then have to traverse Skolai Pass, which is 
