RAILWAY ROUTES. 17 
SUMMARY. 
In the foregoing pages an attempt has been made to present a concise and unprejudiced 
atement of the known facts bearing on railway routes ir.to Alaska from the Pacific. The 
bject is large and can not be adequately discussed in the few pages devoted to it. More- 
r er, the data are very incomplete, but it is hoped that this outline may be of service to 
ose who are interested. 
In the matter of climate there is little to choose between the various routes. Everywhere 
ong the coast there is a heavy winter snowfall which will necessitate large expenditures to 
sep the tracks open. The harbors along the Pacific seaboard, except the upper pail of 
)ok Inlet, are open to navigation throughout the year. Beyond the coastal mountains the 
imate changes to semiarid conditions, and the snowfall of 2 to 3 feet will not seriously inter- 
re with traffic. The coastal zone is usually heavily forested and will furnish much of the 
nber needed for construction and ties. The attention of engineers who are unfamiliar 
ith the conditions in inland Alaska should be called to the fact that in many places the 
ound remains frozen to bed rock throughout the year. When the coating of turf is removed, 
e gravel thaws out rapidly and this action continues, making it difficult to construct lasting 
undations, except where built on bed rock. This is especially true of the hill slopes, but 
e alluvium of the valley floors is not frozen. 
There are no data at hand of the tonnage of freight now being sent into central Alaska, and 
ill less can it be foreshadowed what the increase of business will be with railway communi- 
tion. Certain it is, however, that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of placers which 
uld be developed if mining costs were reduced. There are at least two coal fields which 
e only awaiting railways to be extensively developed, while the copper deposits, too, appear 
have great value. 
