Anchorage Daily Times And Cook Inlet Pioneer

RAILROAD TO COAL FIELDS JULY 15
BUILDING MACHINE SHOPS ANCHORAGE

Too much cannot be said in regard to the work that has been accomplished and under way by the Alaska Engineering commission.

Much of the work, especially buildings, has been held back on account of lack of material but this is coming in on most every steamer and work is going ahead as fast as conditions will allow. Within the past few months several large buildings have been started and finished employing many carpenters and mechanics and the commission have enough contemplated improvements planned to keep them busy for some months to come.

Among the more important buildings that have been completed and being erected at the present time are two dormitories completed and two under construction, giving comfortable living quarters for 258 of the employes. These dormitories are equipped with everything needed to make them habitable and homelike, having running water, toilets and wired for electricity.

The large general warehouse, 60 by 200 feet, with a ten-foot loading platform, is completed, also the mechanical storehouse, 30 by 100 feet, with an outside storage platform 40 by 200 feet. The new office building equipped with all modern conveniences is about 75 per cent completed; the foundation for the machine shops is practically completed and work on the erection of the machine shops will commence in about two weeks.

Adjacent to the machine shop a round house will be built immediately; also work will commence at once on the car shop which will be situated just west of the machine and when completed an up-to-date wood working plant will be installed.

Perhaps the most interesting improvement to Anchorage people will be the construction of the power plant which will commence just as soon as the plans for erecting the boilers arrive from Seattle and these are expected shortly. This will be known as a general power plant and when completed and in operation will furnish power for the machine shops as well as lights for the city of Anchorage and the commission buildings and dwellings and will be situated just north of the machine shops. One interesting feature in respect to this building will be that the plant will be so arranged that coal can be delivered in cars at the boiler doors. The total boiler horse power will be 600 and the same building will house the generators, both for running the machine shops and for lighting purposes.

Later this season the commission expects to erect an oil house, coal pockets and sand drying houses, all in the vicinity of the round house.

The commercial freight depot that was erected several weeks ago and connected by the commercial spur to the government wharf will be enclosed as soon as the necessary lumber arrives. This depot, built in order to better handle the freight of the Anchorage merchants and relieve the congestion of the freight at the dock, is a distinct advantage to Anchorage merchants, being much nearer their places of business and easily accessible and commodious, 40 by 140 feet.

An expert direct from the U. S. navy has charge of laying out the radio station and which will be installed with the intention of being able to communicate with Kodiak, but on account of the atmospheric conditions the results will not be certain until it is tried.

On the railroad—important headquarters camp has been established at Talkeetna and a large force of men are working out of this place under able supervision. On the line to the south and west of Anchorage right of way contracts for eight miles have been awarded; also contracts for grading the largest cuts, the smaller cuts will be taken off later so as to have both finished at the same time. Right of way gangs and clearing gangs are working on the main line to Fairbanks and work is under way on all of the four divisions but the most work is being done on the Matanuska branch and the men at the head of the Alaskan Engineering commission report that steel will be laid and trains running to the first coal camp on the Matanuska branch by July 15. The steel is laid now beyond Matanuska Junction, over 40 miles, and the road is being ballasted as fast as the steel is placed.

New towns will probably be put on the market this summer and the people who were not fortunate in getting in on the ground floor in the Anchorage townsite lot sale are anxiously looking forward to the opening of these new towns, but always with the understanding that Anchorage will always be the hub and headquarters of this railroad work and the largest and most prosperous city in Alaska.